Olivia Dunne is often seen as someone who has it all figured out. Strong performances, major brand deals, and a massive following that keeps growing. From the outside, her life looks exciting and smooth. But fame and recognition come at a cost, and  Dunne appears to be paying it right now.

At just 23, with an estimated $6 million to her name, Dunne’s schedule is anything but easy. Recently, she shared a story on Instagram with her 5.3 million followers.

“13 hr shoot day got me like 📸 (it was worth it),” read the caption, over an image of her sprawled across the back of a car, clearly exhausted. She didn’t provide further details, but it could be related to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue – something she has been involved in since 2023, with the next issue likely to come out in May. 

While keeping up with modeling Dunne has also been expanding her business deals. Recently, she joined NoBull as a partner and brand ambassador after the athletic brand completed its first round of funding, securing $50 million.

She also signed with talent agency Wasserman in late 2025, which opens up even more marketing and business possibilities, extending into 2026. Olivia Dunne is busy with more than most people can imagine between photoshoots, public appearances, and business ventures.

But how did an NCAA gymnast capture this much public attention?

How Olivia Dunne built fame beyond the mat

Olivia Dunne first rose to public notice as a top college gymnast at LSU. She competed at a high level in gymnastics from a young age, joined the U.S. Junior National Team, and later became a standout NCAA athlete with LSU. But her fame really exploded when she started posting videos on TikTok and Instagram during the pandemic.

Initialy the content was related to her gymnastics routine, but soon after, she shared behind the scenes, trend, and lifestyle content as well. And this all helped her to gain millions of followers on different social media platforms.

But her major successes came in 2021 after the NCAA changed its rules and provided an opportunity for college athletes to make money through NIL deals.

Dunne was one of the first athletes to utilize this opportunity, signing with large agencies and brands such as Vuori, Grubhub, Bodyarmor and American Eagle. Shortly after, these brand deals, coupled with her social media visibility, turned her into one of the most well-paid female college athletes, a household name across the non-gymnastics world.

But fame wouldn’t have been possible without her sister, Julz. Initially, it was Julz who used to edit her videos and do all the work behind the scenes. Dunne was described her sister as the “brains of the operation.”

In the following years, she was featured in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit editions and also became a Maxim cover model, expanding her fame beyond sports. She’s also been included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 and Time 100 Creators lists, which further increased her visibility and influence in media and business.

Even after graduating from LSU in 2024, Olivia Dunne kept growing her following and securing major deals, all while supporting her boyfriend, Paul Skenes, at his baseball games.