Derek Lunsford walked away with the biggest Arnold Classic prize money yet.
The Arnold Classic and the Olympia are the two most prestigious competitions in the IFBB Pro League season. Winning both in a single season is seen as the pinnacle of achievement in bodybuilding. For many competitors, the Arnold Classic offers a chance to rebound after falling short at the Olympia, proving they still have what it takes to dominate in the season ahead.
However, the rivalry between these two events extends beyond the athletes themselves. Recently, the spotlight has been on the prize money for the Men’s Open division, the premier category in bodybuilding. At last year’s Arnold Classic, Arnold Schwarzenegger made headlines by announcing an increase in the Men’s Open prize money to $500,000, a significant jump from the previous $300,000.
Schwarzenegger’s move wasn’t just about the money — it was a strategic push to challenge Olympia’s prize structure. Historically, Olympia co-founder Ben Weider maintained, “You cannot offer more money than we are offering at the Olympia.” However, Schwarzenegger believed that raising the stakes would ultimately benefit the athletes, and his efforts paid off. Last year, Olympia responded with a bump in its prize pool, awarding the Men’s Open winner $600,000.
Curious about how the prize money stacks up? Explore the differences in payouts for the Men’s Open top 5 at the 2023 and 2024 Olympia below.
| Olympia Men’s Open Prize Money 2023 and 2024 | ||
| 2023 | 2024 | |
| 1st Place | $400,000 | $600,000 |
| 2nd Place | $150,000 | $250,000 |
| 3rd Place | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| 4th Place | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| 5th Place | $35,000 | $35,000 |
Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered on his promise for the 2025 Arnold Classic, awarding $500,000 to the Men’s Open champion, Derek Lunsford. Remarkably, this prize exceeded the amount Lunsford earned for his Olympia victory in 2023. Below is a breakdown of the divisions and their respective winners.
2025 Arnold Classic Winners
Men’s Open
Derek Lunsford won the Arnold Classic on his debut, taking home the much-coveted $500,000 and keeping Mr. Olympia winner Samson Dauda on his toes for the new season. That wasn’t all; Lunsford earned an additional $10,000 by winning the Ed Corney Best Poser award. Dauda didn’t look too bad either and went home with a further $10,000 for winning the Franco Columbu Most Muscular award. Andrew Jacked went home with a third-place finish, much better than his 5th position at the Mr Olympia.
- Derek Lunsford
- Samson Dauda
- Andrew Jacked
- Brandon Curry
- William Bonac
- Akim Williams
- Shaun Clarida
- James Hollingshead
- Carlos Thomas Jr.
- Patrick Moore
Classic Physique
The Classic Physique featured some surprising setbacks as defending champion Wessley Vissers fell to fifth place. Mike Sommerfeld, who was the talk of the show after clinching a second-place finish to Chris Bumstead at the Olympia, won the division. However, he was not without competition, as Logan Franklin brought an insane conditioning and an all-time best physique.
- Mike Sommerfeld
- Logan Franklin
- Matthew Greggo
- Michael Daboul
- Wesley Vissers
- Jihoon Bang
- Osmar Alanis
- Jeremiah Willies
- Lucas Funk
Men’s Physique
Ali Bilal and Erin Banks went toe-to-toe again at the Men’s Physique like they did at the Olympia in second and third place. However, this time, it was for first and second position and Ali Bilal prevailed as the winner. Last year’s Men’s Physique winner Diogo Montenegro had to settle for third place.
- Ali Bilal
- Erin Banks
- Diogo Montenegro
- Emmanuel Costa
- Alessandro Cavagnola
- Jason Huynh
- Guilherme Gualberto
- Sidy Pouye
- Rafael Oliveira
- Dmytro Voievodchuk
Fitness International
Fitness International saw Jaclyn Baker walk away again with first place, this time in the Ohio show, as previous US winner and three-time reigning champion Ariel Khadr didn’t compete. Baker had gone on to win the division in the Arnold Classic UK after finishing as runner-up to Khadr in the US version last year.
- Jaclyn Baker
- Michelle Fredua-Mensah
- Tamara Vahn
- Amber Staffen
- Andrea Glass
- Tiffany Chandler
- Kristin Pope
- Michelle Gales
- Minna Pajulahti
- Rene Brosch
Bikini
Vania Auguste has another win in the Bikini pro division after winning first at the Arnold Classic UK last year. She edged out Aimee Delgado in a close competition after both women had to fight for second and third runner-up in the US version last year. Lauralie Chapados, who won last year and the 2024 Bikini Olympia in this division, had previously announced she would not compete this year. The two-time Olympia champion, Angelica Teixeira also announced her retirement after this year’s Arnold Classic.
- Vania Auguste
- Aimee Delgado
- Ashlyn Little
- Maria Acosta
- Ariana Brothers
- Jasmine Gonzalez
- Tamekia Carter
- Jordan Brannon
- Angelica Teixeira
- Anastacia Spragans
Wellness
In the Wellness category, recent Olympia winner Isabelle Nunes had all eyes on her form as she took the stage. However, it was third-place finisher from the Olympia, Eduarda Bezerra, who prevailed, taking home the first-place win. Last year’s champion and face of the division, Francielle Mattos, didn’t compete.
- Eduarda Bezerra
- Isabelle Nunes
- Elisa Alcantara
- Kassandra Gillis
- Sandra Colorado
- Lisa Meiswinkel
- Johanna Calcano
- Simara Walter
- Hye Yoon Kim
- Sina Maria Teresa
Pro Wheelchair
At the Pro Wheelchair competition, defending champion Rajesh John retained his title, beating James Berger and Gabriele Andriulli, who came in second and third place, respectively. Andrulli previously held this title, having won it in 2022. Six-time champion Harold Kelly’s bid to retake the title was unsuccessful, and he had to settle for a fifth-place finish behind Kevin Secundino.
- Rajesh John
- James Berger
- Gabriele Andriulli
- Kevin Secundino
- Harold Kelley
- Bradley Betts
Wrapping Up
The Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, offered a $500,000 top prize for the Men’s Open division winner, marking a significant milestone for the event. But the competition delivered more than just generous prize money — only one defending champion managed to retain their title this year, adding an unexpected twist to the results. The increased prize pool has been widely praised, with many applauding Arnold Schwarzenegger for staying true to his promise and successfully influencing the prize money for Mr. Olympia as well.
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