But instead of waiting to have a degree to her name to get her career off the ground, she went head first. Gu pulled in $23.1 million last year alone, according to the Forbesranked her the fourth highest paid woman in sports, ahead of stars such as Naomi Osaka and Caitlin Clark.

“It’s important to show young people that you don’t have to wait until you grow up. You can do it all now,” Gu said PERIOD.

At a time when success may feel out of reach for Gen Z because of the uncertainty it brings AI and the eCONOMY—Gu’s mantra is straightforward: age is not a limit. Start that side hustle sooner, rather than later.

It’s something she learned firsthand: Gu’s financial windfalls often don’t come from winning competitions and setting world records—they come from balancing her self-branding and modeling career. He got deals with companies like Red BullPorsche, and TCL.

“I was a full-time student who was very athletic,” he said. “I can talk to a physicist and stand up, and I can also walk in a runway show the next day. I think it’s pretty revolutionary, especially as a young person. Because the whole multihyphenate thing always happens at different stages of life.”

And Gu is just one example of the juggling act many Olympic athletes face, trying to achieve their own version of success. many athletes have full-time jobs—like realtors, dentists, and baristas—waiting for them at home.

The Gen Z millionaire Olympic athlete started at 3 years old—in his teens, he paid his own school fees

Gu’s drive towards independence began early. He was born in San Francisco and raised by his mother, a first-generation Chinese immigrant, and then from the slopes at age 3. As a teenager, Gu earned enough from brand endorsements to pay his private high school tuition.

“I’ve been able to pay my own tuition since my freshman year in high school,” Gu said The Burnouts podcastco-hosted by Bill Gates’ daughter Phoebe Gates. “That was a point of pride for me.”

He was thrown onto the global stage after winning one silver and two gold medals in Beijing Olympics in 2022, and Gu admits that he first equated success with recognition—the idea that success validates work.

“It means doing something for a purpose and that purpose extends beyond myself,” he said. Hong Kong Vogue. “For example, I want to win a competition because that is the culmination of all the moments I put into it at the beginning, which is something bigger than me.”

The emotional aftermath of the Games forces a rethink. Gu spoke publicly about his mental health struggles in the following years.

“I always wanted to leave no matter what my situation was,” Gu said. “I want to go home when I’m not, and I want to sleep when I’m awake.

And his hectic schedule didn’t help. Gu often uses long-haul flights to pursue academic courses, “I haven’t watched a movie on an airplane in years,” he said in PERIOD. And his schedule can turn from college normalcy to global celebrity in a matter of hours.

During a two-week arrival in 2023, she attended a sorority formal at Stanford, walked for Victoria’s Secret in Barcelona the next night, and appeared in a Louis Vuitton show in Italy three days later. Gu then returned to the US for a friend’s surprise party before flying briefly to Paris for a nobility ball and returning to California to serve as the graduation speaker for a K-8 girls’ school four days later. Then he took his Stanford finals.

Part of what’s helped her stay strong now, she says, is changing what success means in her own life—placing a greater value on impact than accolades.

“After some critical reflection, I realized that what is truly satisfying and meaningful beyond personal success is truly collective success – sharing with others what you are lucky to have and using your voice and platform for something positive.”

Gu has over 2 million Instagram followers and regularly receives hundreds of thousands of viewers TikTok videos.

Eileen Gu will not receive Team USA’s $200,000 financial windfall

Gu’s financial profile is different from many other top female athletes because competition winnings account for only a fraction of her income. Less than 1% of his estimated 2025 earnings will come from prize money.

In comparison, tennis star Coco Gauff brings about $8 million to the court and $25 million from it in 2025, while Aryna Sabalenka saw nearly $15 million in and out of court, according to Forbes.

That imbalance makes Gu’s commercial success all the more remarkable.

But his unique circumstances also mean he is not eligible for $200,000 bonus awarded of all US athletes—whether they win or not. Gu competes for Team China—a a decision he defended as a way to honor his mother’s legacy.

In Milan, she is scheduled to compete in women’s slopestyle, big air, and halfpipe. He already took silver in the slopestyle and is expected to ski in the remaining events later this month.