What is Brian Boitano's Net Worth?
Brian Boitano is an American figure skater with a net worth of $8 million. He is a celebrated Olympic, World, and U.S. National Champion. Boitano made history as the first American to land the triple axel in 1982, and he introduced his signature jump, the Tano triple lutz, in 1987.
Early Life
Brian Boitano was born on October 22, 1963, in Mountain View, California. Of Italian American descent, he attended Marian A. Peterson High School in Sunnyvale, California. Boitano started skating young, showing early promise by winning a bronze medal at the 1978 World Junior Figure Skating Championships at the age of 14. Over the years, his exceptional jumping ability helped push the boundaries of men's figure skating, culminating in him becoming the first American to land a triple axel jump in 1982.
Career
By 1983, Boitano was making waves in the World Championships, becoming the first skater to land all six of his triple jumps in competition. He placed second at the 1984 United States Figure Skating Championships, securing a spot at the Winter Olympics that year, where he finished fifth.
Undeterred by the Olympics results, Boitano set his sights on the 1988 Olympics, spurred by the retirement of skating icon Scott Hamilton. In 1985, he claimed victory at the United States Figure Skating Championships and placed third at the World Championships. Despite an ankle tendon injury, he won the 1986 U.S. Championships and introduced new elements to his routine, including the 'Tano triple lutz and a quadruple toe loop. Though he struggled with the quad jump, falling at the 1987 World Championships to place second, Boitano focused on refining his artistry with choreographer Sandra Bezic ahead of the 1987-88 Olympic season.
Bezic's efforts paid off as Boitano's refined programs, set to the film score for "Napoleon" and the ballet "Les Patineurs," received standing ovations at Skate Canada in 1987. Though he placed second to Brian Orser, Boitano felt ready for the 1988 Olympics, entering as the American national champion.
Dubbed the "Battle of the Brians," the 1988 Winter Olympics saw Boitano and Orser neck-and-neck until Boitano's flawless free skate clinched him the gold medal. Transitioning to a professional career, Boitano won ten straight competitions, including five consecutive World Professional Championships and an Emmy-winning performance in "Carmen on Ice." He briefly returned to amateur status for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway, finishing sixth due to a missed triple Axel in the short program before rejoining the professional ranks and earning induction into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame and the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1996.
Outside skating, Boitano became a semi-recurring character on "South Park" in 1999, inspiring the Food Network series "What Would Brian Boitano Make?" in 2009, where he showcased his cooking skills for friends.
Personal Life
In December 2013, Brian Boitano publicly came out as gay upon being named to the United States delegation for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The announcement was partly motivated by the anti-gay propaganda law enacted in Russia in June, prompting Boitano to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. He revealed that prior to this, he had never planned to come out publicly.
