The richest athletes at the 2026 Olympics, ranked
Every athlete at the Olympics is athletically gifted, but it's no secret that some far out-earn others. We take a look at the highest paid Olympians at Milano Cortina 2026
By Cayle Reid
IT TAKES AN exceptional amount of dedication and physical ability to be an Olympian, but for all the work that goes into it, the job doesn’t necessarily pay that well. Unless you’re lucky enough to hail from one of the nations that pays an exorbitant sum in return for medals – sometimes in excess of $1 million – or have sponsorship money to fall back on, for most, being an Olympian is only a part-time job.
That rings true in more ways than one. Yes, less-successful Olympians in less-popular sports have to treat being an athlete as a part-time job, as they need to support themselves through other avenues. But then there’s the select few to whom the Olympics are merely a sideshow from their more lucrative jobs elsewhere – we’re talking about the pro hockey players of the NHL, who make more bank outside of the Olympics than during them.
With that in mind, you might assume that a list of the richest Winter Olympians would just name the roster of the American and Canadian hockey teams, who are all on huge contracts in the NHL, but you’d be mistaken. In fact, the highest paid Olympian of all is not who you’d expect. Read on to find out who it is, as we rank the richest Olympians based on how much they earn every year.
All figures are in AUD and are accurate as if February 11th 2026.
Who are the richest Olympians at the 2026 Winter Games?
10. Scotty James
Yearly earnings: $4.24 million
Scotty James, a two-time Olympic medalist, earns an estimated $3 million a year according to Forbes. Partnerships with Red Bull, Tommy Hilfiger and crypto exchange OKX account for much of that. James, along with Chloe Kim and Eileen Gu, is one of the founder athletes of the X Games League, a role where he’ll advise on competition formats, the athlete experience, and likely get a decent pay package.
9. Chloe Kim
Yearly earnings: $5.66 million
Chloe Kim, who has won snowboarding halfpipe gold at two consecutive Olympics, works with brands like Breitling, Monster Energy and Nike. Like James, she is also one of the founder athletes of the X Games League.
8. Jutta Leerdam
Yearly earnings: $7.07 million
Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam – who just won her first gold medal – has raised her profile in recent years. She is the fiancé of YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, a relationship that has brought with it newfound fame. Leerdam now has more than five million Instagram followers and has successfully parlayed her athletic success into a massive online presence and lucrative brand deals, notably with luxury watchmaker Omega. Although, with a soon-to-be-husband who has a net worth of over $400 million, Leerdam doesn’t need to work another day in her life.
7. Mikaela Shiffrin
Yearly earnings: $11.31 million
The most decorated alpine skier in history, Mikaela Shiffrin has leveraged her athletic talent to secure brand deals. Her commercial appeal is at an all-time high as one of the faces of the US Olympic team, and her current portfolio includes partnerships with Adidas, Barilla, Land Rover and Longines.
6. Connor McDavid
Yearly earnings: $17.5 million
The first of a few hockey players on this list, Connor McDavid is a superstar in the NHL and an alternate captain of the Canadian national team. Almost all of McDavid’s yearly earnings come from his NHL salary, but his endorsement portfolio includes partnerships with BetMGM and Alo Yoga.
5. Nathan MacKinnon
Yearly earnings: $17.82 million
Another Canadian, Nathan MacKinnon is currently three years into an eight-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche that pays him more then $15 million a year. His sponsors include Tim Horton’s, Fanatics, and Tylenol.
4. Leon Draisaitl
Yearly earnings: $19.80 million
Another beneficiary of an eight-year NHL contract, Leon Draisatl earns slightly more than MacKinnon in salary. Hailing from Germany, Draisaitl comes from a non-traditional hockey country. That has its benefits, however, as it means Draisaitl doesn’t have much competition in attracting German sponsors. Case in point, he has a lucrative brand deal with Puma.
3. Lindsey Vonn
Yearly earnings: $20 million
Legend of the slopes Lindsey Vonn works with more than a dozen brands. Her sponsors include Delta Air Lines, Land Rover, Red Bull and Rolex. She is also an equity holder in Beyond Meat, Oura (the maker of those famous rings) and MLS team the Utah Royals. Forbes estimates that Vonn has more than doubled her income since the 2022 Games.
2. Auston Matthews
Yearly earnings: $28.28 million
Matthews was the highest paid player in the NHL last season, which accounts for most of his earnings. Although, he also benefits from being an American – the first American hockey player on this list – because it makes him more commercially valuable thanks to the larger market he can attract. The latest addition to his sponsor stable is Mito Red Light, joining brands like Nike, Prime sports drinks and Uber Eats.
1. Eileen Gu
Yearly earnings: $32.67 million
Eileen Gu tops our list as the richest Winter Olympian at the 2026 Games. She’s also the fourth highest paid female athlete in the world. Gu, a double gold medallist in 2022, is perhaps the most marketable athlete at the Games. Born and raised in California, Gu chose to represent China. Personal reasons aside, the decision opened her up to two huge markets. Freestyle skiing pays decently, especially for an Olympic champion, but the vast majority of Gu’s income comes from endorsements. Her biggest sponsors include Chinese brands Anta, Bosideng, Mengniu Dairy and Luckin Coffee.
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The richest athletes in the world for 2026, ranked
