What is Nathan Chen's Net Worth?
Nathan Chen, an extraordinary figure skater, boasts a net worth of $4 million. Known as the "Quad King," Chen has made a significant mark in his sport, winning multiple US and World Championships. His crowning achievement came at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where he secured a gold medal in the men's singles competition. Chen is celebrated for being the first skater to land five distinct types of quadruple jumps in competition.
Early Life and Education
Nathan Chen was born on May 5, 1999, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Chinese immigrant parents, Hetty and Zhidong. He has an older sister, Janice, who co-founded Mammoth Biosciences. Chen attended West High School in Utah and Rim of the World High School in California, graduating from California Connections Academy. Besides figure skating, he trained in ballet and participated in gymnastics competitions. Pursuing higher education, he enrolled at Yale University, majoring in data science and statistics.
Career Beginnings
Chen's journey in figure skating began in 2003, with notable achievements following shortly. From competing in the US Junior Nationals between 2007 and 2009, where he placed 10th and 3rd in juveniles, Chen advanced swiftly. By 2009, he had secured a silver medal at the intermediate level and the next year became the youngest novice champion in US history. His success continued as he progressed to the junior level, winning titles at the US Championships and multiple ISU Junior Grand Prix titles.
Senior Career, 2014-2019
In 2014, Nathan Chen debuted at the senior level, quickly making a name for himself. He won the Pacific Sectional Championships, and by 2016, he had become a trailblazer by landing quadruple jumps in both short and long programs at the US Championships. Despite an injury requiring surgery, Chen secured gold at the CS Finlandia Trophy and silver at the Grand Prix Final the same year. In 2017, his victories included the US title, Four Continents Championships, CS US International Figure Skating Classic, and two Grand Prix titles. The momentum continued into 2018 with another US title.
(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Chen made history at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, becoming the first to land a quad flip in Olympic history. Although he won bronze in the team event, he finished fifth in the men's singles. Resilient, he won the World Championships the following month and clinched his fifth consecutive Grand Prix title and second Grand Prix Final title. In 2019, he secured his third consecutive US title and second consecutive World title, ending the season with another Grand Prix Final victory.
Senior Career, 2020-2022
In 2020, Chen won his fourth consecutive US title. Although the World Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he returned in 2021 to make history with his fifth straight US title and third straight World title. His winning streak continued in 2022 with a sixth US title. At the Beijing Winter Olympics, he led Team USA to a silver medal in the team event and won gold in the men's singles. Setting a world record with a short program score of 113.97 and an Olympic record with a free skate score of 218.63, Chen's total of 332.60 was unmatched.
Records and Achievements
Nathan Chen is widely regarded as one of the greatest figure skaters in history due to his numerous records. He is the first to land five different quadruple jumps in competition and seven clean quads in a single competition, achieved at the 2019 Grand Prix Final. Chen is also the first Asian-American male to win an Olympic gold in men's singles and holds the highest scores in short program, free skate, and combined totals in both international and Olympic history.
Honors
Beyond his medals, Chen has received numerous honors, including the Athlete Alumni Ambassador Award, Ron and Gayle Hershberger Award, Michael Weiss Foundation Scholarships, and Gustave Lussi Awards. In 2020, Forbes named him on their "30 Under 30 Sports List."
