Overview
- A Milano-Cortina gold medal is mostly silver with a thin gold plating and carries an estimated melt value of about $2,300–$2,500, while silver is roughly $1,300–$1,400 and bronze only a few dollars.
- The International Olympic Committee does not pay athletes to compete, leaving prize money to national Olympic committees, governments and sports bodies.
- Latest tallies show wide disparities in medal bonuses: Singapore offers about $792,000 for gold, Hong Kong about $768,000, Italy about $214,000 and Poland about $211,000 plus perks such as a car and apartment.
- Team USA’s Operation Gold pays $37,500 for gold, $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze, amounts unchanged from recent Games.
- A $100 million donation from Ross Stevens provides U.S. Olympians and Paralympians a $200,000 benefit per athlete, with a deferred payout and a beneficiary component.