For most athletes, winning an Olympic medal is the highest mark of achievement. But as this year’s more than 10,000 participants vie to take home gold, silver or bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, one thing is for sure—they won’t be taking home any money at least not from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which doesn’t give out cash prizes to medalists. Some countries do dole out funds for winning Olympians. The U.S., for example, awards $37,500 for gold, $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze. Hong Kong has the highest payout, giving a staggering $768,000 to gold medalists. Other nations offer non-cash perks, with Kazakhstan giving out apartments to medalists, while winning Malaysian athletes receive cars, and those from Hong Kong are granted lifetime public transit tickets.
But for the most part, the earnings of athletes playing at the 2024 Olympics come from sports leagues and brand endorsements, with payouts varying significantly by sport. The top echelon of high-earning Olympians in 2024 is dominated by basketball players and golfers, in part due to the NBA’s skyrocketing salaries and the lucrative tournament winnings and deal signings found in golf’s PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
Despite making it to the Olympic level, many athletes need to make more money to support themselves from sports alone. A 2020 survey of elite athletes found that 58 percent didn’t consider themselves financially stable, with more than half stating that the IOC should pay them to attend events. Earlier this year, Maggie Steffens, captain of the U.S. women’s water polo team, revealed that many of her teammates pursue the sport by supporting themselves with second or third jobs. Steffens’ Instagram post caught the attention of the rapper Flava Flav, who is now sponsoring the team and acting as its official “hype man” during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Even the earnings of Olympic superstars like Simone Biles and Coco Gauff pale compared to the nine-figure sums given to top NBA players and golfers. Biles, who has eight Olympic medals and is the most decorated gymnast in history, brought home $7.1 million in 2023. Of these earnings, $7 million didn’t come from gymnastics but from her endorsements with brands like Visa, United Airlines, and Athleta. Gauff, who was selected as one of this year’s Team U.S.A. flag bearers alongside LeBron James, made $6.7 million through tennis last year—a figure she more than doubled with the $15 million she received from sponsorships with the likes of Bose, UPS and New Balance.
Here’s a look at which athletes participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics are taking home the highest earnings:
Jon Rahm: $218 million
- Sport: Golfer
- Country: Spain
- Age: 29
Jon Rahm, a golfer from Barrica, Spain, is the highest-paid Olympian athlete in 2024 and makes an estimated $218 million. He received $16.5 million in prize money from the PGA Tour last year before signing a staggering multi-year deal in December with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, which is reportedly worth $350 million and will see Rahm receive $175 million upfront. And remember Rahm’s $20 million in endorsements with brands like Mercedes-Benz and Rolex.
In 2024, he has already earned at least $6.6 million from golf tournaments. Rahm isn’t only the highest-paid athlete at this year’s Olympics—he’s also the highest-paid golfer in the world and the second highest-paid athlete in the world behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
LeBron James: $128 million
- Sport: Basketball
- Country: U.S.
- Age: 39
LeBron James is currently the only billionaire competing at the 2024 Olympics. However, the majority of the American player’s estimated net worth of $1.2 billion doesn’t actually come from sports but from endorsement deals with brands such as Nike (NKE) and AT&T and business ventures, including his investments in the Fenway Sports Group. He’s brought in $128 million over the past year—$48.2 million made in the NBA through his salary as a Los Angeles Laker and $80 million made from off-the-court projects.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: $111 million
- Sport: Basketball
- Country: Greece
- Age: 29
In the past year, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo earned around $111 million. The Greek player made $46 million from basketball and some $65 million from endorsements with Nike, Google (GOOGL) and The Walt Disney Company (DIS). His salary is only expected to keep rising—last year, he signed a three-year maximum contract extension with the Bucks worth $186 million.
Stephen Curry: $102 million
- Sport: Basketball
- Country: U.S.
- Age: 36
Stephen Curry, whose earnings in the past year totaled $102 million, makes nearly as much money from endorsements as he does playing for the NBA. In addition to his $52 million salary with the Golden State Warriors, the U.S. player earned $50 million through endorsement deals and business ventures. In addition to his partnerships with numerous other brands, Curry signed a multi-million dollar deal with Under Armor last March that will grant the athlete an equity stake and see him continue working with the company after his playing career ends.
Kevin Durant: $93.3 million
- Sport: Basketball
- Country: U.S.
- Age: 35
American basketball star Kevin Durant’s recent earnings total an estimated $93.3 million. While he made $47.8 million from the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, the remaining $45.5 million came from endeavors off the basketball court. Durant has struck brand deals with Nike and sports betting companies FanDuel and Fanatics, has stakes across the Major Soccer League, National Women’s Soccer League and Major League Pickleball, and invests in more than 100 startups through his firm 35V.
Rory McIlroy: $80.1 million
- Sport: Golf
- Country: Ireland
- Age: 35
Ireland’s Rory McIlroy isn’t just one of the most famous golfers in the world; he’s also the second-highest paid. His earnings of $80.1 million include $38 million from his salary and prize winnings with the PGA Tour, which are outweighed by the $45 million he has received from endorsements. McIlroy’s other ventures include his investment in TGL, a tech-focused golf league backed by fellow golfer Tiger Woods.
Scottie Scheffler: $61 million
- Sport: Golf
- Country: U.S.
- Age: 28
Scottie Scheffler, winner of this year’s Masters Tournament, is currently ranked as the world’s No.1 golfer. As of June, the American’s annual earnings totaled$61 million, $41 million of which came from his success at the PGA Tour and winning payouts and $20 million of which came from endorsements. Scheffler’s success has also boosted the earnings of his caddie, Ted Scott, who is now likely wealthier than many professional golfers.
Joel Embiid: $57.7 million
- Sport: Basketball
- Country: U.S.
- Age: 30
Joel Embiid, a Cameroonian-American basketball player representing Team U.S.A. at this year’s Olympic games, earned $57.7 million in the past year. Most of this was earned on the court through his $47.7 million salary with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, which signed a multi-year $196 million extension with the player in 2021. Embiid also made $10 million through external ventures that include sponsorships with cryptocurrency trading platform Crypto.com and a multi-year endorsement with Sketchers.
