Sports
Olympic Swimmer Katie Ledecky Is Worth $4 Million, but That's Nothing Compared to Her Uncle's $340 Million Fortune
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sports7 in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sports7, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
Get to know Joe Kozlowski betterUpdated22 Jul 2021
While the Olympics might not be a part of most sports fan's day-to-day thoughts, the biannual event is still a major draw. Success in a major event can put an athlete on the map and, in turn, help them build up a sizable net worth. Take, for example, swimmer Katie Ledecky.
After bursting onto the scene at the 2012 Olympics, Ledecky has kept piling up the medals and accumulated an estimated $4 million fortune. While that may be a nice chunk of change for most people, it still pales in comparison to her uncle's $340 million.
Katie Ledecky has swum her way to a $4 million net worth
When you think of big-time American swimmers, Michael Phelps probably springs to mind. Katie Ledecky, however, has proven to be a legitimate talent in her own right.
As mentioned above, Ledecky burst onto the global scene when she swam to the gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle during her 2012 Olympic debut. While the Washington, D.C. native stayed in school rather than immediately jumping to the professional ranks, it didn't affect her in-pool performances. She dominated at the 2013 World Championships, the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships, and the 2015 World Championships en route to the 2016 Olympics. There, she claimed four more gold medals and one silver.
On the back of that success and some big-time endorsement deals, the star swimmer has found plenty of financial success. Based on Celebrity Net Worth's estimate, Ledecky's fortune clocks in at $4 million.
The swimmer's uncle owns the New York Islanders and boasts a $340 million net worth
Under most circumstances, having a $4 million fortune would put you at the top of the family financial power rankings. Katie Ledecky, however, doesn't belong to most families.
The swimmer's uncle is Jon Ledecky, who made his fortune in office supplies. He's also been involved in. the American sports scene for a while, briefly owning part of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards and periodically making new bids at ownership.
In 2014, Ledecky and a business partner arranged to take over the New York Islanders from longtime owner Chares Wang. The pair began as minority owners before taking full control of the franchise in 2016.
As you might expect from his business career and his professional sports ownership — given the limited number of franchises available, taking over a team will usually work out in the long run — Jon Ledecky has amassed quite a bit of cash over the years. Celebrity Net Worth pegs his overall fortune at $340 million, dwarfing his more famous niece's bottom line.
On the whole, it's a good time to be a Ledecky
Without knowing exactly what will happen in Tokyo, it's safe to say that both Ledeckys are in a pretty good spot right now.
Even if the 2020 Games collapse under their own weight, Katie probably still has plenty of opportunities for success. The Paris Games are only three years away, meaning she could conceivably return to the pool for another round of Olympic action. It's also possible that she'll have the chance to break Jenny Thompson’s women’s swimming record of eight career golds, whether in this summer or in a few years, providing a bit of extra motivation.
On the NHL side of things, Jon's investment seems to be in a pretty good place. While the Islanders haven't managed to get over the playoff hump, Barry Trotz has transformed the once-hapless franchise into a legitimate player in the Eastern Conference. The team is also poised to move into the brand new UBS Arena, ending their seemingly eternal search for a new home.
Especially in the world of sports, it's risky to try and predict the future. For both Jon and Katie Ledecky, though, things seem to be trending in the right direction. And, if nothing else, a combined $334 million net worth can paper over plenty of cracks.
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