Former track and field Olympian Carl Lewis won nine Olympic gold medals and one Olympic silver medal. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he’s also a part of the extremely elite group of three athletes in the world who have won a gold medal in the same individual event in four consecutive Olympic Games.
Outside of his Olympic medals, he also swept the competition with 10 world championship medals, eight of which were gold medals. His career in track and field lasted from 1979 to 1996, during which he established a world record in three different categories. Not to mention his 65 consecutive wins which spanned over 10 years in the long jump category. He’s truly a legend, which earned him a net worth of $16 million.
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From Sunnyvale, California, Brian Boitano is the 1988 Olympic Champion, the 1986 and 1988 World Champion, and the 1985-1988 U.S. National Champion in figure skating. Brian started his career in skating at an early age. He helped push the limits of men’s skating through his excellently executed jumps.
In 1982, Brain became the first American to land a triple axel. But he didn’t stop there--he raised the bar at each competition, eventually becoming the first person to land eight triple jumps. Brian was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame and the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1996. He currently has a net worth of $18 million.
Besides being an equestrian and an Olympian, Zara Tindall is also the eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. In 2006, Zara won the Eventing World Championship and proved her talent. In 2012, she carried the Olympic flame at the Cheltenham Racecourse on her horse Toytown.
That same year, she won a silver medal at the 2021 Summer Olympics which was presented to her by her own mother, Princess Ann, who’s also a famed equestrian. In 2010, Zara met her future husband, Mike Tindall, who is a rugby union player. The two later married in July of 2011. Zara has done pretty well for herself with a net worth of $20 million.
Named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players of all time in 2017, Ray Bourque is a force to be reckoned with on the ice. You may know Ray as a team member on the Boston Bruins, but he was also an Olympian for Canada. Ray holds records for most career goals, assists, and points by a defenseman in the National Hockey League.
Beyond that, Ray has also won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman five times and came in second an additional six times. Bourque won his one and only Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. After this win, he ended his long career in Hockey but not before acquiring a net worth of $20 million.
Oksana Baiul was interested in ballet as a child, but, after she was turned away from ballet for not being “thin” enough, she turned to ice skating. It’s a lucky thing she did because she would find that her talent on ice would take her across the world. Oksana quickly took up the sport after she was taken in by coach Galina Zmievskaya in 1992.
Under Galina Zmievskaya’s wing, Oksana joined an elite group of skaters that provided her with the guidance to take her talent to the 1994 European Championships and Winter Olympics. As the 1993 World champion and the 1994 Olympic champion in ladies' singles, Oksana is the first Olympic champion of independent Ukraine in any sport. She now has a net worth of $20 million.
Mark Spitz, a retired Olympic swimmer, was the most successful athlete in the 1972 Summer Olympics. He swept seven gold medals in record time, only to be surpassed by Michael Phelps in 2008. So, you could say he’s somewhat of an Olympic legend! Mark was born in Modesto, California and he learned how to swim in Hawaii!
From 1968 to 1972, Mark won nine Olympic golds, a silver, and a bronze, as well as five Pan American golds, 31 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) titles and eight National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles! He set many records and won the hearts of America as one of the most beloved Olympians of all time. He sits with a net worth of $20 million.
Jennifer Gates is the oldest daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates. Jennifer is an avid animal lover and even donates a lot of time and money to animal welfare organizations. She’s also a professional equestrian! Born in 1996, she’s rather young to make a list like this. But with her family’s success, there was no doubt that she would be successful.
Jennifer is also engaged to fellow equestrian and Olympian Nayel Nassar. The two got engaged in January of 2020. Jennifer is chasing her dreams and marrying her love of equestrianism with her personal life. We can’t wait to see what the dream-team duo does next! Jennifer on her own is worth around $20 million.
Retired Olympian road bicycle racer Jan Ulrich left the sport in 2007. However, before he left the world of cycling, he made quite the name for himself. During his first Olympic attempt, Jan scored both gold and silver medals. He also won the 1999 Vuelta a España and the HEW Cyclassic in 1997 in Hamburg, Germany (his hometown).
Jan also sparked an entire cycling movement in his home country after his win in the 1997 Tour de France. Unfortunately, Jan Ullrich was found guilty of doping and was stripped of his titles and awards retroactively after 2005. In 2013 he openly admitted to doping. However, all is not lost because he still maintains a net worth of $20 million.
