Usain Bolt reportedly received $250,000 for winning the 100m at the 2009 Toronto meet, which was rare at the time, but prize money at major championships was still much lower than what athletes can earn today. Bolt enjoyed an uber-successful career, winning Olympic and world titles while also earning big money from athletics. But even he knows that the numbers are far different today than what they used to be. The World Athletics Ultimate Championship’s record $10 million prize pool has caught Bolt’s attention, and he shared his honest thoughts on how much the sport has changed.

Speaking ahead of the inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Bolt revealed that he had already discussed the prize money with fellow Jamaican sprint star Asafa Powell. Looking at what today’s athletes can earn, the two former rivals compared it with the money that was available during their own careers.

“Jeez, we missed out on this cash prize,” Bolt said. His own experience at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin shows the difference. The standard prize for an individual gold medal was $60,000, while a world record earned an additional $100,000 bonus. Bolt won both the 100m and 200m in Berlin, setting world records in each race. He collected $320,000 from those two victories, with $60,000 for each gold medal and $100,000 for each world record.

The numbers are very different at the Ultimate Championship. The inaugural event has a $10 million prize pool, with $150,000 going to each individual event winner and $80,000 to a winning relay team. For Bolt, the bigger payouts are a positive step for athletes. “I think it’s good for the sport,” Bolt said, adding that the bigger rewards can “incentivize athletes to come out here and do their best.”

The Jamaican sprint legend knows better than most what it takes to succeed at the top of athletics. He won eight Olympic gold medals and 11 world titles, including his historic 100m and 200m world records in Berlin. Even with all those achievements, Bolt can see why today’s prize money stands out. “It’s sad I missed out on it, but I’m happy for the athletes,” Bolt said.

While Bolt may have missed out on the larger championship prize money now available, he played a major role in changing how track and field was viewed around the world.

Usain Bolt turned track stardom into millions beyond the track

Bolt’s success brought huge financial rewards outside the track. He became the highest-earning athlete in track and field, with Forbes estimating that he made around $32.5 million in 2016, far more than any other athlete in the sport at the time. A large portion of that money was not from prize winnings, but from sponsorships and endorsements.

Puma was at the heart of Bolt’s commercial success. In 2010, his contract with the brand was extended for $9 million per year; a later agreement was estimated at over $10 million per year.

After his retirement from competition in 2017, Bolt continued to earn from his long-running sponsorships and business ventures. As of 2026, Celebrity Net Worth estimates his net worth at around $90 million, highlighting the lasting financial impact of his career.