Aurora Starchild
Olivia Dunne is one of the top earners among college athletes. She has nearly 10 million followers between Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok and makes about $2 million a year. At the age of 20, that’s pretty remarkable. Here’s a look into how Dunne became such a sensation.
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Olivia Dunne Became a World Renown Gymnast as a Teen
Olivia Dunne is a New Jersey native and began her gymnastics at 3 years old. At age 11, she participated in the 2014 American Classic. That same year, she placed 33rd in the US Classic. From that point on, it was clear Dunne was a prodigy. She went on to join the National Team, often placing in the top 10 in worldwide competitions. Now, she’s on the Louisiana State University team and is part of the NCAA.
NCAA Allowed College Athletes to Monetize Social Media in 2021
Two years ago, college athletes couldn’t get social media sponsorships. The NCAA changed that rule on June 30, 2021. Now, college athletes are allowed to make money off of advertisements, promotions, autographs, and the monetization of social media. However, they still have to abide by state Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) laws.
Olivia Dunne immediately was signed onto WME Sports talent agency and promoted brand name labels like American Eagle and Vuori. Her looks, coupled with her own content creation (lip-syncing videos, personal insights, dances, etc.), quickly garnered a massive following.
Olivia Dunne Could Retire… at Age 20
The New York Times reports that some people disagree with the idea of using sex appeal to promote yourself as a college athlete. One argument for this is that it works against equity in sports because “it rewards traditional feminine desirability over athletic excellence.”
At the same time, there are plenty of famous celebrities who have chosen to move to OnlyFans — to post extremely revealing content — and claimed it was a form of empowerment.
Either way, it’s undeniable that Olivia Dunne has got it going on. The honor roll student is majoring in interdisciplinary studies and makes 7 figures a year. You can judge the means, but if the end result is $2 million a year, it’s hard to say Dunne is doing something wrong.
