Eileen Gu [Complete Biography]

When it comes to women’s skiing - there is hardly anyone better than Eileen Gu. She is extremely young, but very talented.

There are many women’s skiers - but few true greats - and Eileen definitely qualifies as one of the best. We did a deep dive into her career and accomplishments, so read on, if you want to know all there is to know about this wunderkind.

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Who Is Eileen Gu?

Eileen Gu may be an unfamiliar name to some, but she has proven herself as an Olympic gold medal winner. She’s also a model, has a large social media presence, and is sponsored by numerous companies.

In terms of skiing, Gu competes in slopestyle, big air, and halfpipe. There is also some controversy surrounding her, as she was born in America, but competes for China.

Gu has also modeled for various companies. In fact, she has even been sponsored by Victoria’s Secret.

While Gu has won more Olympic bids than almost anyone of her age, she has regularly been involved in controversy, as well. The Associated Press has covered her issues, include the athlete representative controversy at the Olympic games (also known as the Beijing Games, or the Beijing Winter Olympics).

While some call her appearances a ‘beautiful example of globalism’, others look at China’s Eileen Gu differently. Since Chinese social media is highly censored by the communist party, Olympians in the winter games there (including skiing and snowboarding) are not always represented accurately.

With winter sports being newer additions to the Olympics (especially snowboarding), skier Eileen Gu is taking a somewhat risky position, especially for such a young athlete. Xi Jinping is the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, and he controls a lot of things - including the ability for some Chinese athletes to speak.

Controversy arose again, when freeskier Gu decided to go for a bid in the Salt Lake City games, no doubt aiming for the freeski halfpipe event. This did not sit well with China’s prime minister.

What Ethnicity Is Eileen Gu?

Eileen Gu has tried to stay neutral, claiming “I’m Chinese when I’m in China. When I’m in the US, I’m American”. It is a bit of a tricky issue, since Gu was born in the US, but routinely competes for China.

Gu has a Chinese mother, but as we mentioned, was 100% born in the USA. This makes her identity slightly confusing, at least for some.

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Is Eileen Gu White?

Gu has described herself as a “mixed kid”. Undoubtedly, this means that she identifies as both Chinese and American.

This would be accurate, since her mother is Chinese, but her father is American. We suggest everyone focus less on her race and ethnicity, and more on her accomplishments.

Gu has a tremendous academic background, scoring an almost perfect score on her SAT (achieving a 1580 out of 1600). She also was admitted into Stanford University, while simultaneously winning gold in the Olympics.

How Old Is Eileen Gu?

Gu is currently 18 years old. She was born on September 3rd, 2003.

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Who Is Eileen Gu's Mother?

Gu’s mother is a first-generation Chinese immigrant. Her mother’s name is Yan Gu, and she attended Stanford University, raising Eileen in San Francisco.

Yan says she “accidentally raised a pro skier”. Eileen often does not speak about her father, as she was raised by only her mother.

What Is Eileen Gu's Occupation?

Eileen Gu is a professional skier, and she is set to start classes at Stanford University in the fall of 2022. She has won gold in the Olympics for China, but she was actually born in the United States.

She became the youngest Olympic champion in freestyle skiing, winning gold in the Olympics in 2022 - in big air, halfpipe, and a silver in slopestyle. At this event, she also became the first freestyle skier in history to win three different medals at just one Olympics.

She also courted severe controversy, by switching from Team USA to China. Time Magazine also named her as one of the most influential people in the world, in 2022.

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How Many Siblings Does Eileen Gu Have?

Eileen Gu has no known siblings. She is close with other skiers, Chloe Kim being the most well known.

Does Eileen Gu Speak Mandarin?

Eileen speaks both Mandarin and English. She also has a very impressive academic record, being admitted to Stanford University, and scoring an almost perfect score on her SAT.

She is also a successful model. Gu also has a large social media presence, with over 1.5 million followers on Instagram.

Is Eileen Gu Rich?

Eileen Gu has won multiple medals in the Olympics, and has over 1.5 million followers on Instagram. While we can’t be absolutely sure, multiple sources put her net worth at over $30 million dollars.

She was also admitted to Stanford University, starting classes in the fall of 2022. Even if Gu stops skiing, with her large social media presence, she is very likely to continue to accrue large amounts of capital.

