Swimming to success: Here are the richest swimmers in 2024

• Swimmers give up much of their lives and spend a lot of time training in order to achieve success
• In return, they are handsomely compensated and rank among the wealthiest individuals
• Michael Phelps tops the list of the richest swimmers with a net worth of $100 million

Who are the richest swimmers in the world? From the legendary Michael Phelps to current stars such as Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel, swimmers give up much of their lives and spend a lot of time training in order to achieve success. In return, they are handsomely compensated and rank among the wealthiest individuals.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at the richest swimmers in the world right now with their fortune.

1. Michael Phelps – $100 Million

Michael Phelps showing off his medals. Photo/ Pinterest.

Michael Phelps topping the list of the richest swimmers shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone considering the success he achieved. Throughout his stellar career, the American won 28 Olympic medals, 23 of which were gold. This is more than double the number of his closest rivals.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Phelps’ net worth is estimated to be $100 million. He made his fortune during his swimming days and it continues to grow because of various endorsement deals he signed with big companies such as Subway, Visa and Under Armour.

Phelps first retired in 2012 but returned to the pool again before retiring for good in 2016. Some of the individual awards he won during his time include the FINA Swimmer of the Year Award (twice) and the World Swimmer of the Year Award a record eight times.

2. Mark Spitz 

A veteran of the game, Mark Spitz is a name that holds much respect among swimming fans. To some, he is the greatest swimmer of all time, thanks to the list of his achievements.

For 36, Spitz held the record for the most gold medals at one Olympic event, having won seven at the 1972 Summer Olympics. His record was broken by Phelps who won an astonishing eight gold medals in Beijing back in 2008.

Mark Spitz is a nine-time Olympic champion and won several individual awards. The American retired in 2008 and has seen his net worth grow to $20 million thanks to his endorsements, engagements and investing. He delivers about 25 lectures a year and has also worked in TV appearing in advertisements and also working as a commentator.

3. Sarah Sjostrom

Sarah Sjostrom. Photo/ arena.

Sarah Sjostrom has been dominating swimming for some time now in the women’s category. The Swede specializes in the butterfly and sprint freestyle events and is the current world record holder in the 50 metre butterfly (long course), the 100 metre butterfly (long course), the 50 metre freestyle (long course) and the 100 metre freestyle (long course).

Sjostrom has made a fortune from her swimming career and is currently one of the richest swimmers in the world. The 30-year-old was the highest-paid swimmer in 2021 having received a prize money of $265,125. According to sources on the internet, her net worth is currently $12 million.

4. Katie Ledecky

No female swimmer in the history of swimming has won more medals than Katie Ledecky. She was just 15 when she made her international debut at the 2012 London Olympic Games and has since achieved great success. The American competitor is just 27 but has already claimed seven gold medals at the Olympics and 21 gold medals at the world championship.

Ledecky has made a lot of money because of her swimming career and currently has an estimated net worth of $5 million. She signed her first endorsement deal in 2018 which was reportedly worth around $7 million. Some of the brands she has deals with include swimwear company TYR and the popular shoes brand Adidas.

5. Caeleb Dressel

Caeleb Dressel. Photo/ NBC Sports.

A seven-time Olympic gold medalist and holder of several world records, there is no doubting the fact that Caeleb Dressel is one of the best swimmers in the world right now. The 27-year-old’s success has extended beyond the pool as he is one of the richest swimmers in the world.

Being among the most prominent swimmers, Dressel has endorsements with various top companies such as Speedo, Toyota, Hershey’s and Coca-Cola. His net worth currently stands at $5 million, but we can be sure it will rise in the years to come.