The 2026 Winter Olympics’ Financial Podium: The 5 Highest-Earning Athletes from Milan Cortina

The flame has been extinguished in Cortina, and the final echoes of celebration in Milan have faded. The 2026 Winter Olympics delivered its customary spectacle of human triumph, with Norway once again reigning supreme on the medal table. While the world marveled at breakout performances and veteran glory, a parallel competition unfolded—one measured not in gold, silver, or bronze, but in global marketability and financial clout. For a select group of athletes, Olympic success is a powerful catalyst, supercharging earning potential that was already stratospheric. Based on pre-Games contracts, endorsement portfolios, and the inevitable “Olympic bump,” here are the five highest-earning athletes from the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The New Era: Where Olympic Gold Meets Global Brand Gold

Gone are the days when an Olympic athlete’s earnings were limited to medal bonuses and fleeting fame. In the modern sports economy, the Games are a unparalleled launchpad for athletes who enter with established commercial power. Our analysis looks at total earnings—encompassing salaries, winnings, and, most significantly, endorsement deals—amplified by their performances in Milan Cortina. These athletes didn’t just win medals; they won the attention of millions, securing their financial futures and the longevity of their brands.

The Top 5 Highest-Earning Athletes of the 2026 Games

This elite group represents a mix of established superstars who solidified their legacies and younger phenoms who leveraged the Olympic stage to achieve instant financial icon status. Their journeys from the ice and snow to the boardroom define the new Olympic dream.

1. Connor McDavid (Canada, Ice Hockey)

While Jack Hughes and Connor Hellebuyck captured headlines for Team USA’s gold, the undisputed highest-earning athlete from the Games was Canada’s captain, Connor McDavid. Even with Canada’s heartbreaking finish off the podium, McDavid’s financial dominance is untouchable. His NHL salary alone exceeds $12 million annually, but his endorsement portfolio is what places him in a different galaxy.

His existing, long-term deals with brands like CCM, BioSteel, and Canadian telecom giant Rogers were amplified by a relentless Olympic media presence. As the face of hockey globally, his every shift was a commercial for his own brand of excellence. Expert analysis suggests his Olympic participation, despite the team result, triggered performance bonuses in several contracts and sets the stage for a new tier of partnership, potentially in the luxury or global technology sector. McDavid didn’t need a medal to print money; his mere presence on the Olympic stage did that.

2. Mikaela Shiffrin (United States, Alpine Skiing)

The queen of alpine skiing returned to the Olympic summit in Milan Cortina, adding to her historic career medal count. Shiffrin’s endorsement portfolio is the most robust in winter sports, featuring anchor partnerships with Barilla, Visa, Atomic, and Longines. Each victory and podium moment activates a multi-million-dollar marketing machine.

Her earnings are a blend of:

• World Cup winnings (she is the all-time leader)
• Multi-year endorsement deals with global and niche brands
• Appearance fees and speaking engagements
• Medal bonuses from the U.S. Olympic Committee and private sponsors

Shiffrin’s 2026 success story—one of resilience and re-ascendancy—is a marketer’s dream. It reinforces her personal brand narrative, ensuring her earning power will remain at its peak for years to come, likely transitioning seamlessly into broadcasting and business ventures post-retirement.

3. Jordan Stolz (United States, Speed Skating)

The term “breakout star” was invented for athletes like Jordan Stolz. The American speed skater’s historic multi-gold performance in Milan Cortina transformed him from a prodigy into a global name overnight. Prior to the Games, his earnings were modest by comparison, rooted in sport-specific sponsorships. The Olympic bump for Stolz is seismic and immediate.

We predict a flood of lucrative offers from outside the traditional speed skating sphere. His marketability is enhanced by his age, his dominance across distances, and his compelling American story. Expect major deals in:

• Apparel and footwear (competing with established track and field stars)
• Financial services and insurance brands seeking an “anchor” athlete
• Automotive and technology companies

Stolz’s 2026 earnings, when factoring in new contracts signed in the Games’ aftermath, rocket him onto this list. He is the purest example of the Olympics as a financial game-changer.

4. Alysa Liu (United States, Figure Skating)

Capturing the elusive Olympic gold in women’s figure skating is a one-way ticket to financial prosperity. Alysa Liu, with her triumphant and technically sublime performance, now occupies that rarefied space. Figure skating has a long history of creating high-earning, endorsement-rich stars, and Liu checks every box: Olympic champion, charismatic performer, and with a compelling narrative of progression.

Her earnings will explode through:

• Lucrative ice show and tour contracts (Stars on Ice, etc.)
• Endorsements in beauty, fashion, and lifestyle sectors
• Broadcasting opportunities and potential book deals

Following in the financial footsteps of skaters like Kristi Yamaguchi and Tara Lipinski, Liu’s gold medal makes her the new face of American figure skating. Her pre-existing deals were merely a down payment; the real financial windfall begins now.

5. Johannes Thingnes Bø (Norway, Biathlon)

While perhaps less globally recognizable than others on this list, Johannes Thingnes Bø is a commercial titan in Scandinavia and Europe. The Norwegian biathlete, who added to his staggering Olympic medal haul in 2026, is the face of multiple blue-chip brands in his homeland. His earnings from partnerships with companies like Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet, Norwegian bank DNB, and energy giant Statkraft are enormous.

In Norway, where biathlon is a premier sport, Bø’s endorsement value is comparable to that of an NFL MVP in the United States. His consistent Olympic and World Cup success guarantees long-term contract stability and makes him a perennial top earner in the winter sports world. His inclusion highlights how regional market dominance and sporting supremacy can translate into world-class earnings.

Beyond the Podium: The Future of Olympic Earnings

The financial landscape for Olympic athletes continues to evolve. The rise of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals for collegiate athletes in the U.S. means future Olympians will arrive at the Games with already-developed brands and commercial experience. Furthermore, the direct monetization opportunities via social media and personal content channels allow athletes to build revenue streams independent of traditional sponsors.

We predict the athletes from Milan Cortina who will see the most significant long-term financial growth are those who diversify. Jordan Stolz and Alysa Liu, in particular, have the potential to build empires if they leverage their golden momentum into smart business ventures, media roles, and cross-industry partnerships. The 2026 Games proved that while medals are won on the ice and snow, fortunes are built in the global marketplace of influence.

The final medal count tells one story of national triumph, but the ledger of athlete earnings tells another—a story of individual brand power reaching its zenith. From Connor McDavid’s pre-ordained commercial kingdom to Jordan Stolz’s life-changing golden haul, the 2026 Winter Olympics reinforced a modern truth: for the world’s best, Olympic glory is both a crowning athletic achievement and the ultimate business investment. Their legacies are now forever etched not only in the record books but also in the annals of sport as a truly global, and highly lucrative, enterprise.

Source: Based on news from Yahoo Sports.