What Is Eileen Gu’s Salary?

Gu has earned her money largely from endorsements. With an estimated net worth of over $20 million, this has been very lucrative.

Over 23 brands sponsor Gu, and she is one of the highest earning female athletes in the world. For an 18 year old, this is quite an accomplishment.

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Why Brands Absolutely Love Eileen Gu

Gu has made money not just from sports sponsorships - but also from modeling. She has a classic fashion physique and face, and also has a large social media following.

Since she claims a dual ethnicity of American and Chinese, she also appeals to a wide range of demographics. Even though she was born and raised in San Francisco, she also speaks the language of China fluently - which is Mandarin.

She has over 1.5 million followers on Instagram. Additionally, she has over 5 million followers on Chinese microblogging service, Weibo.

Where Does Eileen Gu Live?

Eileen Gu represents China for the Olympics. However, there was some controversy around this.

She was born in the United States, which makes her competing for China a bit puzzling. Additionally, she lives in San Francisco, specifically in the Sea Cliff neighborhood - making it even stranger that she would choose to represent China for the Olympics.

Eileen Gu’s Career Accomplishments

Despite only being 18 years old, Eileen Gu has a truly staggering list of accomplishments. She is the face of over 20 national and international brands in China.

Multiple sources have pegged her fee for a single endorsement at over $2 million dollars. This is a truly staggering amount of money, especially for an 18 year old.

Besides her Olympic medals, Gu is also represented by IMG Models, which is one of the top agencies in the world. She has also appeared on the covers of many magazines, like Elle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, V, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar.

Sometimes these covers were in China only, but she also has a large media presence in the United States. She has been featured in advertising campaigns for huge brands like Louis Vuitton, IWC Schaffhausen, Gucci, Fendi, and Tiffany.

Red Bull also sponsors Gu, and she is also a member of Victoria’s Secret’s VS Collective. Gu was featured on the Chinese Forbes top 30 list for those under 30, as well.

Eileen Gu’s Citizenship And Nationality

Gu has courted controversy in terms of her nationality and citizenship. She competed for the United States in 2018 and 2019, but then started competing for China a short time later.

She was born in the United States, but Gu’s mother is of Chinese origin. That’s why she seems comfortable competing for China, but it remains a controversial decision for both nations.

Gu has also avoided disclosing what her citizenship status is. This is not required, but it is a little curious.

Essentially, Gu would have had to have permanent resident status in China, or been naturalized, in order to compete for China’s Olympic team. This makes her citizenship status even more interesting, since China does not recognize dual citizenship - yet Gu continues to live in the United States.

The Olympic committee confirmed that they had seen a copy of Gu’s Chinese passport, which allowed her to compete for the country in the Olympics. To date, there has been no evidence that she has given up her American citizenship.

Eileen Gu Parents

Eileen Gu’s parents are of both Chinese and American origin. Her mother immigrated from China, while her father is an American.

They are both of extraordinary intelligence, excelling at universities like Harvard and Stanford. This helps to explain Eileen Gu’s superb intelligence, as she scored a near-perfect score on her SAT.

Eileen Gu Model

Eileen Gu has also established herself as a successful model, outside of the sports world. She has represented brands like Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Gucci, and many others.

All in all, she has represented over 23 brands. As her celebrity continues to rise, there is no doubt she will continue to have success as a model, an influencer, and an athlete.

Eileen Gu Father

Eileen Gu's father is a little bit of a question mark. She was raised by only her mother, but there is speculation that her father is an accomplished Harvard graduate.

Unfortunately, not much is known about her father. She also does not make a habit of speaking about him publicly, so he continues to be a question mark, in terms of public knowledge.

Ailing Gu

Eileen Gu may be her name in North America, but in China she goes by Ailing Gu. Believe it or not, Gu is actually more of a celebrity in China - with over 5 million social media followers, compared to just 1.5 million in the United States.

Eileen Gu Height

Eileen Gu has been reported to be 5’ 9”. Her longer legs likely give her a slight advantage on the slopes.

It’s also likely that her larger frame helps in procuring modeling gigs. This is because she fits the classic ‘model physique’ - which has traditionally dominated both fashion magazines and runways.

