Eileen Gu: Stanford, San Francisco, and $6.6 Million From Beijing
Eileen Gu was born in San Francisco. She grew up in San Francisco. She attends Stanford University. She is an American citizen. She competed at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics representing China.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Gu and figure skater Zhu Yi received a combined $6.6 million from Beijing in 2025 to secure their Olympic qualification and representation. Forbes estimates Gu earned $23 million in endorsements in 2025 alone, primarily from Chinese brands.
Vice President JD Vance publicly called her out on Fox News on February 17.
Vision Times: VP Vance Calls Out Eileen Gu for Competing for China
The Money
$6.6 million from the Chinese government. $23 million in Chinese endorsement deals. Gu's financial relationship with China is not a side arrangement — it is the primary driver of her career economics. She earns more from Chinese sponsors than from any American source.
The IOC allows athletes to compete for countries other than their country of birth. The rules require either citizenship in the new country or a qualifying residency period. China does not formally recognize dual citizenship. Gu has never publicly clarified her citizenship status.
The Vance Comments
Vance, speaking on Fox News during the Milan Olympics, criticized Gu for choosing to represent China over the United States. The comments came during a broader political discussion about Chinese influence and the loyalty of American citizens who accept money from Beijing.
The criticism is not new. Gu faced the same questions at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Her answer then: "I am American when I am in the US and Chinese when I am in China." This answer satisfied no one and pleased both markets simultaneously, which may have been the point.
The Performance
At Milan, Gu won two silver medals but failed to defend her 2022 gold in Big Air. She remains one of the most accomplished freestyle skiers in history. Her athletic talent is not in question.
What is in question is whether an American citizen accepting millions from a foreign government to represent that government on the world stage is something the United States should accept without comment.
The Broader Issue
Gu is not the only athlete who has switched national allegiance for financial reasons. But she is the most prominent, the most lucrative, and the most politically charged. A San Francisco native representing China at the Olympics while tensions between Washington and Beijing escalate over tariffs, Taiwan, AI, and nuclear proliferation is not just a sports story. It is a political one.
$6.6 million bought Beijing a gold medalist born and raised in the country it is competing against. That transaction tells you everything about how the Olympics work and nothing about how they are supposed to.
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