What Is Ian Thorpe's Net Worth?
Ian Thorpe is a retired Australian swimmer who has a net worth of $6 million. Nicknamed "Thorpedo" and "Thorpey," Ian Thorpe is known for overcoming his chlorine allergy to become a top swimmer in the world. He won five Olympic gold medals, which for several years made him the most-awarded Australian Olympian of all time. Fellow swimmer Emma McKeon has since tied that record.
Early Life
Ian James Thorpe was born on October 13, 1982, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He came from a family of athletes; his dad, Ken, was a promising cricketer at the junior level, and his mom, Margaret, was an A-grade netball player. When his sister Christina was prescribed swimming to strengthen a broken wrist, it really clicked for five-year-old Ian, but he found out he was allergic to chlorine. He didn't want to quit, so he learned how to swim while holding his head above the water, and he won his first race at a school carnival at seven years old. His large size helped make up for his technique, and by the time he was an adult, he measured in at 6'5″, weighing 229 pounds with a size of 17 feet.
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Champion Swimmer
Ian built up a tolerance to chlorine, and the rest is history. He quickly began dominating in the pool, becoming the youngest male ever to represent Australia at 14 years old. His victory in the 400-meter freestyle at the 1998 Perth World Championships made him the youngest male World Champion ever. Thorpe won all ten of the swimming events at the New South Wales Age Championships and two bronze medals at his first Australian Age Championships in 2005.
Ian and fellow swimmer Emma McKeon are tied for the most Olympic gold medals won by an Australian with five. He was the most successful athlete at the 2000 Summer Olympics held in his hometown of Sydney bringing in three gold and two silver medals. Thorpe became the only male to medal in the 100, 200, and 400-meter events before deciding to step away from swimming. Ian attempted a brief comeback for the 2012 Olympics but didn't qualify for the team.
Thorpe finished his career with 13 world records. He won eleven World Championship gold medals and was the first person to be named "Swimming World" Swimmer of the Year four times. He was named Australian Swimmer of the Year from 1999 through 2003, making him one of the more popular athletes in the country.
Sponsorships
With an interest in fashion, Ian served as an ambassador for Armani with his own line of designer jewelry and underwear. In addition to his Adidas swimsuit sponsor, Thorpe was also sponsored by Australian corporations Qantas, Telstra, and the Seven Network.
Post-Swimming Career
Thorpe went on to present "Bullied" on ABC in 2017, a two-part television documentary using hidden camera footage to show a victim's point of view of being bullied. He also competed in "Celebrity MasterChef Australia" in 2021 and was the fourth to be eliminated. He has written two cookbooks, "Cook For Your Life" and "Eat Well Now."
Personal Life
Ian came out as gay in 2014. For a number of years, he dated model Ryan Channing, but they broke up in 2019.
Real Estate
In February 2018, Ian paid $2.75 million AUD for a townhouse in Woollahra, a suburb of Sydney.
