Simone Biles' stunning net worth, her famous husband and her feud with Piers Morgan

Simone Biles will attempt to cap her Olympic return with a gold medal on Tuesday night, three years after her dramatic withdrawal from the Tokyo Games.

The American gymnast will compete in the women's team final and is aiming for the fifth Olympic gold medal of her career in Paris after easily passing the qualification and being considered the favorite with her team.

This came after her surprise exit from the 2021 Tokyo Games when she suffered from angina pectoris – a mental block that made it impossible for her to track her movements in the air and land safely.

READ MORE: Olympic star Matt Richards: Parents cheated out of Paris tickets before Martin Lewis intervenes

READ MORE: Holly Ramsay sends Adam Peaty personal pictures that 'say it all'

Her withdrawal was criticized by people like Pers Morgan, who sharply criticized her decision to leave the competition for mental health reasons and called her a “slacker.”

“Are 'mental health issues' now the standard excuse for poor performance in elite sport? What a joke,” Morgan wrote on Twitter. “Just admit you did poorly and made mistakes and will try to do better next time. Kids need strong role models, not this nonsense.”

Morgan's comments were heavily criticized and Biles later issued the following statement: “These Olympics do not make up for my past accomplishments, nor do they define who I am as an athlete.”

“I've been through so much in the last few years that the word 'quitter' is not in my vocabulary.

“Some of you may define me that way, but keep talking because I can't hear you because of my seven Olympic medals, which make me the most decorated gymnast of all time and the most decorated gymnast in America.”

Biles' fight back to the Olympic stage is explored in a new Netflix documentary “Simone Biles: Rising”The documentary shows how Biles became a superstar in her sport and – with 39 medals in her career so far – one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time, but also gives insights into her private life.

As a figurehead of gymnastics, her life outside of the sport has garnered a lot of interest over the years. The 27-year-old's relationships and growing fame have made headlines as much as her athletic achievements. Here are some things you may not have known about the American gymnastics sensation.

Stunning net worth

As the poster girl of gymnastics and one of the most famous athletes in the world, it's no surprise that Biles has a massive net worth estimated at around $20 million.

However, like most Olympic athletes, she doesn't earn a normal salary. Much of her vast wealth comes from endorsement deals with major brands. Her extensive list of sponsors includes Wheaties cereal, Powerade, clothing brand Athleta and dog food maker Nulo.

Biles has also worked with companies such as Uber Eats, United Airlines, Visa, Subway and Beats by Dre throughout her career.

Exactly how much she earns from these endorsement deals is unknown, but Fordes estimated in 2021 that she earned at least $5 million a year from them. The following year, she earned $10 million, and the publication also named her the highest-paid gymnast in the world.

The gymnast also receives bonuses for winning medals. For example, gold medalists at the Paris Olympics receive $37,500 for first place on the podium. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee also awards $22,500 for silver medals and $15,000 for bronze medals, although these amounts have been lower in previous years.

Biles has already won four golds, one silver and two bronzes and is estimated to have earned around $150,000 in her Olympic career so far. Of course, she could more than double that amount in Paris, as she is competing in five different events.

Size and viral photo

Although she is one of the most famous and successful athletes in the world, Biles is also one of the smallest.

The American gymnast is only 1.43 meters tall and has maintained this height since she was 13 years old.

Although many of the most successful gymnasts in history were of a similar height, it was still a source of amusement for fans when Biles was spotted alongside much larger people.

Back in 2017, a photo of the then 20-year-old next to NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal went viral because the two had an extreme height difference.

The photo, which the gymnast captioned “Hey Shaq,” shows the 7-foot-5, 325-pound former center towering over Biles – who is 30 inches shorter than him – and making fans burst with laughter.

Famous husband

Biles is not the only sports star in her family; last year she married NFL star Jonathan Owens.

The 29-year-old safety previously played for the Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers before signing with the Chicago Bears in March this year. His estimated net worth is around $2 million (£1.5 million), according to Celebrity Net Worth.

The couple met on the exclusive dating app and social network Raya in 2020 and soon began dating. They got engaged in February 2022 and married the following year in a Houston courthouse.

Although his wife is one of the most successful athletes in the world, Owens admitted that he did not know Biles when they first met.

“I didn't know who she was,” he told Texas Monthly. “I had just never heard of her, and when I told her that, that was one of the things she liked.”

Owens, who at 6 feet 11 inches taller than Biles, added that the height difference between the two initially “startled” him because he had never met such a small person before.

“It was just funny. I remember when she came in her little Range Rover,” he said. “I was like, 'Okay, I see you, girl. Got your little Range Rover.' And then she came to me. She jumped out and was so far down. I was like, 'Oh crap,'”

He added: “I've never met anyone that tall. I thought, 'Oh crap. You're pretty short, OK.'”

But after overcoming the size difference, he quickly realized that Biles was “the one,” explaining, “The coolest thing for me is that I get to witness someone who is literally at the peak of her sport. To see that and see the impact she has on people is motivating.”

“We walked past this group of girls and they were shaking. 'Oh my God, that's Simone!' I just knew. Like, OK, yes, she's the one.”