Before the Olympics, Eileen Gu was a rising star in the extreme sports world. After winning gold for China, the American-born skier is now a mainstream superstar.
Gu became the youngest gold medalist in Olympic freestyle skiing history after she landed a double cork 1620 in the Games’ first-ever big air event.
It was the first time she attempted the trick in competition and the second time a woman has ever landed it — after France’s Tess Ledeux did so earlier in the same event.
Still just 18, Gu is not only one of the world’s best skiers, but she has an entire second career and is backed by some of the biggest brands on the planet.
- In addition to her first Beijing medal, Gu has won two golds each at the FIS World Championships and X Games across various disciplines.
- She holds sponsorship deals with Red Bull, Beats by Dre, and Cadillac, as well as Chinese companies JD.com and China Mobile.
- Gu is also a fashion model, landing campaigns for Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co., and appearing on covers for Elle and Vogue.
She reportedly averages $2.5 million per endorsement and may have made around $15.8 million through her deals last year.
Gu’s marketability will soar even higher if she continues to perform at a high level on the slopes — she’s the favorite to take home gold in the halfpipe (-250*) but may have to put in more effort to win slopestyle (+275*).
