Rich Dudes│How Olympic Snowboarder Shaun White Made His $65M Net Worth

Shaun White is the most decorated American snowboarder, achieving an Olympic gold medal not once, not twice, but three times. He also earned himself a spot on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in 2014 and the record for winning the most gold medals for snowboarding at both X-Games and the Olympics.

Shaun White net worth at a glance

Shaun White started at a young age under the mentorship of Tony Hawk. He signed a 10-year multi-million-dollar endorsement contract with Burton Snowboards and also endorsed major brands like Target, Oakley, Hewlett-Packard, and Ubisoft.

Shaun made history as the first snowboarder to land back-to-back double corks at the Red Bull SuperPipe, won titles like the Action Sports Tour Champion, and got a perfect score in the Snowboard SuperPipe at the 2012 Winter X Games. Not to mention, he’s the most decorated X Games snowboarder with 13 gold medals, three silver, and two bronze.

Three Olympic gold medals

After training for the Winter Olympics his whole life, Shaun won his first Olympic gold medal at 19 and competed in the Winter Olympics for four consecutive years. Shaun won all three of his Olympic gold medals at the snowboard halfpipe.

So if we do the math, Shaun took home $87,500 (before taxes) for his three Olympic gold medals.

Film and television career

Apart from sports, Shaun also had an impressive career in film and television, appearing in movies like Stretch and Friends with Benefits. He released his own video game series called Shaun White Snowboarding, which became a bestseller in the United States. His band Bad Things released their self-titled debut album in 2014.

Endorsements and sponsorships

At only 7 years old, White had already managed to land his first sponsorship. But what's more impressive is that White has had to turn down some endorsements, which just goes to show how lucrative his career has been.

Currently, White's endorsement portfolio includes Celsius energy drinks, Krave beef jerky, and the Masters' workout app. Altogether, he's the highest-paid snowboarder out there without even accounting for his gold medals.

In 2008, White earned a juicy $9 million from endorsements alone. And in 2009, his bank account looked just as healthy, with an estimated $8 million from endorsements and licensing income deals.

Even better, while he was getting ready to compete at his fifth Olympics in 2022, sponsors paid out $1.5 million in guaranteed payments just for Shaun's preparations.

White has a lot of corporate relationships, including the ever-so-popular energy drink, Red Bull. But what's even more amazing is that White makes an estimated $10 million every year from sponsorships alone—without even having to hit the slopes.

Shaun White made millions before even hitting his twenties, and he probably hasn’t worried about his bank balance like most people his age.

While some people make money from investing in stocks, Shaun rakes in moolah from real estate, endorsement deals, sponsorships, his own business ventures, and cars.

Real estate

When it comes to real estate, Shaun White isn’t a fan of the tundra. This champion snowboarder is also a world-class house flipper with multiple luxury properties in his portfolio.

In 2014, White shelled out $8.9 million for a three-bedroom ranch house in Malibu and sold it for a steep $11.8 million—proving he can make rain off the slopes, too.

He listed his New York City penthouse for $2.79 million in 2017 and then again in 2019 for $2.95 million, eventually selling it for a cool $3 million in 2021. White also has a house in Encinitas, California, which made  $25,000 a month as a rental property—he put it up for sale for $7.995 million, but there’s no record of him closing a deal.

In 2017, he sold a four-bedroom home in Carlsbad, California, for $1 million and his West Hollywood Hills mansion for $6.7 million to Shark Tank's Robert Herjavec.

White’s real estate portfolio isn’t complete without properties like a Park City, Utah condo and two Malibu homes next door to each other. He bought one of the Malibu homes for $10.7 million and rents out the other one for $17,500 a month.

There's also his $1.6 million Laurel Canyon, California, home. With so many properties, he must need to hire people to keep track of it all. At least we can rest assured that his gold medals are in a good home.

Shaun White might be setting an example—it looks like a good time to get into real estate. The size of the real estate market is projected to reach $7.9 trillion by 2028—a compound annual growth rate of nearly 2%.

Cars

Shaun White loves to invest in stylish, elegant, and most importantly, expensive cars. From his 1966 Ford Mustang to his Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 worth $350,000, Shaun has a knack for collecting automobiles that make seasoned car enthusiast jealous.

Shaun also has a BMW M6 that goes for around $120,000. But if you're looking for something more vintage, Shaun also bought a 1966 Ford Mustang for around $110,000.

Last but not least, Shaun owns a Lexus IS 300, clocking in at $43,000. It's clear that Shaun White is not afraid to shell out the cash to get the best cars in his garage.

Investing in cars can be a good option for those looking to diversify their portfolios. With new car prices up over 4% year-over-year and used car prices more than 30% higher than pre-pandemic levels as of January 2023, automobiles can be a solid asset that holds up well in uncertain times.

Luxury cars also have long-term potential as they depreciate at a slower rate than other assets and can also generate income through leasing or rent-to-own arrangements. And don’t forget about title loans, the unsung superpower of how expensive car owners leverage their fleet.

Stocks and startups

Olympic snowboarding legend Shaun White is making big moves in the business world, and his wallet is feeling the love. He's invested in a wide range of startups and companies, including $1.5 million in Hooch, $2.7 million in Masters, and up to $170 million in Casper. He's also a minority stakeholder in Mammoth Resorts for an undisclosed seven-figure sum.

Shaun has also ventured into video games and festivals, and even partnered with Macy’s to launch his own clothing line WHT Space. And if that's not enough, he's launched Whitespace, a brand that sells snowboard equipment and apparel.

Mr. White raised $20 million for AvantStay, $43 million for Daily Harvest, and even helped Shelf Engine score a massive $60 million in total funding. He's also the majority owner of Air + Style, a music and sports festival, and has a video game franchise that sold over three million copies.

Overall, the outlook for stocks seems positive for 2023. While there’s some economic uncertainty, stock pickers can capitalize on their good investments and outperform the overall market.

From X Games gold medals to his Shaun White snowboarding brand, the Flying Tomato is living the dream. With three Olympic gold medals and an eight-figure portfolio, we all could learn a little from how Shaun White’s net worth is invested.

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