Olivia Dunne tops a Forbes list as result of NIL fortune
BATON ROUGE, La. (BVM) 鈥� LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne made it onto the prestigious Top Creators 2023 list by 鈥� which features 鈥渟ocial media stars who turned followers into fortunes.鈥澨�
Dunne ranks No. 48 out of 50 thanks to her $2.3 million NIL earnings,听as well as her 12 million social media followers, high engagement rates and entrepreneurial activities.听
The 20-year-old is the only college athlete to make Forbes鈥� creators list. The only other current athletes to make the list are professional boxer Jake Paul, professional wrestler Logan Paul and boxer Olajide Olatunji (KSI).听听
For Dunne, topping the list was only possible thanks to the NCAA鈥檚 NIL rule change in 2021 鈥� which now allows college athletes to cash in on their name, image and likeness.听
NIL earnings: Dunne has a projected annual valuation of $3.2 million, according to . Dunne earned $2.3 million between June 2022 to June 2023, according to Forbes. The majority of that money comes from her brand deals. Her seven-figure income allows her to buy 听
Social media following: Dunne is the most-followed female athlete in college sports. She has 12 million social media followers across and , which has opened the door for her to book lucrative NIL deals. on social media 鈥� no matter how 鈥渃ringy鈥� it felt 鈥� was the key to her NIL success. Now, she鈥檚 making as much as for a single social media post.听
Engagement rates: Dunne has high engagement rates on social media. She receives over half a million likes on an average post. Her can receive 10 million views or more. Even an she posts can be seen by countless users.听
Entrepreneurial activities: Dunne is the highest-paid female athlete in college sports. She refers to herself as a businesswoman and is careful to not box herself in as just a TikTok star or Instagram model. Her countless include partnerships with clothing brands such as Vuori, American Eagle and Forever 21. She sees every opportunity in fashion and fitness to grow her 鈥淟ivvy brand鈥� as she calls it.听
Overall, Dunne is setting an example of how college athletes can cash in if they focus on social media.听听听
When Dunne was asked by how much sports is a part of her brand, she responded, 鈥淚 would say it鈥檚 50 percent right now.鈥�
