07/30/2024
Per the Hustle
Going for gold: When an athlete wins gold at the Olympics, it comes with recognition, pride, and — if they’re lucky — a heaping pile of cash. This summer, at least 33 countries will award cash prizes for gold medals, 15 of which will pay $100k+, per Forbes.
The lowest bonus of $13k will be awarded by Australia, while the highest — a staggering $768k — will be doled out by Hong Kong. And while the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee will award $37.5k for every gold medal, it will also pay out $22.5k for silver and $15k for bronze. All Polish medalists will additionally take home a painting from a Polish artist, a diamond, and a vacation voucher, with gold medalists also receiving a two-bedroom apartment in Warsaw.
While being handed a giant check at the top podium sounds cool, the USOPC found 59% of Olympians make less than $25k in the year of their games. And decathletes and heptathletes, considered the best athletes in the world, fare even worse financially.
Our takeaway? When reality TV watching becomes an Olympic sport, we’re moving to Hong Kong.
