Katarina Witt Net Worth

What Is Katarina Witt's Net Worth?

Katarina Witt is a German retired figure skater, model, writer, and producer who has a net worth of $9 million. Katarina Witt earned her net worth through years of figure skating competitions, her appearances on television and in films, and as the author of the 1994 autobiography "Meine Jahre zwischen Pflicht und Kür" ("My Years between Compulsories and Freestyle") and the 2005 novel "Only With Passion." Witt has won two Olympic gold medals, and she is considered to be one of the best ladies' singles figure skaters in the history of the sport. She also won several gold medals at the World Figure Skating Championships and European Figure Skating Championships before retiring from amateur skating in 1988.

Katarina came out of retirement to compete in the 1994 Winter Olympics, where she won the Goldene Kamera award. In 1989, Witt began acting with a role in the film "Carmen on Ice," which earned her a Primetime Emmy. She starred in and co-wrote the 1996 TV movie "Die Eisprinzessin" ("The Ice Princess"), and she has also appeared in the films "Jerry Maguire" (1996) and "Ronin" (1998) and the television series "Everybody Loves Raymond" (1997), "Arli$$" (1997–1998), "Nikola" (1999), "V.I.P." (2000), and "Legal Affairs" (2021). Katarina served as a co-producer and host of the 2006 German TV show "Stars auf Eis" ("Stars on Ice"), and in 2012, she was a judge on the British series "Dancing on Ice." She was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1995.

Early Life

Katarina Witt was born on December 3, 1965, in Falkensee, East Germany. She is the daughter of physiotherapist Käthe Witt and farmer Manfred Witt, and she has a brother named Axel. Katarina attended the Kinder- und Jugendsportschule, a type of school for children who are athletically gifted children, in Karl-Marx-Stadt.

Competitive Career and Olympic Dominance

Katarina Witt represented East Germany's SC Karl-Marx-Stadt club and began working with coach Jutta Müller in 1977. Training six days a week, she quickly emerged as one of the most promising skaters in Europe. She made her debut at the European Figure Skating Championships in 1979, finishing 14th, and continued to climb the international ranks over the next several seasons.

By 1981, Witt had established herself as a serious medal contender, placing first in the short program, second in the combined free skate, and third overall at the World Figure Skating Championships. She followed that breakthrough with silver medals at both the World Championships and European Championships in 1982. Her first major gold medal arrived in 1983 at the European Championships, setting the stage for a historic run.

In 1984, Witt achieved a rare trifecta, winning gold at the Winter Olympics, World Championships, and European Championships. That same year, readers of the East German newspaper "Junge Welt" voted her GDR Female Athlete of the Year. She continued her dominance throughout the decade, winning European Championship gold medals in 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1988, along with World Championship titles in 1985, 1987, and 1988. Her only major interruption came with a silver medal at the 1986 World Championships.

Witt capped her amateur career with a second Olympic gold medal at the 1988 Winter Games, becoming one of the most decorated figure skaters in history. Later that year, North Korea issued a commemorative block of postage stamps honoring her Olympic victory.

Professional Skating and Touring Years

Following her 1988 Olympic triumph, Witt retired from amateur competition and transitioned into professional skating. She toured for three years with fellow Olympic champion Brian Boitano in the show "Witt and Boitano Skating," which played to sold-out crowds, including a notable run at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

She later joined the long-running touring production "Holiday on Ice" and starred in the 1989 television film "Carmen on Ice," which blended theatrical storytelling with competitive-level skating. In 1994, Witt made a brief return to competitive skating, appearing in the German Championships, European Championships, and the Winter Olympics. Her final major skating tour took place in 2008.

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Film, Television, and Media Career

Witt expanded her public profile beyond skating with a series of acting and television appearances. In 1996, she appeared in the film "Jerry Maguire," followed by guest roles on the CBS sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" and the HBO series "Arli$$." She also had a supporting role in the 1998 action thriller "Ronin."

In Germany, she starred in the 1996 television movie "Die Eisprinzessin" ("The Ice Princess") and performed its theme song, "Skate with Me." In 2006, Witt hosted the skating competition series "Stars auf Eis," and in 2012, she served as a judge on "Dancing on Ice." She later played the lead role in the 2013 German television film "Der Feind in meinem Leben" ("The Enemy in My Life").

Cultural Impact and Public Image

In December 1998, Witt posed nude for "Playboy" magazine in a highly publicized move that marked a deliberate shift away from her long-held image as an ice princess. The issue became the second best-selling in the magazine's history. Reflecting on the decision in a 2012 interview with "The Telegraph," Witt explained that she wanted to redefine public perceptions of her identity after more than a decade as a professional skater. She emphasized that the photographs were intended to be sensual rather than provocative, noting that the response included strong interest from female readers.

Awards

Witt won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Performance in Classical Music/Dance Programming for "Carmen on Ice" in 1990 and the American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award in 1996. In 1994, she won Germany's Golden Camera award for Sports, and in 2003, she earned a German Golden Hen Award for Entertainment for "Die DDR-Show." For skating, Katarina won two Olympic gold medals, six World Figure Skating Championship medals (four gold, two silver), and seven European Figure Skating Championship medals (six gold, one silver).

Who's Richer?

Katarina
Witt

Compare!

Debi
Thomas