Fans Stunned Ryan Lochte Is Auctioning Gold Medals Amid Financial Woes

Just hours after the former Olympian announced his plans to write a memoir about his deeply personal struggles, he revealed he’s auctioning off some of his gold medals.

The news that Ryan Lochte is parting ways with his hard-earned Olympic medals comes at a difficult time, as the swimmer and his estranged wife, Kayla Lochte, were sued in Florida over alleged unpaid fees related to their former $660,000 home.

On December 10, 2025, Lochte stood next to an employee of Goldin Auction House in an Instagram video, revealing that three of his six career gold medals would be available to purchase later that night.

“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.”

In the video, Ryan told viewers they can bid on medals from the 2004, 2008, and 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

Ryan’s upcoming auction comes days after news broke that the swimmer and his estranged wife, Kayla, were facing a lawsuit from the HOA of their former Florida neighborhood.

According to a previous report from The Blast, Ryan and Kayla were accused of failing to pay specific fees associated with the nearly 3,000-square-foot residence.

“Owner failed to pay the assessments of all types, interest, late fees, administrative fees, attorney’s fees, and costs of collections due to [the owner’s associate],” the legal document stated.

Months before that, the couple came under fire again when reports surfaced claiming they owed over $270,000 to various lenders, including medical facilities and the Internal Revenue Service.

While winning the auction would certainly be a memory of a lifetime for a lucky bidder, many fans expressed their sadness over the situation in the comments on Goldin’s Instagram post.

“So sad that someone that had to work so hard to win one now has to sell it,” a user wrote, while another wrote, “D-mn, more sad than cool.” Another user chimed in, adding, “I don’t think this is the flex everybody thinks it is. Poor dude.”

The disappointed comments didn’t end there, as a third commenter wrote about how “wild” they found the situation to be, while another encouraged Ryan to keep his medals and seek other ways to earn income. “A couple thousand ain’t gonna fix whatever the problem is,” they wrote.

According to an earlier report from The Blast, Ryan announced his plans to write a new memoir just hours before revealing he’s auctioning off his gold medals.

After spending time “healing and growing,” Ryan said he’s gained 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,” he continued.

However, things spiraled when he found himself preparing to welcome a “son … with someone I barely knew, who constantly reminded me that he would be forever disappointed in the father I had become.”

While the upcoming publication is still missing a title, the elite athlete said, “I cannot wait to share this all with you soon.”