Seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger has once again raised the prize money for his famed bodybuilding contest, the Arnold Classic.
On May 15, 2025, Schwarzenegger announced that the Men’s Open champion of the 2026 Arnold Classic will receive $750,000, the biggest purse in bodybuilding history.
You can see the announcement in the Instagram post below:
“The Arnold Classic is raising the bar. I’m raising the prize money again because our athletes deserve it,” Schwarzenegger said.
Schwarzenegger revealed that the total purse for the contest in Columbus, OH, will be $1.5 million across all categories in recognition of 2026 being his 50th anniversary as a promoter.
Nice Work If You Can Get It
This has been the most profitable decade in professional bodybuilding history for the sport’s top stars. This is the fourth time Schwarzenegger raised the Arnold Classic prize money since 2020. It was $130,000, up to $200,000, then $300,000 in 2023, and bumped to $500,000 in 2025.
The Olympia Weekend promoters raised the Olympia prize money for its Men’s Open champion from $400,000 to $600,000 in 2024. They awarded over $2 million across all 11 pro divisions.
This is the latest step in what many fans feel is a race to the first $1 million contest in bodybuilding history.
The 2025 Olympia is set for Oct. 9-12 in Las Vegas, NV. The winner of the Sandow Trophy is expected to receive at least the same as in the 2024 contest, but the formal announcement has not been made yet.
A third contest had recently joined the six-figure club in 2025 as the Pittsburgh Pro gave $100,000 to its 2025 champion, Derek Lunsford. He also took home a $500,000 payday for winning the 2025 Arnold Classic.
BarBend has received word of the rewards for other placings in 2026 contests.
Furthermore, the Classic Physique champion of the 2026 Arnold Classic will receive $100,000, which is another record for the division.
BarBend can confirm that the top three finishers at the 2026 Arnold Classic UK Men’s Open show will receive increased prize purses as well.
The 2026 Arnold Classic will be held in Columbus, OH, on March 2-6, and the UK event is slated for March 27-29 in Birmingham, England.
If a Men’s Open competitor wins both titles, he would take home $1 million in less than a month. To date, no athlete in bodybuilding history has made that amount in a single season.
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Featured image: @Schwarzenegger on Instagram
