“Everyone watches Women’s sports,” was a slogan that started in basketball and took over by the time the 2024 Olympics rolled around. However, with Sportico’s list of the 15 highest-paid female athletes, it seems the slogan now means much more than the text of thirsts. The list revealed just how memorable 2024 continues to be for Simone Biles, who made it inside the top 10.

The gymnastics legend, who redeemed herself at the Paris Olympics, earned a whopping $11.1 million this year. Her triple gold medal-winning performance after the downturn in Tokyo was enough to put her earnings on par with women’s basketball sensation Caitlin Clarke. However, the seven-time Olympic gold medalist’s stellar 2024 earnings inadvertently revealed the poor pay in Elite Gymnastics.

While publishing the list, Sportico added a disclaimer. “Earnings are for the 12 months ending Dec. 31. 2024,” read the disclaimer. This meant that neither athlete would see a significant change throughout the rest of December. Hence, Simone Biles’ $25 million estimated net worth as per Celebrity Net Worth may not see a major shift. Here’s why.

The website claims to have last updated the value on September 26, 2024. Since Sportico’s list claims Biles has earned $11.1 million throughout the entirety of 2024, it’s safe to assume that most of the earnings had already contributed to the $25 million figure Celebrity Net Worth stated in September. Considering Biles turned elite in 2011, it means for 13 years, Biles earned an average of a million per year.

Although $25 million is an impressive figure, it pales in comparison to the $11.1 million she earned in 2024 alone. This sad reality points out how little professional gymnasts earn, despite gymnastics being the top-ranked Olympic sport. It becomes even more egregious as Biles is the most decorated gymnast of all time, achieving historic milestones such as earning four golds at Rio 2016. Unfortunately, things only get worse when compared to the other top earners on the list.

How does Simone Biles’ estimated net worth hold up against this year’s highest earners?

Despite earning three Olympic golds in Paris, Simone Biles’ historic redemption only earned her less than $150,000. USOPC rewarded Team USA athletes with $37,500 for every gold medal and $22,500 for silver. Since the 27-year-old earned three golds and a silver, she earned a total of $135,000. The rest of the $11.1 million came solely from sponsorships and endorsements.

Stints such as the 2024 Gold Over America Tour, or appearing on The Voice at Snoop Dog’s invitation, helped boost her earning. However, they paled in comparison to both the competition-winning and endowment revenues of other athletes. Tennis sensation Coco Gauff’s 2024 earnings eclipsed Biles’ entire net worth.

Sportico estimated that Gauff earned $30.4 million, with $9.4 million coming in the form of salary/winning. It’s not surprising considering Gauff earned $4,805,000 from just the WTA Finals. She also earned a mind-boggling $21 million from endorsements. Meanwhile, skier #2 Eileen Gu earned $22 million simply from endorsements. The rest of the stats are as follows:

An interesting observation is that six of the top ten earners come from the same sport. Besides Biles, Clark, Gu, and golfer Nelly Korda, the rest of the list is dominated by tennis players. While Simone Biles leads the charge for gymnastics and contributes to the 27% increase in earnings from last year’s top 15, it highlights a need for greater diversity among the highest-earning athletes across different sports.

Thankfully, Global Impact Gymnastics Alliance (GIGA) is trying to make a difference, as they’re currently gathering investments to start a professional gymnastics league. Will they succeed in helping the generations that will follow Simone Biles’ era earn more? Will the rest of elite gymnastics follow suit? Unfortunately, these questions remain unanswered, at least for now.