Meet the richest Olympians of all time with incredible net worths – like billionaire heir

The Olympics bring together some of the world’s most accomplished athletes, but their success isn’t confined to the sporting arena. Many Olympians have amassed considerable wealth outside their respective disciplines, with some even adding Olympic gold to their list of achievements.

The Mirror hailed Danish dressage rider Anna Kasprzak as one such example after she competed in two Summer Games. Kasprzak’s grandfather, Karl Toosbuy, founded the shoe brand Ecco, and Forbes estimates her net worth at a staggering $1.3billion (£1bn), thanks to company shares she inherited along with her mother and brother.

However, this figure pales in comparison to the colossal wealth of basketball legend Michael Jordan. The two-time Olympic gold medallist – once as a promising young player at the 1984 Los Angeles Games and again as a seasoned pro at Barcelona 1992 – has made a fortune not just from his illustrious NBA career with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards, but also from his off-court ventures.

According to Forbes, Jordan’s net worth is estimated at around £2.5bn, the bulk of which comes from his endorsements with companies like Nike, Gatorade and Hanes. His partnership with Nike led to the creation of his own Air Jordan brand, and he sold a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets in 2023, when the franchise was valued at £2.3bn.

However, Jordan isn’t the only basketball superstar on the list of wealthy Olympians. Indeed, several NBA legends with nine-figure net worths have participated in the Summer Games since the sport’s biggest names started making big money in recent decades.

Greats such as LA Lakers icon Magic Johnson (£940m), LeBron James (£940m), Shaquille O’Neal (£390m) and Hakeem Olajuwon (£234m) have all achieved Olympian status and gone on to win at least one gold medal. In each case, they’ve supplemented their sporting success with savvy business investments and entrepreneurial ventures.

Interestingly, there seems to be a significant drop in earnings when comparing basketball to football. Nine-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, for example, doesn’t quite match up to those at the peak of the NBA mountain.

The World Cup champion had already beaten a global field before his 2022 triumph in Qatar. That’s thanks to the role he played for the Argentina football team that won Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Messi, 37, is estimated to have a net worth of around £470m, which is a significant step down from the highest-earning NBA alumni mentioned above. However, the South American still has time to catch up with the likes of Jordan and Johnson, who have had a few more decades to build their business empires.

Despite his impressive achievements, Michael Phelps’ estimated net worth of £78m doesn’t quite match up to his counterparts in other sports. The most decorated Olympian ever, with a total of 28 medals (23 of which are gold), it’s only fitting that the retired American swimmer ranks high in terms of earnings.

Hot on Phelps’ heels is another Olympic legend, Usain Bolt, whose wealth of £70m has been built around his reputation as the fastest man to ever walk this earth. The 100-metre world record-holder raked in about £8m per year from his deal with Puma at the height of his career, and he has since expanded his Track and Records restaurant business after retiring from athletics in 2017.

Although he’s technically a Winter Olympian, American snowboarder Shaun White deserves a mention with a net worth just over £50m. The snowboarding superstar, who has won three Winter Olympic golds and 15 X Games titles, has also been the subject of several video games.