Ian James Thorpe was born on the 13th October 1982, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is recognized as a former professional swimmer, who won 11 world championship titles and five Olympic gold medals. His career was active from 1995 to 2006.
So, have you ever wondered how rich Ian Thorpe is, as of mid-2017? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that the total size of Ian’s net worth is over $2 million, accumulated through his successful involvement in the sports industry. Another source is coming from the sale of his autobiographical book “This is Me” (2012).
Ian Thorpe Net Worth $2 Million
Ian Thorpe was raised with an older sister in a sports family by his father, Ken, who was a cricketer, and his mother, Margaret, who played netball. He began swimming when he was only five years old and by the age of seven he started with competitions, winning his first race. In 1994, he became the captain of New South Wales for the Australian Primary Schools Championships, and subsequently won nine gold medals at the New South Wales Short Course Age Championships. He went to East Hills Boys Technology High School, and while there won ten times at the New South Wales Age Championships.
Ian made his national debut at the Pan Pacific Championships; though he had an appendix operation just two months before the event, he missed only two weeks of training, but was ready to represent his country in Japan. With personal best records in several disciplines, Thorpe won silver medals in the 400m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay. He then qualified for the 1998 World Aquatics Championships in Perth, setting personal bests for 200m and 400m freestyle, and at the event he won his first two gold medals, in the 400m freestyle, and 4x200m freestyle; his net worth began to rise immensely.
The same year Ian won another four gold medals, this time at the Commonwealth Games held in Malaysia, in the 200m and 400m freestyle, and in 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays, breaking the world record with his teammates in the latter.
His next competition was the 1999 World Short Course Championships where he set the world record in the 200m freestyle, and won gold in the 4x100m freestyle, and silver medal in 400m freestyle. He also participated in the Pan Pacific Championships at Sydney Olympic Park, where he continued his dominance by winning another four gold medals and also set three world records, two in the 200m and 400m freestyle, and one with his teammates during the 4x200m freestyle They also won 4x100m freestyle. All of these accomplishments added a considerable amount to Ian’s net worth.
His first Olympics came in 2000 in Sydney, when Ian once again dominated the pool, though he won only one individual gold in 400m freestyle and set the world record, while he won a silver medal in the 200m freestyle. He also had success in 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle winning gold medals and setting world records in both disciplines, increasing his net worth further. As he got older, Ian’s performance only got better, and though some in the public thought that he underachieved in the Olympics, he proved them wrong in the World Aquatic Championships, winning six gold medals. Aside from 200m, and 400m freestyle, which were now becoming his traditional disciplines, Thorpe also won gold medals in 800m freestyle, and 4×100 medley – he also broke the world record in 800m freestyle.
Before the 2004 Olympics, Ian participated in 2002 Commonwealth Games and 2002 Pan Pacific Championships. In the Commonwealth Games, he also competed in 100m backstroke discipline and won the silver medal, aside from six gold medals won in his regular categories. He broke the world record in 400m freestyle, which also increased his fortune by a large margin. Moreover, at 2004 Summer Olympics, Ian won two gold medals in 200m freestyle, setting the Olympic record, then 400m freestyle, making it his fifth gold medal in the Olympics, more than any other Australian athlete. He also added a silver medal from the 4x200m event and a bronze medal won in 100m freestyle to his collection.
After the end of the Olympics, Ian took a year off from swimming, and returned in 2005; however, he was nowhere near his previous form, and though he qualified for the Commonwealth Games in 2006, he had to withdraw from the event, due to his battle with bronchitis. He was then diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis, and after an unsuccessful attempt to return in form, Ian decided to retire.
Regarding his personal life, Ian Thorpe came out as a gay in 2014 and he has been in a relationship with model Ryan Channing since 2016. He is also known as a philanthropist, who established the Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for Youth organization in 2000.
