The ongoing 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo will see athletes compete for medals that carry far more than symbolic value.
Each gold medal contains roughly six grams of gold, layered over 500 grams of silver, worth more than $2,000 in raw materials.
However, for some competitors, the true reward reaches into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
At least 13 countries and territories pledge to pay $100,000 or more to individual gold medalists, according to figures confirmed by national Olympic committees and government sports ministries.
In total, at least 37 of the 92 participating delegations offer cash bonuses for medal performances.
According to Forbes, here are the 13 nations and territories offering six-figure payouts for individual gold medalists at the 2026 Winter Olympics:
Singapore – $787,000
Hong Kong – $768,000.
Poland – $355,000.
Kazakhstan – $250,000.
Italy –. $213,000
Cyprus – $177,000.
Bulgaria – $151,000.
Lithuania – $133,000
Kosovo – $130,000.
Estonia – $118,000.
Czechia (Czech Republic) $117,000.
Spain – $111,000
Greece: $106,000