Eddy Merckx is one of those people who are naturally gifted in sports. He tried his hand at many sports before finding his passion in cycling at only sixteen years old. He competed and won over 80 races before going pro at only nineteen! Coming from Belgium, Eddy is seen as the most successful bicycle rider in history.
His notable wins include eleven Grand Tours (five Tours of France, five Tours of Italy, and a Tour of Spain), all five Monuments, three World Championships, as well as wins in every major one-day race other than Paris. With unquestionable awards, records, and wins, it’s no doubt that he’s worth every bit of his $20 million net worth.
Chantal Sutherland isn’t just an Olympian jockey, she’s also a Canadian television personality and a model! You may know her best from her appearance on Animal Planet’s show Jockeys. Her notoriety and good looks have earned her the reputation as the Danica Patrick of horse racing. We can definitely see why!
She’s absolutely gorgeous and was even the poster girl for the Del Mar Racetrack. Although she wears many hats, she will tell you that her primary vocation is being a jockey. At the Woodbine Racetrack in the year 2000, Chantal won her first career race. Her horses have earned her just over $53 million and solidified her net worth at $20 million.
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Tara Lipinski loves the Olympics – obviously. Lipinski started her career as a competitive figure skater in 1994. By 1998, she was an Olympic Champion, which went well with her world championship win in 1997. Until 2019, Lipinski was the youngest skater to win a U.S. Nationals competition. She was also the youngest skater to win a World Figure Skating title and gold Olympic medal.
Lipinski won every competition she entered during her professional career, and afterward? She moved to commentary. She’s been a commentator for two Olympic games, something she loves. Thanks to her prize winnings and celebrity status, she’s earned a lot of moolah. Lipinski is worth $25 million, which is only increasing with every broadcast she hosts.
Scott Hamilton is a retired American figure skater. He is a decorated athlete with a total of four U.S. Championship wins and four World Championship wins. If that wasn’t enough, he also took home the gold in the 1984 Olympics. Scott’s signature move in competition was a crowd-pleasing backflip! However, it was against regulations in the Olympics, so he left it out of that routine.
Scott also was known for his innovative footwork on the ice which also made the crowds go wild. After retiring from professional figure skating, Scott put his notoriety to good use by joining several charity organizations and writing three books. Also, Scott voiced the dog dancing commentator on the King of the Hill episode “Dances with Dogs.” He’s done pretty well for himself with a net worth of $30 million.
Alan Pascoe is a talented British athlete who found his stride with hurdles! He left his stamp on the sport by winning medals in the Olympic Games, the European Championships, and the Commonwealth Games. He also won medals in the European Indoor Games. After his athletics career, Alan found success in events marketing and consulting.
Alan was obviously known for his athleticism on the field, but he also made a name for himself through one of the funniest sports bloopers of all time. In celebration of his victory in the 1974 Commonwealth Games, Pascoe took a victory lap in reverse and attempted to jump one last hurdle on the track. Well… he missed it badly and even fell on it, which dented the hurdle. All’s well that ends well though, because he’s now worth a whopping $30 million.
Peter Sagan doesn’t look that old, but he’s a rich man. He’s a Slovak professional road bicycle racer who is currently riding for the UCI WorldTeam Bora-Hansgrohe. So far, he’s competed in two Olympic Games – 2012 and 2016. In 2012, he placed 34 in the road race while placing 35 in the cross-country portion the next Olympic year.
Sagan was set to compete in the 2020 Olympics but was forced to pull out after having surgery on his knee following an infection from the Tour de France. It’s okay, though! He has more than 113 wins underneath his belt, including being a three-time world champion. In addition, due to all of his endorsements and successes, he’s worth more than $30 million!
Greg Lemond is a decorated American cyclist and has gone down as somewhat of a legend in the sport. He’s a two-time winner of the Road Race World Championship (1983 and 1989) and a three-time winner of the Tour de France (1986, 1989, and 1990). In the sport, Greg has found his voice advocating for anti-doping in cycling to keep the athletes fair and healthy.
He’s considered by many in the sport to be the greatest American cyclist of all time, and we can see why. He was one of the biggest supporters and enactors of the sport's globalization and popularity. He retired from cycling in 1994 and was inducted into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1996. He has a net worth of $40 million.
Australian Cricket commentator and former international cricketer Shane Warne was one of the greatest names in the sport throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s. He’s widely considered the greatest bowler in cricket history and has received numerous titles and accolades from many publications. However, he was banned from the sport in 2003 for testing positive for a banned substance.
