Olympic champion Ryan Lochte announced he is auctioning off three of his gold medals because of financial issues.
The swimmer won those gold medals in three different games: 2004, 2008, and 2016. Bidding for each of the medals started at $20,000.
According to reports, Lochte and his estranged wife, Kayla Lochte, were sued in Florida over alleged unpaid fees related to their former $660,000 home.
Reports surfaced claiming Lochte owed more than $270,000 to various lenders, including medical facilities and the Internal Revenue Service.
On December 10, 2025, Lochte stood next to an employee of Goldin Auction House in an Instagram video, announcing that three of his six career gold medals would be available to purchase.
“JUST CONSIGNED TO OUR DECEMBER ELITE,” the caption of the post says. “Three Gold Medals marking @RyanLochte’s rise through Olympic history. Each medal tells a story of dominance, teamwork, and history.”
The auction has already begun.
Lochte also announced he will be writing a memoir.
Here is what he posted about that on social media:
I am so excited to announce that I have decided to write a book! After lots of healing and growing, I finally have the confidence I lost so long ago to give you a real look inside what it was like being Ryan Lochte. I went from a single guy who only cared about surfing and hanging out with friends—who had barely kissed a girl until I was in college—to becoming one of the world’s most eligible bachelors. The parties, the glam, the celebrities—the life most people couldn’t fathom. I was on top of the world. And in an instant, I became the most hated person in the world.
After the Rio scandal, I found myself at my lowest point, with a son on the way with someone I barely knew, who constantly reminded me that he would be forever disappointed in the father I had become. Someone who told me I wasn’t strong enough, man enough… just not enough. I couldn’t believe what my life had become. I really couldn’t. I was depressed to my core, turning to alcohol, drugs, and sleep. Oh, the amount of sleep. Every day, I woke up to be belittled and reminded of my constant failures, day in and day out, until I was eventually kicked out of our family home.
The only thing I ever wanted was a family and to become a father, only to have failed at that as well. I have finally found my voice and the confidence I thought was gone forever. The life that had been completely drained from me is finally being restored. I am now surrounded by positive influences that inspire me every day, including my mom, who is finally getting to know my children after being out of my life for too long. I’m embracing the life that God intended for me, and I’m more determined than ever not to let anyone down. My kids see a dad they never knew, and I’m finally living the life I always imagined as a kid.
God has given me a new purpose, and I’m not going to let you or anyone in my life down ever again. Thank you to my fans, and thank you to those who never doubted me, even when I could barely look at myself in the mirror. I am forever grateful, and you deserve to know the real Ryan Lochte. I cannot wait to share this all with you soon. #Book #therealryanlochte #imback
