The history of sport is awash with examples of athletes who have set themselves up for life through their sporting activities and off-field endorsements.

However, when it comes identifying the stars who are REALLY rich, only a select few have been fortunate enough to rake in more than $1 billion.

According to Sports Today, just seven superstar athletes are members of the Billionaire Club, which reads like a who's who of sporting greatness.

Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Cristiano Ronaldo, Floyd Mayweather Jr, LeBron James, Lionel Messi and Roger Federer are the stars who have at least a billion reasons to love life.

With that in mind, we take a look at which athletes in the United States who could join the Billionaire Club in the future.

Stephen Curry

Curry is most likely to be the next NBA star to crack the billionaire barrier - no mean achievement given he earned just under $64m during the first ten years of his career.

He is currently the fifth highest-paid athlete in the world, with off-court income significantly boosting what he rakes in from the Golden State Warriors.

In addition to his main endorsement with Under Armour, Curry owns an equity stake inthe company which has also launched the Curry Brand.

The 34-year-old has several other endorsement deals, an impressive investment portfolio and his own media company. On the basis, future billionaire status is assured.

Kevin Durant

Durant is another superb example of a basketball star whose business acumen will help him become a billionaire over the coming years.

His investment company - Thirty Five Ventures -has already made some smart moves, most notably with digital currency exchange Coinbase.

Launched in 2012, Coinbase has 56 million verified users and is endorsed by global behemoths such as PayPal, Visa and Tesla.

Durant's biggest financial commitment was for a stake in the Philadelphia Union Major League Soccer franchise, while he has tons of other endorsements that keep the cash tills ringing.

Tom Brady

Given his longevity in the NFL, it is somewhat surprising to discover that Brady is not yet a member of the Billionaire Club.

However, he recently signed a 10-year contract with FOX Sports worth $375m to call NFL games alongside lead play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt.

Brady has also launched the TB12 lifestyle brand and co-founded Autograph, an NFT company that raised $170m in a Series B funding round announced in January 2022.

He has his own production company and several lifetime endorsements, which should all help him to achieve billionaire status in the future.

Patrick Mahomes

Brady has won seven Super Bowls during his glittering career, but he may not be the first NFL star to make it into the Billionaire Club.

That honour is expected to go to Mahomes, with the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback well on his way to achieving the feat.

He will make more than $500m from playing in the NFL, while endorsements with brands such as Bose, adidas and Electronic Arts will keep his accountant happy.

MLS has also acquired a $10 million stake in MLB's Kansas City Royals and has a stake in Sporting Kansas City,the city's MLS franchise.

Mike Trout

Trout may seem like an odd suggestion as a potential billionaire, but the Los Angeles Angels star is more than capable of achieving the feat.

He signed a 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels worth $426.5m in 2019 and is widely recognized as one of baseball's most marketable stars.

Trout banked a massive windfall from his equity stake in Body armor when Coca-Cola bought the sports drink brand last year.

Given he became the first Nike baseball player to get his own signature shoe since Ken Griffey Jr in 2014, it is not difficult to imagine him smashing through the billion-dollar barrier.