Polish ski champion Adam Małysz earned millions during a 17-year-long sports career which finished at the weekend.

The four–time World Cup winner, four-time world champion and four-time medalist at Olympic Games managed to earn 30 million zloty (7.5 million euro) during his long career.

Malysz never reached the top ten most paid Polish athletes. F1 driver Robert Kubica earned 25 million zloty (6.2 million euro) last year and NBA player Marcin Gortat 17.5 million (4.3 million euro).

Polish football players Kuszczak, Jelen, Blaszczykowski, Boruc, Fabianski and Dudek all earned over 6 million zloty (1.5 million euro) last year.

In 2000-2001 season Malysz earned 400,000 Swiss francs (310,000 euro) in prize money. Advertising contracts were even more lucrative for Malysz and was said to have been the first Polish athlete who broke a single ad campaign record of one million zloty (250,000 euro).

Malysz’s first advertising contract with Red Bull earned him 800,000 euro. The Polish ski-jumper earned on average 3 million zloty (750,000 euro) from ad contracts a year. (mg)

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza