Play For USA, Earn Rs 88 Lakh: Stunning Scheme Revealed For Olympians, Paralympians

Last Updated:October 30, 2025, 11:15 IST

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes can now earn $100,000 (Rs. 88 lakh) at retirement, thanks to Ross Stevens' $100 million donation to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation.

The USA has taken a huge step towards financial stability of its Olympics and Paralympics atheletes. (PC: AP)

The stakes for all these U.S. skiers, skaters, snowboarders, and sliders over the next 100 days could not be more evident. Apart from a chance for Olympic glory and to compete for a gold medal, this year, for the first time, they’ll have the opportunity a chance to earn $100,000 (Rs. 88.47 lakh).

Thanks to a recent record $100 million donation to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation, athletes who qualify for the U.S. Olympic or Paralympic teams starting next year in Milan-Cortina will be eligible to receive a $100,000 award upon their retirement.

It is a transformative development for Olympic athletes, most of whom labor in obscurity outside of the two weeks of the Games, and many of whom live in or near poverty: According to the foundation, approximately 57% of U.S. athletes earn $50,000 or less annually.

“At the age of 25, 26, I definitely was like: ‘I can’t do this to (my family) anymore. I can’t continue living in my car. I have student loans. I have to get on with my life,’" said biathlete Deedra Irwin, who is now 33 and has made ends meet by everything from dog sitting to joining the Vermont National Guard.

Though Wednesday marked the 100-days-out point on the Olympic calendar, only a small portion of the approximately 225 Olympic and 65 Paralympic spots on Team USA in Italy have been secured.

The majority of those spots will be earned based on athletes’ performances in upcoming World Cup events held around the globe over the next few months.

While many of these athletes have heard stories about how the Olympics can change their lives—usually through sponsorships, speaking engagements, and talk-show appearances that result from inspiring performances—never before has the promise of substantial financial reward been presented in this manner.

“As an athlete, you don’t put into a 401K," Paralympian Oksana Masters said. “We don’t have those traditional jobs of paying into that kind of stuff. It’s about time that we’ve done this."

There are a few stipulations, primarily that the money will be distributed in four payments and will not be deposited into bank accounts until 20 years after the athletes retire, or when they reach 45—whichever comes later. (The calculations are intriguing for snowboarder Nick Baumgartner, who will be 44 next year and hopes to extend his career through Salt Lake City in 2034.)

The grant also includes funding for a $100,000 life insurance policy for a beneficiary.

Both the award and the insurance are accrued each time an athlete makes the Olympics, meaning, for instance, someone who qualifies three times would receive $600,000 in total benefits.

“We’ve received other transformational gifts, but this has reflected a shift in how we’re able to holistically care for our athletes," USOPF president Christine Walshe said.

The $100 million came from Ross Stevens, the founder and CEO of Stone Ridge Holdings Group, a finance firm that focuses on “nontraditional" investment options such as crypto and fine art.

It was the largest single donation to the USOPF, which began operations in 2013—the brainchild of former Olympic leader Peter Ueberroth, who helped transform the Olympics into a profitable endeavour, in part out of necessity because the U.S. government does not fund its Olympic athletes.

With most of the next decade’s TV and sponsorship revenue accounted for, the foundation will need to fund improvements in athlete benefits for the foreseeable future. Walshe said the charitable arm is projected to account for 27% of the USOPC’s revenue this Olympic cycle, compared to 12% from 2021-24.

The foundation’s contributions are directed toward athlete-centered programs that focus on performance and innovation, health and wellness, and career placement and economic mobility. Never before has the economic mobility aspect appeared as straightforward as this: Make the Olympics, receive $100,000.

“The $100,000 definitely motivates all of us to make that team," cross-country skier Gus Schumacher said. “Cross-country isn’t generally huge money, and $100,000, especially for the people that maybe are on the edge of the team, is going to be a lot."

(With agency inputs)

News sports Play For USA, Earn Rs 88 Lakh: Stunning Scheme Revealed For Olympians, Paralympians

Read More