Winter Olympics Star Eileen Gu Earned Nearly Six Times More Than Chloe Kim

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Feb 13, 2026 8:05 AM ET

In the 2026 Winter Olympics, very few names are up to par with Eileen Gu and Chloe Kim in terms of sheer star power.

Gu is an icon in skiing. She entered the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics with two gold and one silver medal under her belt. On Monday, the 22-year-old added to her tally by winning silver at the slopestyle final. Gu was edged out by Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland by just .38 points.

Kim, on the other hand, is a snowboarding legend. On Thursday, she made history after winning silver in the halfpipe final. The 25-year-old stands alone as the only female snowboarder to medal in the halfpipe for three consecutive Winter Games.

Eileen Gu of the People's Republic of China after the women's freestyle skiing slopestyle final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.© Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

While both superstars have found tremendous success in their respective sports, it’s Gu who towers over Kim in terms of earnings.

In fact, according to Forbes, Kim is the highest paid athlete in the entire Winter Olympics. Over the past 12 months, the Chinese skier earned a staggering $23 million. As detailed by the report, “the vast majority of her income comes from endorsements, including Chinese brands Anta, Bosideng, Mengniu Dairy and Luckin Coffee.”

Gu was born and raised in San Francisco, California. A graduate of Stanford University, Gu decided to represent China at the international level. Her mother, Yan Gu, is a first-generation immigrant to the U.S.

Kim may not have earned as much as Gu did, but her $4 million earnings over the past year is impressive nonetheless. A significant amount of her income also comes from endorsement deals with brands such as Nike, Breitling and Monster Energy.

Forbes listed the Top 5 earners in the Winter Olympics. Gu’s $23 million had her sitting in first place. American hockey star Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs is second with $20 million.

Ahead of Kim at third is skiing legend Lindsey Vonn, who pocketed $8 million. Rounding out the Top 5 is figure skating superstar Ilia Malinin, who earned $700,000.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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