Driven by passion and endless love for bodybuilding, Ronnie Coleman waited patiently year after year to make his mark on the world stage. Six years of waiting after making his pro-debut in 1992 and eight consecutive titles thereafter starting in 1998, the journey of ‘The King’ was loaded with hard work, perseverance, and hope. It not only took his time, energy, and mind power but also money.

The sport demands world-class training and equipment. And a protein-rich diet and several other personal requirements. In an interview a few months back, Coleman opened up on how much he spent for the Mr. Olympia competitions while still struggling for a title and more.

Mr. Olympia is indeed a costly affair

Coleman was already making a six-figure salary with a full-time job in the police department. In the interview, the host was curious to know how much he spent preparing for each competition. Coleman replied, “I spent at least about 20,000,” suggesting that an average bodybuilder would invest more or less the same amount.

It was the case before winning the title. Ronnie added that after winning the title, he appointed a nutritionist and paid around $50,000. The interviewer asked, “Do you win any money on the Olympia for placing?” The eight-time Mr. Olympia answered that he won $110,000 and stated, “That ain’t no money.” However, he got money from endorsement deals.

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Regarding whether he got money while being placed 9th, he said, “I got probably like 15,000.” Although it was not enough to meet his needs, it was of some help. In the 1997 Mr. Olympia event, he ranked 9th. He was starting to lose hope and considered quitting. Perhaps he didn’t know that he was only a step away from making his big break in 1998. The King never gave up. Regardless of what the after-effects could be, Coleman pushed himself to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

Ronnie Coleman spent a truckload of money on his surgeries

The Big Ron spent nearly $2 million on his last three surgeries. Undeniably, they have made an enormous impact on his body and structure. Regarding the surgeries, Coleman said how the surgeries were done was crucial for recovery. Furthermore, he said, “the surgeon that I’ve had the last three surgeries been really bad and caused a lot of damage to my body, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to walk.”

Also, the 53-year-old former bodybuilding champion added that the way the surgery was performed seemed like the surgeon was doing it for money. Every surgery he had incurred him an expenditure of $300,000- $500,000. And said, “the last three surgeries I had almost spent $2 million dollars!”

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Even to this date, despite several failed surgeries and the irreparable condition the sport has landed him in, he continues to embrace the sport in the ways possible.