Mr. Olympia 2025 concluded with Derek Lunsford becoming a two-time champion after winning in 2023, and taking home a prize money of $600,000. When compared to when it started in 1965 at the prize money of $1,000, this is phenomenal.
Mr. Olympia is the zenith of all bodybuilding championships, and includes multiple weight classes and other classes like the wheelchair class and a full set of classes for women.
But the most important and difficult class of all is the Mr. Olympia open class, and I have prepared a list of all winners of this open class from the first year, 1965, to this year, with their increasing prize money to record.
I have also included the full list of winners across all classes for this current year of 2025, as I believe they are all just as important.
Let’s look at how lifting increasingly became celebrated and supported.
Mr Olympia Winners List (1965-2025)
Let’s start with the full list of winners of the open class for the last 60 years. Including the prize money section will really put into perspective how the sport gained more recognition through the decades.
| Year | Winner | Prize Money (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1965, 1966 | Larry Scott | $1,000 |
| 1967, 1968, 1969 | Sergio Oliva | $1,000 |
| 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | $1,000, $2,500 (1975) |
| 1976 | Franco Columbu | $5,000 |
| 1977, 1978, 1979 | Frank Zane | $5,000 (1977), $15,000 (1978), $25,000 (1979) |
| 1980 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | $25,000 |
| 1981 | Franco Columbu | $25,000 |
| 1982 | Chris Dickerson | $25,000 |
| 1983 | Samir Bannout | $25,000 |
| 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 | Lee Haney | $50,000 (1984-85), $55,000 (1986-87), $100,000 (1990-91) |
| 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 | Dorian Yates | $100,000 (1992-94), $110,000 (1995-97) |
| 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 | Ronnie Coleman | $110,000 (1998-2003), $120,000 (2004), $150,000 (2005) |
| 2006, 2007 | Jay Cutler | $155,000 |
| 2008 | Dexter Jackson | $155,000 |
| 2009, 2010 | Jay Cutler | $200,000 |
| 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 | Phil Heath | $200,000 (2011), $250,000 (2012-13), $275,000 (2014), $400,000 |
| 2018 | Shawn Rhoden | $400,000 |
| 2019 | Brandon Curry | $400,000 |
| 2020, 2021 | Mamdouh Elssbiay | $400,000 |
| 2022 | Hadi Choopan | $400,000 |
| 2023 | Derek Lunsford | $400,000 |
| 2024 | Samson Dauda | $600,000 |
| 2025 | Derek Lunsford | $600,000 |
The prize money over the years really has gone from a small treat to a life-changing amount, and the recent paychecks do finally match the amount of work and time these athletes put in.
1. Derek Lunsford – 2025, 2023
Deren Lundford first won Tampa Pro in the 212 division in 2017, which led to him gaining some recognition. Then he won in the same division at the Olympia in 2021, a big gap, but leading this, he entered the Open class of the Olympia, a feat most are scared to try.
The shocking part came when he placed 2nd in 2022 behind Hadi Choopan, and then cleared all doubts by winning the championship the next year of 2023. This made him the first person to ever win both the 212 class and the Open class Olympia titles.
Losing the streak last year, he took the title again this year in 2025, making him now a two-time Mr. Olympia champion. On stage, his weight is recorded at around 225 pounds, but off-season, this is maintained at 240 pounds.
2. Samson Dauda – 2024
Samson Dauda started out playing rugby in the UK before a few friends at his gym convinced him to try bodybuilding. He finally gave it a shot in 2014 and turned out to be a natural.
By 2017, he had earned his pro card, and in 2021, he won a big show in Prague that got him to the Olympia stage. From there, he kept climbing, with sixth in 2022, third in 2023, and finally the winner in 2024.
Fans loved him that year, and he also received the People’s Champion award. Known as “The Nigerian Lion,” Samson lives up to the name. After parting ways with his coach in early 2024, his wife, Marlena, started training him, and he won Olympia just a few months later.
