Nigerian Afrobeats singer Daniel Benson, popularly known as BNXN, has weighed in on the long-running debate about whether musicians or professional athletes earn more. He said most top National Basketball Association (NBA) players are significantly wealthier than Nigerian music stars.
The ‘Finesse’ crooner shared his opinion during a recent livestream with streamer Ojo, where he discussed the financial differences between the entertainment and sports industries.
According to BNXN, his interactions with several NBA players have given him firsthand insight into the scale of earnings enjoyed by elite basketball professionals.
“These guys have so much money”
The singer said athletes competing at the highest level of basketball command incomes that most Nigerian artistes cannot match.
“I am friends with a few NBA players. These guys have so much money. Nigerian artists don’t even have as much money as them.”
BNXN added that the earnings of some of the league’s biggest stars are on another level entirely.
“NBA players are insanely rich. A player of Jaylen Brown’s calibre have so much money. Afrobeats are not close to athletes in terms of earnings.”
Sports stars among world’s highest earners
Professional athletes, particularly those in the NBA and top European football leagues, rank among the world’s highest-paid sports personalities through a combination of salaries, bonuses and endorsement deals.
Several NBA stars also earn substantial income from sponsorship agreements, investments and business ventures outside basketball.
Meanwhile, Afrobeats has experienced remarkable global growth in recent years, with Nigerian artistes selling out international arenas, topping streaming charts and securing lucrative brand partnerships.
Despite that growth, BNXN believes the financial gap between most Nigerian musicians and elite American athletes remains significant.
His comments have since generated discussions online, with fans comparing the earning potential of successful entertainers and professional athletes across different industries.