Shortly after the ban, he was named Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for the year 2004 in the 2005 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Shane officially retired from cricket in 2013. After announcing his retirement, Shane was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2013, as well as the Cricket Hall of Fame by the CA. He now sits at a net worth of $50 million.
Retired American professional road cyclist Lance Armstrong is held in high regard as one of the best road cyclists in the world. Lance got his start at 16 when he started competing in triathlon competitions. His natural skill gained him attention and notoriety. He made the decision to pursue his talent, and it paid off big time.
Lance is considered an icon in international sports. He won the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005. Unfortunately, Lance was stripped from all his Tour de France wins due to a doping scandal. Lance is an international spokesperson for testicular cancer and has a net worth of $50 million.
If you know anything about snowboarding, you definitely have heard about Shaun White. Shaun is an American professional snowboarder, and he holds the world record of winning the most X-Games gold medals and the most Olympic gold medals by a snowboarder. He’s also won ten ESPY awards in different categories along the way.
Besides snowboarding, Shaun is also the guitar player for his electronic rock band Bad Things. All in all, he’s a pretty cool guy. So cool in fact that he got to be friends with Tony Hawk at age nine because of his skills on the skateboard. If you could ask Shaun, he’d say “Board is life.” It must be working out for him because he’s got a net worth of over $60 million.
You could say that Michael Phelps is somewhat of a legend. He’s a former American Olympic swimmer and the most successful Olympian of all time. He holds a record total of 28 medals. He holds the record for most Olympic gold medals won by an athlete at 23 medals, Olympic gold medals in individual events with 13 medals, and Olympic medals in individual events with 16 medals.
With his jaw-dropping success in swimming, Michael is frequently considered the best swimmer in history, as well as the best athlete in history. He holds more Olympic medals than 161 countries. After his retirement in 2016, Phelps had this to say about his experience, “The only reason I ever got in the water was my mom wanted me to just learn how to swim.” He has a net worth of over $80 million.
Retired Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is widely considered the greatest sprinter of all time. He’s an eight-time Olympic gold medalist and is the only person in history to win the Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive games in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Usain established his legacy at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by setting world record times with a double sprint victory.
If that wasn’t enough, Usain is also an eleven-time world champion and is the first athlete to win four World Championship titles in the 200 m and is one of the most successful in the 100 m with three titles. Usain’s reputation for being quick earned him the nickname “Lightning Bolt.” He’s one of the richest Olympians of all time with a net worth of over $90 million.
Famously known as the ex-wife of former president Donald Trump, Ivana Trump has an interesting history with the Olympics. Ivana is widely known to be a model, businesswoman, and author. However, what we didn’t know is that she was allegedly selected as an alternate on the Czechoslovak ski team during the 1972 Winter Olympics.
However, despite an extensive document search and investigation by Petr Pomezný, Secretary-General of the Czechoslovak Olympic Committee, Ivana’s claims to Olympic fame were refuted. She may or may not have been an Olympian, but we’ll include her anyway. Her net worth is $100 million, and if you ask her ex-husband, it’s all because of him.
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Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner, has worn many hats. She’s been an American media personality, socialite, political candidate, and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete. Jenner had a six-year career with wins in the Men’s Decathlon event which ended with a world record. Jenner has been dubbed an “American Hero” and was given the unofficial title of “World’s Greatest Athlete.”
After her career in sports, Jenner went on to star in a little show called Keeping Up with the Kardashians. After announcing she was a transgender woman, Jenner publicly shared her journey with gender transitioning and is known as an activist for transgender people. She has a net worth of $100 million, making her the richest Olympian of all time.
Whether or not you love tennis, you know the name Rafael Nadal. He may be ranked No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals, but he’s one of the most marketable players out there. Each time he went to the Olympics (2008 and 2016), he walked away with gold whether by himself or on a team.
Rafa has been flourishing ever since he was a teenager. By 19, he won 16 titles and reached No. 2 in the world. His skill and accomplishments brought him endorsements and partnerships with Armani, Hilfiger, Nike, and so many more. Even Kia began sponsoring him in 2006! Today, Nadal is worth $200 million.
Serena and her sister Venus have stolen the spotlight for women’s (and men’s) tennis for decades. Serena, in particular, has dominated the court. She’s a former No. 1 women’s singles tennis champion and has won 23 Grand Slam titles. That’s the most by any player in Open Era and the second-most of all time (only behind Margaret Court).