3. Hadi Choopan – 2022
Hadi has been at the top of bodybuilding for years. Even though he’s finished second three times in a row in 2023, 2024, and 2025, he’s still one of the most respected names in the sport.
His biggest moment came in 2022 when he won the Olympia by beating Big Ramy. He followed that up with another huge win at the 2024 Arnold Classic.
What makes him stand out is his consistency. He’s never placed lower than fourth at the Olympia and has won the People’s Champion award twice, in 2019 and 2025.
Hadi’s journey started in Iran back in 2005, where he won his first national show. In 2017, he earned his pro card by winning the Amateur Olympia, marking the start of an incredible career.
4. Mamdouh Elssbiay – 2021, 2020
Mamdouh Elssbiay, better known as Big Ramy, made history in 2020 by winning the Olympia. He was the first Egyptian and the first person from the Middle East to ever take the title.
He repeated the feat in 2021, showing the world he belonged at the top. That first win meant a lot not just for him but for people in his region.
He only started serious training around 2009 and earned his pro card by 2012, which is very fast. He went on to win the New York Pro in 2013 and 2014, the Arnold Classic Brazil in 2015, and the Arnold Classic Europe in 2017.
Before winning the Olympia, he had already finished fourth and second, so his rise was expected. In 2022, he launched his supplement brand Red Rex and appeared in Generation Iron 2, gaining wider recognition.
2025 Mr. Olympia Winners
The 2025 Open division came down to Derek Lunsford taking back what he lost the year before. Here’s how the top five shook out:
| Rank | Winner | Prize Money (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derek Lunsford | $600,000 |
| 2 | Hadi Choopan | $200,000 |
| 3 | Andrew Jacked | $100,000 |
| 4 | Samson Dauda | $40,000 |
| 5 | Martin Fitzwater | $30,000 |
Derek got his revenge after placing third in 2024. The weird thing is, it’s the same five guys from last year, just shuffled around. Shows you how tight the competition is at this level. These guys train year-round for those placements.
Mr. Olympia 2025 Other Divisions Winners
Apart from the most celebrated and known Open Division, there are ten different divisions in the Olympia championship. Let’s take a quick look at the winners of each division.
1. Mr. Olympia 2025 – 212 Division Winners
Keon Pearson won his first 212 Olympia title this year. What makes it interesting is he used to compete in Classic Physique before moving to 212. That kind of switch usually doesn’t work out, but Keon made it happen.
| Position | Competitor |
|---|---|
| 1st | Keon Pearson |
| 2nd | Shaun Clarita |
| 3rd | Lucas Garcia |
Shaun Clarita came second, which is still pretty good considering he’s won this thing twice before in 2020 and 2021. He knows how to peak for Olympia, that’s for sure.
2. Mr. Olympia 2025 Classic Physique Division Winners
Raone Dino won and became Brazil’s first Classic Physique Olympia champ. Chris Bumstead retired after winning six straight, so this was the first year in a while where someone new could win.
| Position | Competitor |
|---|---|
| 1st | Raone Dino |
| 2nd | Mike Sommerfeld |
| 3rd | Terrence Ruffin |
Terrence Ruffin has won the Arnold Classic twice in Classic Physique, so getting third at Olympia must be disappointing, but he’s still known for being in the top mix of the sport.
3. Mr. Olympia 2025 Men’s Physique Division Winners
Ryan Terry won Men’s Physique for the third time. He’d won in 2020 and 2021, then took a few years off from winning, and came back to take it again in 2025.
| Position | Competitor |
|---|---|
| 1st | Ryan Terry |
| 2nd | Ali Bal |
| 3rd | Brandon Hendrickson |
Brandon Hendrickson got third, but he’s actually tied with Ryan for most Men’s Physique Olympia wins at three each. Both of them have owned this division for years.
