Katarina Witt was born on 3 December 1965, in Staaken, (then) East Berlin, East Germany, and is a retired German figure skater, best known for winning six consecutive European Championships, four World Championships and two Olympic gold medals in the ’80s.
One of the most successful figure skaters ever, how rich is Katarina Witt today? Sources state that Witt has acquired a net worth of over $9 million, as of early 2017, earned during her skating career, as well as through her involvement in the entertainment industry.
Katarina Witt Net Worth $9 million
Witt grew up in Karl-Marx-Stadt, raised by a physiotherapist and a farmer. There she attended Karl-Marx-Stadt Sports Club and School, and began to train for skating with the famed instructor Jutta Müller when she was nine. After making her first appearance in a major international competition at the European Championships in 1979, Witt captured her first win at the East German National Championship in 1981. The following year she won silver in both the European and the World Figure Skating Championships, and went on to win her first European Championship in 1983. Paving her way to recognition and fame, Witt’s net worth was at its start.
The year 1984 saw her winning a gold medal in the 1984 Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia; her popularity greatly increased, and her wealth grew larger too. By 1988, she had won five more European Championships, tying a record of six consecutive European Championships, and in addition, she captured four World Championship titles over that period. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, which became known for her rivalry with Debi Thomas, Witt took her second Olympic gold medal, becoming the first woman to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in singles figure skating since 1936. All these triumphs boosted Witt’s fame and no doubt significantly added to her net worth, although theoretically still an amateur.
After her remarkable amateur career ended in 1988, Witt turned pro and went on a three-year tour in the US, teaming up with men’s Olympic medalists Brian Boitano in their successful show called “Witt and Boitano Skating”. Although her professional career didn’t bring Witt the success her amateur career had, as she would finish last at the Challenge of Champions and World Professional Championships, it did earn her praise as an entertainer and show skater, further improving her fortune.
In 1994 she returned to competitive skating, finishing seventh in the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway, paying a tribute to war-torn Sarajevo where she made her Olympic debut a decade earlier.
Aside from her skating career, Witt has also pursued a career in the entertainment industry. She made her film debut playing the title role in the 1990 film “Carmen on Ice”, which portrayed her second winning of Olympic gold in Calgary, and earned her an Emmy Award. In 1996 she made a cameo appearance in the film “Jerry Maguire”, and then appeared in the 1998 film “Ronin”. She also made some television appearances during this time, such as in the comedy series “Arli$$”.
Meanwhile, in 1995 she co-founded a production company called WITH WITT Sports & Entertainment GmbH.
In 1998 Witt posed nude for Playboy, being only the second Playboy issue to completely sell out. In 2005, she published her autobiography entitled “Only With Passion”.
The following year Witt started her own TV show called “Stars auf Eis” (“Stars on Ice”), airing on the German station ProSieben, in which she mentors various skating hopefuls. She also served as a judge on the UK television show “Dancing On Ice” in 2012. The following year she landed her first leading role in the television film “Der Feind in meinem Leben” (“The Enemy in my Life”), playing a figure skater who is pursued by a stalker. Her involvement in the entertainment industry has been another source of her wealth.
Witt’s career has also been known for her uneasy relationship with the East German authorities. Reportedly, the East German secret police – the Stasi – gave her favorable treatment while keeping her under close surveillance all the time.
In her private life, Witt has yet to marry, and sources don’t have any details regarding any current relationships.