Honestly, it may not be long before she beats Courts’ record! When Serena Williams went to the Olympics, she played in both doubles and singles. She participated in the 2000, 2008, and 2012 Olympic Games and won gold every single time. Naturally, she has plenty of endorsements from Nike, Gatorade, Delta Airlines, Aston Martin, Pepsi, Beats by Dre, and many more. Today, she’s worth $210 million.
Novak Djokovic is an exceptionally skilled tennis player. He’s currently ranked No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals, and he’s remained there for a total of 332 weeks. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s also won 20 Grand Slams. Through all his time on the competitive circuit, he’s somehow found time to go to the Olympics three times.
That sounds impressive, but somehow, the most remarkable thing is that he only walked away with one bronze medal. Every other time, he ranked fourth. Regardless of that, he has plenty of endorsements and winnings to bring his net worth up to a whopping $220 million. Who needs medals when you have that kind of cash?
It’s hard to determine who is better, Messi or Ronaldo. Messi has definitely racked up some achievements and has the most goal contributions in the history of the top European Leagues. At just 34 years old, this Argentinian soccer player is considered the best player globally and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
It’s no surprise that when Messi went to the Olympics, he (and his team) won gold. Messi, one of the world’s most marketable athletes, has tons of companies waiting in line to shove money into his hands. Along with Adidas, Gatorade, Pepsi, and Huawei, Messi is the first athlete endorsed by Hard Rock International. Messi is worth $400 million.
Roger Federer has had a long, wildly successful career. Over the years, he’s built himself a pretty nice nest egg to retire on when he gets tired of smacking the ball around the court. Federer has won 20 Grand Slam titles, sharing the record with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He’s been ranked No. 1 in the ATP for a total of 310 weeks, with 237 of those weeks being consecutive.
So far, he’s participated in four Olympic Games and walked away with two medals – one gold and one silver. He was set to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but a knee injury kept him from competing. That’s a-okay, though! Federer has plenty of endorsements to cover his break. He has partnerships with Nike, Gillette, Barilla, Mercedes-Benz, and more. Currently, he has a net worth of $450 million.
Space Jam was a flop, but LeBron James has plenty to fall back on. Nicknamed “King James,” he’s considered one of the best NBA players in history. To this day, he’s the only player to have won the NBA championships with three franchises – the Miami Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Lakers.
So far, James has gone to the Olympics three times, leading his team two of those times. He also walked away with two gold medals and one bronze. LeBron is another athlete with companies shoving money in his direction, including AT&T, Beats, GMC, Nike, Pepsi, and even Walmart. James’s net worth sits at $500 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most recognizable people in soccer (or football as the Europeans call it). Over his career, he’s won 32 major trophies, including seven league titles, five EUFA Champions Leagues, and one EUFA European Championship. Ronaldo also holds the records for the most goals and assists in the Champions League.
When he was just 19 years old, Ronaldo went to the Olympics. While his team didn’t win a medal, Ronaldo performed well, showing how much skill he would have when he got older. Ronaldo has all the typical endorsements you’d expect like Nike, but he also is endorsed by Herbalife (a well-known MLM), MTG, and Electronic Arts. Ronaldo’s net worth is heading toward $1 billion, with $650 million from soccer alone.
Anna Kasprzak didn’t go extremely far in the Olympics. In fact, this dressage rider from Denmark didn’t earn any medals. Her best result was in the 2012 London Olympics, where she landed fourth place in the team competition. However, she’s won awards at plenty of other competitions in Europe, but that isn’t where she made most of her money.
Anna Kasprzak is the daughter of shoe entrepreneur Hanni Toosbuy Kasprzak. Hanni is the owner and chair of ECCO shoes, which was founded in 1963. Because Anna is now a shoe heiress, she has a massive net worth of $1.4 billion. Currently, Forbes is putting ECCO on track to be worth billions more, so that amount will likely increase soon.
Michael Jordan is one of the best-known basketball players globally, and many would say he’s the greatest basketball player of all time. Many experts claim that Jordan was integral to helping popularize NBA in the ’80s and ’90s, and we definitely agree. He was even in the first (and more successful) Space Jam movie!
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Michael Jordan had to go to the Olympics, and each time, he walked away with gold. It’s been a while since he’s played basketball, but he’s still rolling in the dough. He’s the principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets and 23XI Racing. His endorsements with major companies like McDonald’s, Nike, and Hanes also help quite a bit. Now, he’s worth $1.6 million.
