2025 Arnold Classic - $500,000 prize money

[Ron]

2024 Arnold Classic Prize Money of $300,000 went to Hadi Choopan for the win on Men's Open Bodybuilding.  But Arnold announced that next year, the prize money will go up to $500,000 to the winner!

That is quite a big incentive for the top pros to be asked to be invited!

By the way, the finals were sold out, packed in the venue last night!

[Matt]

That was interesting how he said he is no longer obliged to be the #2 paying show.

I assume meant MORALLY obliged. Joe Weider helped make Arnold who he is, and I always felt he kept the prize money just below the Olympia out of respect to Joe.

But Jake Wood now owns the Mr. Olympia promotion, and Arnold has no loyalty to him.

Is that what Arnold meant by "obliged", or was Arnold under some IFBB rulebook stipulation to have lower prize money than the Olympia?

[Matt]

I'm surprised no one has commented on this.

Good for Arnold. $500K is a lot of cash. If top bodybuilders smartly invest their cash, they could set themselves up for life. I feel that very few of them do this.

[joswift]

Every qualified competitor should get $20k expenses.

[Wiggs]

That was interesting how he said he is no longer obliged to be the #2 paying show.

I assume meant MORALLY obliged. Joe Weider helped make Arnold who he is, and I always felt he kept the prize money just below the Olympia out of respect to Joe.

But Jake Wood now owns the Mr. Olympia promotion, and Arnold has no loyalty to him.

Is that what Arnold meant by "obliged", or was Arnold under some IFBB rulebook stipulation to have lower prize money than the Olympia?

Hey Matt, do you think Arnold is making a move to make his show the premier show?

[webstar]

I'm surprised no one has commented on this.

Good for Arnold. $500K is a lot of cash. If top bodybuilders smartly invest their cash, they could set themselves up for life. I feel that very few of them do this.

Just eat subway sandwiches right?

[balzac]

syringes already loaded...

[Coach is Back!]

2024 Arnold Classic Prize Money of $300,000 went to Hadi Choopan for the win on Men's Open Bodybuilding.  But Arnold announced that next year, the prize money will go up to $500,000 to the winner!

That is quite a big incentive for the top pros to be asked to be invited!

By the way, the finals were sold out, packed in the venue last night!

But nothing more for the other classes.

[webstar]

But nothing more for the other classes.

Good, aside from classic no one else deserves any.

Maybe women’s fitness because of the routines etc.

Men’s bikini should get half since legs aren’t judged.

[Coach is Back!]

Good, aside from classic no one else deserves any.

Maybe women’s fitness because of the routines etc.

Men’s bikini should get half since legs aren’t judged.

Classic and 212 do deserve more.

[joswift]

$100 million each for a joke fight

[Wiggs]

As Matt was saying, there was an agreement between Joe and Arnold that the Arnold prize money could never be more than the O. So that'd when Arnold started adding Hummers and watches. Joe's been gone for while and he just made a bold move. Jake Wood has no choice but to match or exceed it some way or it looks bad.  Many say the Arnold experience is better. That's been said for years.  It should be interesting. He needs to throw some of those stacks to Classic Physique.  Put them at 250k 1st place. 

[jude2]

Every qualified competitor should get $20k expenses.

This would help a great deal.

[Matt]

Every qualified competitor should get $20k expenses.

You'd think something so that at the very LEAST - no IFBB open bodybuilding pro Arnold Classic competitor should be PAYING to compete.

Milos Sarcev talked about that in 2002 at the Olympia press conference. Go to around 4:45:00, and he talks about that:

^ There are some interesting comments at 4:43:00, or even starting at 4:41:00 or somewhere around there. It's funny when Kevin Levrone walks in late, and Wayne Demilia gave him shit. 😂

$20,000 would presumably be enough to not only cover expenses [hotel, flight,...], but also the cost of their gear, food, etc.

But for whatever reason, bodybuilding contests prefer the "Winner Take All" style, where the winner is paid overwhelmingly compared to his peers [possibly close to all of them combined].

To be fair, most human activity - and even activity in the animal kingdom - are Winner Take All games.

Almost everything takes this form. On Tinder, 20% of the men get 78% of the opportunities for dates. Heck, something like 90% of the rivers get 10% of the water.

It's just the way it goes.

But back in the day, both Melvin Anthony and Bill Wilmore both said they didn't want to compete in the Mr. Olympia, essentially because of the cost. At the 2004 Ironman Pro, Rusty Jeffers said "I would compete more if I could afford it."

I get the feast and famine disparity between the amateurs and pros in American baseball - but it's sad that even IFBB pro bodybuilding is a sort or poverty pro league. But...niche industry = niche money.

[Matt]

Hey Matt, do you think Arnold is making a move to make his show the premier show?

Hi Wiggs!

IMO - yes! Seems like it, no?

I feel Arnold had loyalty to Joe Weider for all those years/decades because Joe brought him to the USA, and essentially made him who he was. So he decided [by his own choice, I would think] to purposely keep the Arnold Classic prize money second only to the Mr. Olympia prize money.

I often hear about loyalty. I think it's a bit bullshit though, as a concept.

People are loyal until they find something better. Sure, if the other option is only 5% better, but requires giving up something or someone [job or relationship] that you have established trust going back years/decades, you might not take that better option.

But what about 10% better? 20%? 50%?

So my view would be:
If Arnold pays a full/whopping $100K - 25% - more than the Olympia, that will [pretty much immediately] result in the Arnold having the highest quality / top bodybuilding physiques.

The bottom line is...the bottom line, after all.

Consider how many Mr. Olympia winners only competed at the Olympia itself. Well - would they rather do one contest for $400K...or one contest for $500K?