4. Mr. Olympia 2025 Other Division Winners List
Marine Blankiscoco won Bikini for the first time ever. It is tough and impressive both to win your first Olympia title right out of the gate. Eduardo Bazera won Wellness, keeping Brazil strong in that category.
| No. | Division | 1st Place / Gold Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pro Wheelchair | James Burger |
| 2 | Bikini | Marine Blankiscoco |
| 3 | Wellness | Eduardo Bazera |
| 4 | Figure | Ria Gail |
| 5 | Fitness | Michelle Mensah |
| 6 | Women’s Physique | Natalyia Coelloo |
| 7 | Ms. Olympia | Andrea Shaw |
Andrea Shaw just won her sixth straight Ms. Olympia. Six in a row puts her in legendary territory.
James Burger keeps winning the Pro Wheelchair division because nobody can match his upper-body development.
Natalyia Coelloo got her second Women’s Physique title after winning in 2023. Michelle Mensah won Fitness, where you’ve got to do both gymnastics routines and hit your poses. That division is brutal.
Who Has The Most Mr Olympia Titles?
Two guys are tied at the top with eight wins each. Nobody’s beaten that record yet:
| Rank | Winner | Total Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee Haney | 8 | 1984-1991 |
| 1 | Ronnie Coleman | 8 | 1998-2005 |
| 3 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | 7 | 1970-1975, 1980 |
Lee Haney won eight straight from 1984 to 1991. Then Ronnie Coleman matched him with eight straight from 1998 to 2005.
Arnold’s sitting at seven, though his comeback win in 1980 after five years of retirement is probably the wildest single victory in Olympia history. Both Lee and Ronnie never lost during their winning runs.
Contestants With The Most Consecutive Mr. Olympia Wins
Winning once is hard enough. Winning multiple years without losing separates the good champions from the absolute legends:
| Rank | Winner | Consecutive Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee Haney | 8 | 1984-1991 |
| 1 | Ronnie Coleman | 8 | 1998-2005 |
| 3 | Phil Heath | 7 | 2011-2017 |
Lee and Ronnie both had eight-year runs where nobody could touch them. Phil Heath had seven straight before Shawn Rhoden beat him in 2018.
Dorian Yates won six in a row from 1992 to 1997. Arnold had six straight from 1970 to 1975. These winning streaks are what people remember decades later.
Conclusion: Mr. Olympia 2025 Concludes With Derek Lunsford Becoming A Two Time Champion
Derek Lunsford walked away from 2025 Olympia with his second Open title and $600,000 in his pocket. He lost the crown to Samson Dauda last year, which makes this comeback even better.
Jay Cutler was the last guy to pull off this kind of revenge win back in 2009, so Derek’s in pretty rare company now. His jump from 212 champion to winning the Open twice is something nobody else has ever done.
Hadi Choopan finished second for the third year running, which has to sting. Andrew Jacked grabbed third place, proving he belongs with the best. The whole weekend saw champions crowned across eleven divisions.
Andrea Shaw grabbed her sixth straight Ms. Olympia. Raone Dino won Classic Physique after Chris Bumstead retired. Bodybuilding’s prize money has finally caught up to the work these athletes put in year-round.
Next year’s show will bring the same hungry competitors back, all trying to take Derek’s spot.
FAQs
You’ve got to win or place high at IFBB Pro shows during the season to rack up enough points. If you finished in the top five last year, you’re automatically invited back. Sometimes the IFBB hands out special invites to former champions.
Judges look at your muscle size, how balanced and symmetrical you are, how shredded your conditioning is, and how you present yourself. There’s a prejudging session where you stand next to other competitors doing mandatory poses, then finals where you do your own routine. Scores from both sessions are combined.
Back in 2012, first place in Open was $250,000. Now it’s $600,000. The total prize pool across all divisions has grown, too, and even the lower placements pay better than they used to.
Open division has the longest streaks with Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman winning eight straight each. On the women’s side, Andrea Shaw is currently on six straight Ms. Olympia wins.
Winning the Arnold gives you momentum and confidence heading into Olympia. A lot of champions use it to figure out what needs work, then they have a few months to fix the shortcomings before Mr. Olympia.
