Income of the highest paid athlete of the Winter Olympic Games revealed
Freestyle skier Eileen Gu has become the highest paid athlete of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The 22-year-old athlete, who competes for China, earned an estimated $23 million by the end of 2025, marking a record figure among all participants of the current Olympic Games.
Eileen Gu is known not only for her athletic achievements but also for her active career beyond the slopes. Her resume includes Olympic champion, model with the international agency IMG Models, global brand ambassador and student at Stanford University, where she studies international relations. Although Gu represents China, she spent her childhood and teenage years in San Francisco.
The decision to compete for China, made in 2019, significantly expanded her commercial opportunities ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. At that time, Gu signed endorsement deals with more than 20 companies and appeared on the covers of the Chinese editions of Vogue, Marie Claire and InStyle.
During the 2025-2026 season, the athlete earned less than $100,000 in prize money from World Cup stages and commercial events. The bulk of her income comes from endorsement agreements with global brands, including automotive, watch and sports companies, as well as participation in international marketing campaigns.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the medals of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games have become the most expensive in the history of the competition.