Eileen Gu Citizenship

Eileen Gu has refused to disclose her citizenship status. Both China and the United States have remained somewhat hushed about this issue, as well.

Undoubtedly, Gu started out as an American citizen, as she was born in the United States. However, her Chinese status remains a mystery, despite competing in the Olympics for China in 2022.

Eileen Gu Family

Eileen Gu has no known brothers or sisters. Her mother was an immigrant from China, who attended Stanford University, and raised Eileen by herself.

Her father is a little more of a mystery. It’s speculated that he went to Harvard University, but not much is known about him, at least in the public sphere.

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10 Products Eileen Gu (Probably) Loves

1. Sugar Free Red Bull Energy Drink

Red Bull is one of Eileen Gu's (many) sponsors. This sugar free version gives you all of the caffeine and B12 - without any of the fattening sugar.

We love downing these after a rough night, or when we need a little boost. We're clearly not alone - they're backed by a ton of stellar reviews.

2. Oakley Frogskins Square Sunglasses

Oakley is yet another one of Gu's many sponsors. We love these frogskin sunglasses, and they're super stylish.

If you don't like this model, Oakley has many other options available. We highly recommend Oakley, as every pair of sunglasses they make is absolutely fantastic.

3. Aleader Winter Snow Boots

These stylish winter boots are perfect for hanging out at any ski lodge. Not only are they affordable, they'll last forever.

We doubt anyone offers a better pair for less money, and they're also backed by a ton of great reviews. If you need to stay warm during the winter, these are a great pick.

4. Tiffany & Co. Sunglasses

Tiffany is another legendary brand who has a contract with Eileen Gu. These sunglasses are a great pick, but anything they make will likely satisfy most consumers.

Many male skiers would not be able to score a lucrative sponsorship with Tiffany, but Gu was able to pull it off. If you're ready to get married, you'll definitely want to grab something from Tiffany & Co.

5. Beats Studio3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones

Beats By Dre is another lucrative sponsorship Eileen Gu has. These wireless headphones will be great whether you're an athlete or non-athlete.

We love blasting them in the gym, and they'll work just as well in the office (or on planes). They're also backed by a ton of five star reviews, so you can confidently make a purchase.

6. Red Bull Energy Drink

The original, and maybe still the best. This full strength Red Bull has all the caffeine, all the sugar, and all the buzz.

Of course, this drink is also backed by a ton of stellar reviews. If you need a little pick-me-up, this is a perfect choice.

7. Savior Heat Heated Ski Gloves

If you want to stay warm on the slopes, try these awesome heated gloves. We'd be pro skiiers, if we had these back when we were kids.

There is nothing worse than trying to stay warm in the cold, freezing temperatures. That job just got monumentally easier, with this excellent pair of ski gloves.

8. Victoria's Secret Tease Fine Fragrance Mist

As a founding member of Victoria's Secrets VS Collective, Eileen Gu has another lucrative partnership. This well-reviewed mist will help make anyone smell better.

With tons of five star reviews, it's very popular. If you want to stay smelling fresh, this is a perfect option.

9. Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-Aging Cell Power Creme

Estée Lauder is another great brand that Eileen Gu works with. This anti-aging creme will keep your skin looking fresh.

It's also backed by a ton of great reviews, so you can feel comfortable making a purchase. If you need a great moisturizer and power creme - look no further.

10. Louis Vuitton Women's Pre-Loved Pochette Cles

Louis Vuitton is another high end brand that Eilieen Gu has a great sponsorship with. This pre-loved key pouch is one of the best items they make.

Of course, Louis Vuitton has many great products. No matter what you go with, you will not be disappointed.

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The Bottom Line On Eileen Gu

There you have it, all the information about Eileen Gu. We hope this comprehensive guide was useful to you, and answered any questions you may have had.

While Gu has U.S. citizenship, and lives in California, she has still been able to compete for China’s Olympic team - winning championships, and in fact becoming a gold medalist. The 2022 Winter Olympics were a breakout moment for Eileen Gu (or Gu Ailing, as she is known in China).

This trending silver medal winner will no doubt stay relevant far into the future. If you loved this article, be sure to check out some of our other guides.