Bloomberg 50

Eileen Gu, the Freestyle Skiing Record Breaker

At February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing, she became the first athlete to medal in three freestyle skiing disciplines at a single games, doing so while sparking geopolitical debate as a US-born athlete competing for China.

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Ellen Huet

December 14, 2022 at 10:52 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

This article is part of the December 26, 2022 issue of businessweek.

At 15, Eileen Gu decided to compete for her mother’s native country despite being born and raised in America. The decision made her a marketable spokeswoman for global brands doing business in China, including Estée Lauder, Tiffany & Co., Victoria’s Secret and Louis Vuitton. Analysts estimate that her endorsements are worth $10 million to $30 million.

Gu’s wins—two gold medals, one silver—earned her millions of fans in China, where she was the face of its push to inspire winter sports before the Olympics. She was celebrated as a national hero there, even as Americans derided her on social media as a traitor who sold out to a regime with a questionable record on human rights. Then, this summer, Gu said she’ll be an ambassador for Salt Lake City’s bid for a 2030 or 2034 Olympics, leaving some of her Chinese fans feeling betrayed. Given her fame, it’s easy to forget she’s still a teen. This fall she started at Stanford University.