Yao Ming, basketball player

   2010 earning:  141.7 million yuan  (US$21.57 million)

At 2.29 meters high, Yao Ming is the tallest player in the NBA and the most famous and successful player in China. Born in 1980 in Shanghai, Yao started playing for the Shanghai Sharks when he was a teenager.

After negotiating with the CBA and the Sharks, Yao was selected by the Houston Rockets as the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. Since then, he has been selected to start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game eight times, and named to the All-NBA Team five times. Recently, he has missed several games after suffering a serious foot injury.