Jake Wood maintains prize money dominance by increasing Mr. Olympia winner’s prize to $600k the night of the show!
While bodybuilding fans and bloggers reacted to news earlier this year that other events are promising to increase prize money, the Olympia continued its dominance in the prize money category by reaching the $2 million milestone, putting a big exclamation point on a hugely successful 2024 Olympia.
The $2 million mark is even more impressive when you consider that no other event, other than the Olympia, has ever even given away $1 million.
As the crowd awaited the announcement of the new Mr. Olympia winner, owner Jake Wood took hold of the microphone and surprised fans by announcing a 50% increase for the winner’s prize to a whopping $600,000 along with a six-figure bump to the runner up check to $250,000.
After the show, Olympia President Dan Solomon stated,
“Jake has been leading the charge when it comes to prize money for a long time. Seeing the top two finishers receive a combined $850,000 was incredible. It’s a direct result of the growth of this year’s event as well as the popularity of the brand around the world. We are incredibly excited to see other events increase their commitments to prize money as we all look to carry the momentum into 2025.”
The 60th Olympia is the subject of a new movie scheduled for release in the fall of 2025. You can watch the official teaser trailer, which debuted at the 2024 Olympia, below.
The 2024 Olympia Highlights
Beyond the prize money, the 2024 Olympia weekend held some incredible highlights including major upsets and the conclusion of inspiring athlete storylines. Samson Dauda rose up to the number one spot becoming the new Mr. Olympia champion – becoming the 19th ever individual to accomplish such a feat in the event’s history.
In a major upset, defending champion Derek Lunsford fell down to third place, with Hadi Choopan rising above to the runner-up spot. This shift in placings was as hock to Lunsford fans, who were expecting him to bring an even further improved physique and maintaining his Olympia champion dominance. On the other hand, Hadi Choopan’s rise past Derek Lunsford promises future battles for the former Mr. Olympia champion to potentially regain his title in 2025.
These upsets and victories also showcase how competitive this era of bodybuilders has become, with a lack of long-reigning champions since Phil Heath lost his title after seven straight wins. Over the past five years, we have had four different champions.
Mr. Olympia Champions Throughout The Years
As noted earlier in this article, there have been a total of 19 individual Mr. Olympia champions over its 60 year history. Emphasizing the incredible challenge and iconic accomplishment that earning such a title commands. Below is the full list of champions:
- Larry Scott
- Sergio Oliva
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Franco Columbu
- Frank Zane
- Chris Dickerson
- Samir Bannout
- Lee Haney
- Dorian Yates
- Ronnie Coleman
- Jay Cutler
- Dexter Jackson
- Phil Heath
- Shawn Rhoden
- Brandon Curry
- Mamdouh Elssbiay
- Hadi Choopan
- Derek Lunsford
- Samson Dauda
The Future Of The Olympia Looks Bright
With new ownership and management under Jake Wood over these past few years and a massive showstopper for the 60th anniversary in 2024 – the future of the Olympia has never looked brighter.
The fight for champions has become more heated than ever, the quality of the athletes has remained impressive, and the prize money has risen up to match the high-level of accomplishment the title of Mr. Olympia demands. With a new original film about the history and essence of the Olympia on the horizon – we expect even more growth for the pinnacle of bodybuilding for the years ahead!