And with some supplement companies matching prize money in their contracts, that's the difference between earning $800K at the Olympia compared to $1M at the Arnold.

Now...granted...the Olympia still has the NAME, and the HISTORY...and that will still make up for some quantity of money. But like I said - loyalty [things like tradition/history] have limits. For an extra $100K, I would think the Arnold Classic will, almost immediately, be the contest that produces the best physiques.

I think this is happening because Arnold likely is aware he is in his twilight years, and is doing it for legacy. He also no longer needs to be loyal to Joe Weider.

I'll admit - I was excited and happy to hear the news, so maybe that has made me assess it irrationally. 

What do you think, Wiggs? Do you think I'm way off here? Do you think I'm overlooking any aspect of this?

[joswift]

You'd think something so that at the very LEAST - no IFBB open bodybuilding pro Arnold Classic competitor should be PAYING to compete.

Milos Sarcev talked about that in 2002 at the Olympia press conference. Go to around 4:45:00, and he talks about that:

^ There are some interesting comments at 4:43:00, or even starting at 4:41:00 or somewhere around there. It's funny when Kevin Levrone walks in late, and Wayne Demilia gave him shit. 😂

$20,000 would presumably be enough to not only cover expenses [hotel, flight,...], but also the cost of their gear, food, etc.

But for whatever reason, bodybuilding contests prefer the "Winner Take All" style, where the winner is paid overwhelmingly compared to his peers [possibly close to all of them combined].

To be fair, most human activity - and even activity in the animal kingdom - are Winner Take All games.

Almost everything takes this form. On Tinder, 20% of the men get 78% of the opportunities for dates. Heck, something like 90% of the rivers get 10% of the water.

It's just the way it goes.

But back in the day, both Melvin Anthony and Bill Wilmore both said they didn't want to compete in the Mr. Olympia, essentially because of the cost. At the 2004 Ironman Pro, Rusty Jeffers said "I would compete more if I could afford it."

I get the feast and famine disparity between the amateurs and pros in American baseball - but it's sad that even IFBB pro bodybuilding is a sort or poverty pro league. But...niche industry = niche money.

its called the Pareto principle

[Matt]

Just eat subway sandwiches right?

Yes! Lol. Well...*also* eat Subway sandwiches. 

For me, I always under-eat. So for me to be 170-lb on around 1,000 calories daily is not uncommon.

So...a couple of Subway footlong subs and a couple of Top Sirloin steaks each week...that's a big boost of calories.

Add minimal gear, and I can go from 170 to 200 and back again within the span of 12-16 weeks.

That said, my Ideal weight would be about 185...though I hate that it may cost me some strength.

I'm hoping to pull 565 @185...but...that may be a stretch to do that.

[Gym Rat]

Hadi's cash conversion:

[Wiggs]

You'd think something so that at the very LEAST - no IFBB open bodybuilding pro Arnold Classic competitor should be PAYING to compete.

Milos Sarcev talked about that in 2002 at the Olympia press conference. Go to around 4:45:00, and he talks about that:

^ There are some interesting comments at 4:43:00, or even starting at 4:41:00 or somewhere around there. It's funny when Kevin Levrone walks in late, and Wayne Demilia gave him shit. 😂

$20,000 would presumably be enough to not only cover expenses [hotel, flight,...], but also the cost of their gear, food, etc.

But for whatever reason, bodybuilding contests prefer the "Winner Take All" style, where the winner is paid overwhelmingly compared to his peers [possibly close to all of them combined].

To be fair, most human activity - and even activity in the animal kingdom - are Winner Take All games.

Almost everything takes this form. On Tinder, 20% of the men get 78% of the opportunities for dates. Heck, something like 90% of the rivers get 10% of the water.

It's just the way it goes.

But back in the day, both Melvin Anthony and Bill Wilmore both said they didn't want to compete in the Mr. Olympia, essentially because of the cost. At the 2004 Ironman Pro, Rusty Jeffers said "I would compete more if I could afford it."

I get the feast and famine disparity between the amateurs and pros in American baseball - but it's sad that even IFBB pro bodybuilding is a sort or poverty pro league. But...niche industry = niche money.

Yes Matt,  I think that's exactly what he's doing. And I think it's hostile.

[oldschoolfan]

500 k- half of that goes to taxes plus they have to pay there guru- i would say end up with about 150k after all said and done maybe slightly higher

[oldtimer1]

I'm surprised no one has commented on this.

Good for Arnold. $500K is a lot of cash. If top bodybuilders smartly invest their cash, they could set themselves up for life. I feel that very few of them do this.

Set them self up for life? You have cops, plumbers, electricians and the rest make that around 4 years. I don't see them as set for life.

[Griffith]

Wonder what the average expenses are for the drugs, supplements and food?

[brooklyn]

500k !!! 
I like to invite this Celebrity couple for this mega event (Arnold Classic). 

https://x.com/PopCulture2000s/status/1886192717056651457

[BayGBM]

I'm surprised no one has commented on this.

Good for Arnold. $500K is a lot of cash. If top bodybuilders smartly invest their cash, they could set themselves up for life. I feel that very few of them do this.

Um, no. $500k is not enough to set you up for life… least of all a BB who knows more about dumbbells and cycles than investing.  Taxes alone could cut that in half.  How much do they spend on coaches?  Supplements?   In many cities like LA or San Diego $500k is a down payment on a house.

[Griffith]

Um, no. $500k is not enough to set you up for life… least of all a BB who knows more about dumbbells and cycles than investing.  Taxes alone could cut that in half.  How much do they spend on coaches?  Supplements?   In many cities like LA or San Diego $500k is a down payment on a house.

Add in the costs of all the drugs, food, and the people they hire and there's probably not much left.