Figure Skater Kim Yu-Na 5th Highest Paid Female Athlete
By wchung | 22 Jun, 2026

Kim Yu-Na poses with a Samsung limited edition SCH-W770 Haptic phone which contains Yu-na ringtones and wallpapers with her images. (Photo courtesy Samsung Electronics Ltd.)

Olympic Gold Medalist Kim Yu-na ranked 5th on the annual Forbes survey of the world’s highest-paid female athletes.

Between June 2009 and June 2010 Kim earned $9.7 million from prize money, endorsements, appearance fees and a $1 million bonus from sponsor Kookmin Bank for winning a gold medal at the Vancouver Winter Oympics.

Topping the Forbes list is Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova with $24.5 million in earnings. Second and third were sisters Serena and Venus Williams who made $20.2 million and $15.4 million, respectively. Number 5 was auto racer Danica Patrick at $12 million.