Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Eileen Gu, an American snowboarder, is currently making headlines online.
The 22-year-old snowboarder was named by Forbes as one of the highest-paid female athletes, behind tennis players Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Iga Światek.
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Forbes reports that Eileen Gu, who was born in San Francisco and competed for China in the 2022 Winter Olympics, earns approximately $23 million per year.
This figure is due to Gu having a long list of sponsorships, including Red Bull, Porsche, IWC Schaffhausen and, most recently, TCL electronics.
Income Source: Endorsement Details
As mentioned above, Eileen Gu has a long list of endorsement contracts, including Red Bull, Porsche, IWC Schaffhausen, and most recently, TCL electronics, which have earned her approximately $23 million, according to a Forbes report.
These endorsements account for the bulk of her earnings, as she earned approximately $40,000 for winning the slopestyle and halfpipe World Cup events in 2025, and $55,000 for the halfpipe event in Shaun White's Snow League.
Additionally, Gu, who is currently preparing for her second Olympics at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, is also said to earn income from modeling, according to the New York Times.
"Perfect Storm" in Athlete Branding
Josh Hershman, global COO at London-based sports marketing agency Ten Toes, called it a "perfect storm" in athlete branding, especially given his appeal in the US and China.
She has more than 7 million followers on the Chinese social media platform Weibo and more than 2 million on Instagram.
"If you have an athlete with a genuine, authentic story in both markets, then you're onto a winner," Hershman told the Times.
Although he first caught the attention of Olympic and winter sports fans for his freestyle action on the slopes, Gu previously sparked discussion during his first Olympics for his choice to compete for China.
"I am proud of my heritage"
Eileen Gu, whose real name is Ailing Gu, was born on September 3, 2003, and is a Stanford University student. She was born and raised in the US to a Chinese mother and an American father.
According to CNN, she first decided to represent China ahead of the 2015 World Cup, and explained in more detail about the "very difficult decision" in 2019.
"I am proud of my heritage, and equally proud of my American upbringings," Gu wrote on Instagram at the time.
"The opportunity to help inspire millions of young people where my mom was born, during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love."
"Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. If I can help to inspire one young girl to break a boundary, my wishes will have come true," she wrote, ending her post with three emojis: a heart, a U.S. flag and a Chinese flag.