Photo: Screenshot//NBC Sports
United States Olympians have traditionally not been paid for their participation in the Games (only for making the podium). While qualifying, competing, and most of all, reaching the podium as an American in the Olympics can come with once-in-a-lifetime sponsorship and endorsement opportunities, athletes have never cut a paycheck from Team USA itself. That’s not a roadblock for the athletes competing in events with professional sports leagues and organizations supporting their day jobs, but thanks to a $100 million gift from American billionaire Ross Stevens, every Team USA athlete will now have the opportunity to receive $200,000.
Stevens, who is the founder of Stone Ridge Holdings Group, made the donation in 2025 to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). That money will now be used for eligible Team USA Olympic and Paralympic athletes through at least the 2032 Brisbane Games, making the American athletes in this month’s Milano Cortina Games the first-ever to receive the post-retirement income. The money will be given in two payments — the first comes either 20 years after their participation in the Games or when they reach 45-years old, whichever comes first. The second $100,000 installment will go to the athletes’ families or chosen beneficiaries when they pass.
The only payment Team USA athletes have earned through the USOPC previously was for medalling: $38,000 for gold, $23,000 for silver, and $15,000 for bronze. It’s a vastly different compensation structure from other nations that reward their athletes in various ways, like giving them cars, housing, and built-in cash benefits.
“I do not believe that financial insecurity should stop our nation’s elite athletes from breaking through to new frontiers of excellence,” Stevens said about the fund.
