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Olympic competitors are some of the most envied people in the world. Mostly it's due to their unbelievable athletic ability and all the acclaim, fame, and admiration that comes with being one. In fact, most people don't even consider the big bucks Olympians are making! But sure enough, the money athletes earn is another thing to be completely in awe of. Not only do Olympic champions go down in history and garner worldwide recognition, but they also get to live some pretty lavish lifestyles. Here's a list of the ten highest-paid Olympians as of 2019, based on their current net worths.
Alan Pascoe - $30 million
At age 71, British athlete Alan Pascoe has long since retired. That doesn't mean he still isn't doing important work though! He won a silver medal in the 1972 Olympic Games due to his astounding hurdle-jumping, and has won multiple awards (including gold medals) from the European Championships and Commonwealth Games. After his athletic career, Alan formed Alan Pascoe Associates Ltd., an event marketing and consulting company. He sold this company in 1998 and created Fast Track Events Ltd. While his athletic career certainly didn't break any records, his business-savvy has racked him up quite a net worth.
Scott Hamilton - $30 Million
Scott Hamilton is a huge name in the figure-skating community. After landing in third place in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, he was able to snag a place on the United States Olympic team. He only got fifth place in the 1980 Winter Olympics, but had a comeback at the 1984 games where he won the gold medal. This was an even bigger deal at the time, seeing as the men's U.S. figure skating team hadn't scored gold in 24 years at that point. Scott later created the figure-skating show "Stars on Ice," which he co-founded, co-produced and performed in for 15 years.
Greg LeMond - $40 million
Greg LeMond is often considered to be one of the best cyclists of all time. Greg began competing in 1976, and by 1980 was selected for the United States men's Olympic cycling team. At age 18, he was the youngest ever to be selected. As the United States ended up boycotting the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Greg didn't get to compete and earn his medal. Still, he went on to win the Road Race World Championship twice and the Tour de France three times, which is a pretty big deal!
Shaun White - $40 million
Some people don't know this, but Shaun White was first discovered as a skateboarder. So not only has he won gold in the Olympics, he's won the most gold medals than any other athlete in the X-Games! Still, he's not half-bad at snowboarding either, considering almost every time he's competed in the Olympics (the 2006 Winter Olympics, 2010 Winter Olympics, 2014 Winter Olympics, and 2018 Winter Olympics to be specific) he's won gold! (His only loss was at the 2014 games.) Now, Shaun is making moves in the entertainment industry, appearing in films and playing guitar in his band.
Shane Warne - $50 million
Shane Warne is one of the more unique athletes on this list, seeing as his sport of choice is cricket! Cricket has not been in the Olympics since 1990, but Shane seemingly made enough of an impact on the games. Not only did he captain the Australian national team in One Day Internationals (ODI), he was also declared the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in 1997. Shane retired from the sport in 2013 and has gone through many scandals in his personal life. This didn't stop him from getting inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame!
Lance Armstrong - $50 million
Lance Armstrong started competing as a cyclist at only 16 years old. He was the champion for various races and triathlons before finally being recruited to join the U.S. Postal/Discovery Cycling Team. While on the team, he was able to get a bronze medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics. In 2013, it was revealed that Lance had sometimes used performance-enhancing drugs over the years, shocking the nation. It's often debated whether Lance's victories are warranted or not. Either way, the man has managed to maintain a pretty hefty net worth!
Michael Phelps - $55 million
Aspiring swimmers have some big shoes to fill -- Olympian Michael Phelps is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time! Micheal competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics, the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the 2016 Summer Olympics -- earning a total of 28 medals, 23 of which were gold. He retired in 2016 to raise his family and work on some philanthropy, like the Michael Phelps Foundation, which promotes healthy lifestyles and the love of swimming. Having literally won more medals than 161 countries, it's no wonder the guy has racked up some cash!
Ivana Trump - $60 million
Yep, believe it! Okay, so this entry is a little surprising, but technically true: in 1972, Ivana Trump was selected as an alternate on the Czechoslovak ski team for that year's Winter Olympics. She claims her specialties were the downhill and slalom! Her huge bank account, however, obviously did not come from her stint in the Olympics. Instead, Ivana accumulated her wealth through modeling, business ventures, and writing. Oh, and she married some powerful businessmen in the past, one of which is the current President of the United States.
Usain Bolt - $60 million
Usain Bolt has broken multiple sprinting records, leaving the rest of the world to ponder whether what they just saw defied the laws of physics. Representing Jamaica, Usain Bolt dominated the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the 2016 Rio Olympics. In total, he has eight medals -- all gold, of course. Having broken 19 Guinness World Records, it's understandable why the public has given him the nickname "Lightning Bolt!" When he's not competing, he's playing other sport likes football (American soccer.) He also created the electric scooter company Bolt Mobility last year.
Caitlyn Jenner - $100 million
Though many people just recognize Caitlyn Jenner as a reality television star, she was once dubbed "the world's greatest athlete." She didn't have a great start -- at the 1972 Summer Olympics, she only got tenth place in the decathlon. But at the 1976 Olympics, she was declared a champion. She also got first place at the 1975 Pan American Games, and won many national competitions as well. After marrying into the Kardashian family, Caitlyn became reality TV royalty by starring on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Now, Caitlyn has a reality show of her own documenting her navigating life as a newly out transgender woman.