The Mr. Olympia contest 2022 is just a few weeks away and will take place in Las Vegas. Joe Weider started the Mr. Olympia contest in 1965 for bodybuilders to earn money. Many bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, and Big Ramy made their names, starting with this contest.

The Mr. Olympia contest is conducted by the IFBB: International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness. Since 1965, 57 Mr. Olympia contests have been held. The prize money difference between the first few Mr. Olympia contests won by Arnold Schwarzenegger and the recent ones would shock everyone.

What Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, and Big Ramy got

In 1970, Arnold Schwarzenegger took home his first Mr. Olympia trophy and a $1000 prize money. He got the same amount when he won Mr. Olympia in 1971, 1972, 1973, and 1974. Arnold Schwarzenegger won his sixth title in 1975 and got $2500, more than double what he had won earlier.

Ronnie Coleman, aka “The King,” got crowned with the Mr. Olympia title in 1998 for the first time. Ronnie won the competition eight times straight until 2005. He took home a cash prize of $110,000 in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. The amount he won increased to 120,000 in 2004 and 150,000 in 2005.

Ahead of 2022 Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding Championship, a Look Back at 2021’s Whopping 1.6 Million Prize Money Distribution

Mamdouh Elssbiay, popular as Big Ramy, won his first Mr. Olympia title in 2020 and second in 2021. He won a cash prize of $400,000 every year for both wins. 

Chief Olympia Officer explains the difference

The $1000 Arnold Schwarzenegger won in 1970 is just 0.25% of what Big Ramy won in 2020. On the other hand, Ronnie Coleman won 27.5% of Big Ramy’s amount. $700,000 is the prize amount set for the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest.

Various factors can explain the difference in the cash prize amounts. Dan Solomon, the Chief Olympia Officer, said, “Despite constant changes in the global fitness community, we’ve remained laser focused, growing the Olympia in every way possible, with increases in overall sponsorships, expo attractions, prize money, and stage production.“

The mind-blowing cash prize that follows the Mr. Olympia competition will presumably keep bodybuilding in fashion for a long time. How high do you think the prize money could go in the coming decade? Tell us in the comments!

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