Ryan Lochte's Net Worth Is in Focus After He Announces Plans to Auction Olympic Medals

There was a time when the whole world knew the name of Ryan Lochte. As an Olympic medal-winning swimmer, Lochte was respected in his sport and seemed to be creating a legend for himself.

But his behavior during the Rio Olympics ensured that his reputation was tarnished, after he admitted to "over-exaggerating" being held at gunpoint.

The hit to his reputation also hit him in the wallet, changing Lochte's financial outlook significantly. So, what does his net worth look like these days? Here's what we know about his net worth and how he plans to recoup the loss as he works to hash out his differences with his estranged wife, Kayla Lochte.

Winning an Olympic medal in the swimming world is no easy feat. The competition is fierce, especially when you compare to near-mythical athletes like Michael Phelps.

Nonetheless, Ryan did pretty well for himself, earning 12 Olympic medals, six of which are gold, and 90 international medals in swimming competitions. He's one of the most decorated swimmers in the sport, rubbing elbows with swimmers like Phelps and Katie Ledecky.

All of his success throughout the decades once earned him a hefty net worth. However, during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, he told a tale of being held at gunpoint. However, Metro notes that police later investigated and found that he and several friends had vandalized a gas station that night. Lochte later admitted to exaggerating the story, and his reputation took a massive hit.

Not only that, but Lochte lost several major sponsorships and received a lengthy suspension from the Olympic Committee. As a result, his current estimated net worth is around $300,000 according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Unfortunately for Lochte, his financial hit drove him to do something that many people considered controversial: auction off some of his Olympic gold medals.

On Instagram, he explained his reasoning, saying, “I never swam for the gold medals." Lochte says his passion has "always been about being one of the best swimmers in the world. Those medals? They were just the cherry on top of an incredible journey."

Pushback from the public has been fierce, but that's not the only thing on Lochte's plate.

On Dec. 9, 2025, Lochte announced that he was releasing a tell-all book, saying, "Every day, I woke up to be belittled and reminded of my constant failures, day in and day out." He says he was “eventually kicked out of our family home" (excerpt via People).

Not long after he made this announcement, Lochte's wife, Kayla, shared a video to her Instagram of the two exchanging their wedding vows.

In Lochte's post explaining his reason for auctioning off the medals, he addressed Kayla's decision to post their vows, saying that “navigating personal challenges in public can be incredibly tough.”

He added, "I understand that my words have sparked a lot of backlash, and I want to express that my intention was never to hurt anyone but to share my honest feelings. There's a lot happening behind the scenes that I've chosen to keep private to protect my kids.”

The swimmer added that he thinks Kayla shared their vows “to highlight the authenticity of what [they] once had." Lochte continued, “While I respect that, I still stand by my belief that we didn't fully know each other, and honestly, I didn't know myself or who I was. I am very thankful for our three children and the love we shared at that time.”