Michael Jordan was the richest retired athlete in the world last year - and his overall worth is estimated at over $1billion

• Michael Jordan tops a Forbes list of the highest-paid retired athletes
• The basketball legend earned £76.5million ($110m) last year
• The 53-year-old is estimated to be worth over a billion dollars
• David Beckham, Arnold Palmer, Junior Bridgeman and Jerry Richardson make the top five  

Michael Jordan - the face of his own Nike brand - has retained his place at the top of Forbes list of highest-paid retired athletes.

The basketball legend, who stopped playing in 2003, earned £76.5million ($110m) in 2015 and is estimated to be worth over a billion dollars, according to the American business magazine.

Sales of Nike's Jordan brand rose by 14 per cent in the USA last year and the 53-year-old - who starred for the Chicago Bulls in his prime - beats retired footballer, and global superstar, David Beckham into second place on Forbes' list.

Legendary basketball player Michael Jordan (centre) tops Forbes' list of the highest-paid retired athletes

The 53-year-old, who retired in 2003, raked in £76.5m last year and is estimated to be worth over $1billion

Former England captain David Beckham (left) is second on the Forbes list after earning over £45m in 2015 

RETIRED RICH LIST TOP FIVE

1. Michael Jordan - retired in 2003 (Basketball) - £76.5m ($110m)

2. David Beckham - retired in 2013 (Football) - £45.2 m ($65m)

3. Arnold Palmer - retired in 2006          (Golf) - £27.8m ($40m)

4. Junior Bridgeman - retired in 1987 (Basketball) - £22.3m ($32m)

5. Jerry Richardson - retired in 1960 (American football) - £21m ($30m) 

Nike want to double their Jordan brand revenue by 2020. 

Beckham, who won 115 England caps before retiring in 2013, earned £45.2m ($65m) last year with a huge portfolio of endorsement deals.

He is one of the most recognisable men in the world and his profile will increase even more in the the coming years as he leads the creation of a Major League Soccer team based in Miami.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player is followed on the list by golfer Arnold Palmer, who earned £27.8m ($40m) last year.

The 86-year-old is the oldest member of the top 10, and largely owes his fortune to a huge presence in Asia where there are 500 Arnold Palmer-branded stores.

Arnold Palmer, 86, is the oldest member in the top 10 after earning £27.8m with his business portfolio last year 

He has owned the Bay Hill golf resort for over 40 years and has a line of drinks under his name to supplement his post-career fortune, which dwarves the earnings he made as a player. 

Junior Bridgeman (basketball, £22.3m/$32m) and Jerry Richardson (American football, £21m/$30m) complete the top five.

Jack Nicklaus (golf, $26m), Shaquille O'Neal (basketball, $22m), Roger Penske (racing, $20m), Gary Player (golf, $19m) and Ervin 'Magic' Johnson (basketball, $18m) all make the top 10.

Pele, widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, is in 13th place after raking in £9.7m last year, nearly 40 years after retiring.

Chinese tennis player Li Na, who stopped playing in 2014, is the highest-ranked female in 14th place.