Eileen Gu turns Olympic profile into social media earnings

Eileen Gu posted a 29-second Instagram reel that drew more than a million views, and Sportico reported she was the fourth highest-paid female athlete of 2025 with all but $20,000 of her $23 million coming from endorsements.

Eileen Gu posted a short Instagram "day in my life" video ahead of the Milan-Cortina Games that quickly drew large view counts. The article reports Gu was the fourth highest-paid female athlete of 2025, with nearly all of her reported $23 million coming from endorsements. Industry voices quoted in the piece describe a shift in how athletes earn and engage fans, and the story gives examples of other Olympians who have built followings through recurring content and character-driven videos. Notable details: - On Jan. 9 Gu shared a 29-second Instagram reel showing daily moments; it generated more than 1 million views within 10 days. - Sportico reported Gu was the fourth highest-paid female athlete of 2025, and all but $20,000 of her reported $23 million came from endorsements. - The article describes Gu as American-born, a dual gold medal winner who chose to compete for China in 2019. - Freestyle skier Alex Ferreira created a recurring character, "Hot Dog Hans," with Hans skits drawing hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and millions on Instagram. - Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen went viral at the Paris Games for videos about muffins and has more than 500,000 followers on TikTok. Summary: Social media and branded content are presented as central to how many Olympic athletes now earn income and maintain public attention between Games. Undetermined at this time.