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Is Olivia Dunne's gift to her mom a heartwarming gesture or a flaunt of wealth?

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It looks like Olivia Dunne is cashing in big time on her NIL fame and prowess. The LSU standout gymnast, who played a major role in the college’s 2023-24 national championship team, has done more than just stick her landings—she’s aced the art of turning social media clout into serious cash. At 22, Livvy sits comfortably at No. 2 on the NIL top earners list, amassing over 10 million TikTok followers and more than 5 million on Instagram. And with her 2024 net worth estimated at a cool $6 million, it’s only natural to wonder—how’s she spending all that money?

Well, her family’s been basking in the success too. Her mom, Katherine Dunne, has been her biggest supporter, making sure Liv stays grounded while living out her dream. She regularly cheers for her daughter in the stands during competitions and also supports her social media accounts.

As Olivia was homeschooled, Katherine has been a very huge presence in her life. On Monday, the gymnast celebrated her mother’s birthday as she uploaded a collage on her Instagram story with photos from her childhood alongside her. Olivia Dunne captioned the post, saying, “Happy Birthday to my favorite person in the world, @kat_dunne.”.

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Is Olivia Dunne's gift to her mom a heartwarming gesture or a flaunt of wealth?

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However, the second story was what surprised the gymnast’s fans quite a lot. She uploaded a screenshot of her video call with her mother. Katherine was standing in front of a house and appeared delightfully surprised. It seemed like Olivia might have rented or bought the place for her, as she captioned the story with, “Hope you are loving the beach house.”

USA Today via Reuters

While this gift to her mother might seem extravagant to some—because, let’s be real, a beach house doesn’t come cheap—there’s no denying that Olivia Dunne can afford it. Since the NCAA’s NIL rules rolled out in 2021, Dunne has raked in an estimated $9.5 million as the highest-paid female college athlete in the country! And if that wasn’t enough, Olivia also made waves this year by landing a spot on Forbes’ Top Creators 2024 list, coming in at 31st alongside some of the biggest names in social media.

This includes influencers like Mr. Beast, Logan Paul, Jake Paul, and Kai Cenat. But while all of these individuals concentrate solely on social media, Livvy made the list by juggling her presence alongside her sporting career. A lot of credit for this can be given to her mother, as she was the one who encouraged Livvy when she was starting out.

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Olivia Dunne’s mother has played a huge role in her meteoric rise

Olivia Dunne’s family has been instrumental in her current secondary career as a social media influencer. Her sister, Julz, plays a pivotal role by helping her produce and create the content she uploads. Meanwhile, her parents have also contributed to her success. Both Katherine and David Dunne, Olivia’s father, worked for a tech company called Imagine Tomorrow, providing the family with a tech-savvy foundation that has undoubtedly aided Olivia in navigating the world of social media.

USA Today via Reuters

The company is a vital organization, as it was the first to bring technology into school with computers. So, this tech-savvy background helped Katherine cheer on her daughter Olivia Dunne as she dipped her toes into the social media waters instead of throwing cold water on the whole idea. Katherine has said, “I’ve always been a big advocate of putting technology in the hands of kids and teaching them how to use it safely.”

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And she didn’t stop there! Katherine was all about making social media more than just mindless scrolling, saying, “If you’re going to have your phone in your hand, don’t just scroll through—let’s make content, let’s do something.” Livvy’s mother also encouraged the young gymnast to connect with more people online, especially since she was homeschooled. Eventually, all of these efforts led to the meteoric growth of Olivia Dunne’s social media acumen. So let’s be real: Katherine’s influence was the rocket fuel that launched Livvy’s career, turning her into the social media sensation she is today!

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