Born Gregory Efthimios Louganis on the 29th of January, 1960, of Samoan and Swedish ancestry, he is an American diver, actor and author, made famous by his outstanding career as an Olympian, winning gold medals for the springboard and platform diving categories for two consecutive Olympic Games in 1984 and 1988.
So how much is Louganis’ net worth? As of early 2016 it is reported to be $800,000, gained mostly from his careers as a diver and an actor, and the sales of his book.
Born to teenage parents in El Cajon, California, Greg was adopted at just eight months old, and raised by adoptive parents Frances and Peter Louganis in California. At an early age, he already started showing interest in various sports, including taking up dancing and gymnastics. At the age of nine, he began to learn how to dive when his family moved to a new home with a pool.
Greg Louganis Net Worth $800,000
Though he was bullied as a teen in his high school for being dyslexic, Louganis put his focus into diving. He graduated from Mission Viejo High School and in 1978 he attended University of Miami on a full diving scholarship. However, he transferred to the University of California, Irvine to be able to train with coach Ron O’Brien. He graduated with a major in drama and a minor in dance.
Louganis started building his semi-professional career at the early age of 16 – most sports were still largely amateur. Trained under Sammy Lee, he competed in the 1976 Summer Olympic in Montreal and placed second in the tower event. In 1980, though he was favored to win two golds, because of the United States boycott he was unable to compete in the Summer Olympics in Moscow that year. While waiting for the next Olympics, in 1982 he made history at the World Aquatic Championship by being the first diver to earn a perfect score of 10.
When the 1984 Summer Olympics came, Louganis not only made history once again for having a record-breaking score, but he also placed first in both 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform events. He repeated those victories in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, though one win did not come easily; during competition Louganis hit his head at the springboard causing some cuts. After receiving sutures, he came back and finished the competition.
All in all, Greg won 47 national and 13 world diving championships, and became a notable figure in his field and his net worth increased even more.
Despite his success, his name created a buzz when he admitted in 1995 that he was homosexual and is HIV-positive. Despite the issues thrown at him, he used it to inspire others which made him more well-known. He released a book entitled “Breaking the Surface”, in which he shared his life story and his journey towards his Olympic success.
After his successful career in diving, he continued to mentor other upcoming Olympians, and also began his career as a dog trainer and even co-authored a book entitled “For the Life of Your Dog”. He also appeared in various movies and television shows like “Watercolors”, “Hollywood Squares” and “Portlandia”. All these activities helped maintain his popularity and net worth.
In terms of his personal life, Louganis married partner Johnny Chaillot in 2013.
