Katie Ledecky's Net Worth In 2024 and How the Record-Setting Olympian Made It
Katie Ledecky has been a fan-favorite to watch at the Olympics since she first competed in 2012 when she was just 15 years old. She's broken records at the Olympic Games previously set by the "Baltimore Bullet" Michael Phelps and her four medals in Paris (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) tied the record for most all-time medals by a female Olympian.
"I feel like I enjoy this more and more each year. I think it's a testament to the people that I have around me, the people that I've had around me my whole career in [her hometown of] Bethesda, Maryland, and out at Stanford, now in Florida, just really great communities that keep me excited about the sport, great teammates that push me every day, great coaches that believe in me and push me to continue to reach for bigger and bigger goals," Ledecky told ESPN of her continued success.
And that sort of success—and team player attitude—have not only helped her make history, they've also helped her make a ton of money. Find out Katie Ledecky's net worth in 2024 and how she earned it.
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How did Katie Ledecky become famous?
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In short? By being a legend.
She was born in Washington, D.C., on March 17, 1997. Raised in Bethesda, Maryland, Ledecky began swimming when she was just 6 years old, partially inspired by her mother, who was a swimmer in college, and her big brother Michael, who was a competitive swimmer in high school.
While in high school, Ledecky set two national records for high school freestyle swimming and held records at her own school for every swimming event except the 100-meter breast stroke, according to The Washington Post. She made Olympic history before she even finished high school as the youngest Team USA competitor at the 2012 Games at age 15 years, 4 months and 10 days. She graduated high school in 2015 and accepted an athletic scholarship to Stanford University.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Ledecky earned her first gold medal for the 800-meter freestyle. She followed with four gold medals and two world records at the Swimming 2013 World Championships. In 2014, she broke the world records for the 1500-meter, 400-meter and 800-meter freestyles.
Ledecky followed with five gold medals at the 2015 Swimming World Championships, then four gold medals and one silver medal at the 2016 Olympics.
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Ledecky continued racking up records and medals, but 2021 was the year she truly broke out with mainstream recognition thanks to the Tokyo Olympics, where she won two gold and two silver medals, becoming the most highly-decorated female athlete at two consecutive Olympics. She made history in another way as well, according to CBS Sports: She was the first swimmer to win a distance event three times in a row and the oldest swimmer to win the 800-meter freestyle (and "oldest" is purely relative, as she was just 24!). She was previously the youngest swimmer to win the 800-meter freestyle when she was 15.
She tied records at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and between the 2021 games and 2024 matches, she won more Swimming World Championships, as well as several other crucial competitions. In May 2024, ahead of the Olympics in Paris, President Joe Biden awarded Ledecky with a Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest honors in the United States.
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What is Katie Ledecky's net worth in 2024?
Katie Ledecky's net worth in 2024 is estimated at $5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This is thanks not just to her athletic prowess in the pool, but also to her substantial endorsement deals, which include TYR (her biggest sponsor), Adidas, American Girl, Athleta, Bic, Built With Chocolate Milk, FairLife Core Power, LaCroix, OuraRing, Panasonic, Reese’s and Visa.
Ledecky also wrote a memoir, Just Add Water: My Swimming Life, detailing her journey to Olympic history.
Related: Lester Holt Reveals His Favorite Part of Covering the Olympics
How does Katie Ledecky make money?
Ledecky earns money primarily through sponsorships and swimming. Her social media is full of posts endorsing brands, like the LaCroix ad below.
How much does TYR pay Katie Ledecky?
Ledecky has a $7 million sponsorship deal with TYR through the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Is Katie Ledecky a better swimmer than Michael Phelps?
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That's debatable! That said, Ledecky beat Phelps' world title record in July 2023, per NBC Sports, so make of that what you will.
"Michael [Phelps] is someone that I’ve known for a long time now and to break that record was cool," Ledecky told CNN. "I didn't really know that I was going to achieve it until a lot of people started telling me that that was a possibility."
Related: Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson East Shares the #1 Healthy Habit She Still Swears By Post-Olympics
Are Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky friends?
They are! In fact, Phelps is quite proud of Ledecky.
“Katie and I have known each other for a long time,” Phelps said in a July 2021 Panasonic Instagram live interview. "She is hands down the best female swimmer that we've ever seen. I always say one thing for her is just be her. As long as she's being herself and preparing for what she has to do, everything else will happen how it's supposed to."
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Who is faster, Phelps or Ledecky?
That's tricky, because they each dominate in different swimming events. According to Swimming World, Ledecky may actually have a bit of an edge if only because the difference between her times and her runner-ups' times in her distance swim events is usually larger.
Related: Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps on Fatherhood, Mental Health and Showering Together
What world records does Katie Ledecky hold?
Ledecky currently holds world records for 800-meter freestyle (8 minutes, 4.79 seconds) and the 1500-meter freestyle (15:20.48).
Is Katie Ledecky related to Jon Ledecky?
She is! New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky is her uncle.
How old was Katie Ledecky when she went to the Olympics?
Ledecky first competed in the Olympics when she was 15 years old in 2012. She was 19 years old at the 2016 Olympics, 25 years old at the 2020 Olympics (which took place in 2021) and will be 27 years old at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Next, Simone Biles' Net Worth—and How Little She Actually Makes as a Gymnast
