LSU Star Gymnast Olivia Dunne Gives Financial Advice to College Athletes: 'Spend Like a Normal College Kid'
At just 20 years old, LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne—or "Livvy" as she's known to her 11 million social media followers—has already earned herself a reputation that precedes her impressive athletic career. By the end of her sophomore year, Dunne had racked up seven figures in name, image, and likeness (NIL) endorsement deals, making her the highest-paid female college athlete.
In addition to appearing on the cover of this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, Dunne has collected paychecks from brands including Vuori, American Eagle, and Plantfuel. But because the NCAA only enacted the NIL policy two years ago and is relatively new territory for college athletes, the already savvy young businesswoman recently imparted financial advice to her peers in a conversation with The Street.
"I would say first and foremost, find a really good agent. That was the first thing I did," Dunne explained. "And just take your time. Don't rush into anything. Don't be in a rush to make a lot of money. Take your time because it'll come. NIL is such an unprecedented area. At first, when it changed, nobody knew really what was going on. I didn't. LSU didn't, and other universities didn't, and the brands didn't know either. So, to just take your time and the money will be there."
Dunne also shared some wisdom for those who might be tempted to blow through their windfall or fall in with bad actors.
"Surround yourself with trustworthy people. That's what I would say," she continued. "I have my family, my coaches, my team, very trustworthy people. Make sure there's people that aren't going to use you for that money. For other athletes, especially, that are in college, I would say spend your money like a college student, put all that money away, invest it, and just spend it like a normal college kid."
It seems safe to say that the self-described Jersey girl has got a pretty good head on her shoulders.
