Is an ancient charioteer the best paid sportsperson of all time?

Gaius Appuleius Diocles, a second-century Roman charioteer, earned a career total of 35 million sesterces, a sum that theoretically positions him as the wealthiest athlete in history. Professor Mary Beard explains that while a 2010 academic calculation valued this fortune at $15 billion by comparing Roman military costs to modern U.S. Army spending, such conversions are fundamentally flawed. The U.S. military is significantly larger than the Roman legions, and the vastly different economic structures of the two eras make direct currency translation nearly meaningless. Within his own historical context, Diocles’ winnings exceeded the total net worth required for 35 Roman senators, placing him among the empire's mega-rich elite. Despite his immense ancient wealth, modern superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Tiger Woods remain the leaders of contemporary sporting rich lists because long-run economic comparisons cannot accurately bridge two millennia of growth and price disparity.