Just found out Olympic gold medals aren't actually gold lol. Like, everyone assumes they're solid gold but they're mostly silver? The Paris 2024 medals weigh 529 grams but only 6 grams is actual gold. The rest is silver because IOC requires at least 92.5% silver in gold medals. So if you melted one down, you're looking at like $500 in gold value plus another $500 in silver. That's it - about $1,000 in raw materials.

But here's where it gets interesting - these medals sell for WAY more at auction. A low-profile athlete's medal from Paris could go for $15,000 to $30,000 right after the games. And if you're talking about legendary athletes? Simone Biles or Michael Phelps level? People would pay $100,000+ for their medals. Jesse Owens' medal from 1936 sold for nearly $1.5 million back in 2013.

The crazy part is that most top athletes never actually sell their medals anyway. But they don't need to because the prize money is insane. US wrestlers get $250,000 just for winning gold through the Living the Dream Medal Fund. Track athletes competing in Paris were getting $50,000 per event from World Athletics. Boxers could get $100,000 depending on the deal. So the medal itself matters less than you'd think - it's really about the prestige and the cash that comes with it.

Makes you wonder how much does a gold medal cost to actually produce versus what people will pay for it. The gap is wild.