What is Michael Phelps’ net worth? Who is Michael Phelps’ wife?
Michael Phelps, nicknamed The Baltimore Bullet, is the most decorated Olympian in history. He captured a total of 28 medals, including a record-setting 23 gold medals.
His career of wins and World Records stands alone amongst the pages of swimming history.
Biography
He was born on June 30, 1985, in Baltimore, Maryland, as Michael Fred Phelps II, to Deborah Sue (née Davisson) and Michael Fred Phelps.
At age 7, Phelps joined the North Baltimore Aquatic Club.
His parents divorced when he was nine. After the separation, Deborah raised the three kids (Michael and his sisters) as a single mother.
“I would like to have a father in my life,” he said in a later interview. “I felt abandoned. I’ve been carrying that around for 20 years.”
At age 11, he began to train under coach Bob Bowman. Soon, Phelps was already breaking national age-group records in the 100m butterfly.
He made his Olympic debut at just 15 years old during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He finished 5th in the 200-meter butterfly.
Michael Phelps attends The Ultimate Fan Experience, Call Of Duty XP 2016 presented by Activision – @Getty
In the spring of 2001, he set the world record in the 200-meter butterfly.
At the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Japan, he won three gold medals and two silvers.
In 2003, he graduated from Towson High School.
In 2004, he won eight medals (including six gold) at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Arrested on a DUI charge
In November 2004, he was arrested for DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) in Salisbury, Maryland.
“I understand the severity of my actions and take full responsibility,” Phelps wrote on Twitter (now X) at the time.
He was sentenced to serve 18 months of probation.
Michael Phelps attends the final round of the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club – @Getty
In 2005, Michael won a total of six medals, five golds and one silver, at the World Aquatics Championships.
In 2006, Phelps won with a world record time of 1:55.84 in the 200-meter individual medley at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in British Columbia.
He broke five world records at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships.
He breaks Mark Spitz’s Olympic record
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Phelps won eight gold medals. He surpassed Mark Spitz’s record for the most gold medals won at a single Olympic Games.
“I want to be the first Michael Phelps, not the second Mark Spitz,” Phelps later said.
“Anybody can do anything that they set their mind to,” Michael said on another occasion. “Records are always made to be broken.”
He won a total of 6 medals, 5 golds and 1 silver at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships.
He earned four gold medals in the 4x100m medley relay, 4x200m freestyle relay, 200m butterfly, and 100m butterfly at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, he won two silver medals and four gold medals.
At Swimming Legends night at OMEGA House Rio 2016 on August 15, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro – @Getty
Post-2012 London Games, he announced his retirement.
“I’m finished,” Phelps revealed in an interview on The Today Show. “I’m done. I’m retired. I will not be coming back.”
In 2014, Phelps returned to competition with a renewed mindset. “I started finding that hunger again, and I felt like a kid again,” he declared.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Phelps won five gold medals.
Second Retirement
He retired for a second time after Rio 2016.
“It’s time to turn the page and start a new chapter,” he confessed. “I’m happy with how things finished. I’ve been able to do everything I ever put my mind to.”
In 2024, he joined NBC’s broadcast team for the Paris Olympics.
“With his ability to analyze and entertain, our viewers are in for another gold-medal performance,” said Molly Solomon, Executive Producer & President, NBC Olympics Production.
Wife
On June 13, 2016, Michael Phelps married Nicole Johnson. She was Miss California USA 2010.
Nicole Johnson and Michael Phelps attend Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Sports Awards 2017 at Pauley Pavilion – @Getty
“There’s no other person who would be able to support me like she has,” Phelps said about his wife. “For 15 years, Nicole has seen me go up and down.”
The pair first met in 2007 at the ESPY Awards.
The two got engaged on February 21, 2015.
On May 5, 2016, Phelps and his wife welcomed their son Boomer.
“As soon as he was born, he kind of had both of his arms up in the air and was super excited to see the world,” he described the moment of Boomer’s birth. “The coolest experience that I’ve ever had.”
The couple went on to welcome three more sons:
Nicole Johnson, Michael Phelps, and Boomer Robert Phelps attend the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Sports 2018 at Barker Hangar – @Getty
- Beckett
- Maverick
- Nico
“We do have four amazing little kids, and I know there’s nobody I’d rather spend the rest of my life with,” the Baltimore native said about his family.
Michael Phelps – Net Worth
So, how much is Michael Phelps worth?
Michael Phelps and model Nicole Johnson arrive at the 2017 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 12, 2017 in Los Angeles – @Getty
Phelps earned most of his wealth from his career as a competitive swimmer and from brand deals.
Over his five Olympic appearances, Phelps won 23 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze medals. That amounts to $640,000 in Olympic prize money.
After winning 8 golds in Beijing 2008, Speedo awarded him a $1 million bonus.
He has published two autobiographies:
- Beneath the Surface
- No Limits: The Will to Success
In 2010, he signed with Under Armour. The company featured him in the “Rule Yourself” campaign. He also appeared in over 30 commercials for Subway.
In 2014, Phelps and Aqua Sphere launched the competitive swimwear brand MP.
@Getty
In 2015, he paid $2.5 million for a five-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom mansion in Scottsdale. Three years later, he sold the property for $3.5 million.
He is also a global ambassador for Colgate. Therefore, Michael Phelps has an estimated net worth of $100 million.
READ THIS NEXT:
I am Bulgarea Candin Stefan, and I founded FamousPeopleToday.com in 2018. I’m using my bachelor’s degree in economics and 9 years of experience in blogging to guide millions of people through the incredibly complex world of celebrity net worths.