There’s more to winning the Indianapolis 500 than the Borg-Warner Trophy. And no, I’m not talking about the celebratory bottle of milk.
As IndyCar’s marquee race and one of motorsports’ greatest spectacles, the Indy 500 is also the series’ highest-paying event. By a lot.
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Aside from COVID-19 pandemic-affected races in 2020 and 2021, the total purse has exceeded $10 million each year since 2002. It reached a record $20.2 million in 2025, with Alex Palou taking home $3.8 million along with his win.
Josef Newgarden still owns the single race earnings record ($4.2 million) after winning the 2024 Indy 500. Helio Castroneves has the most career earnings with $15.9 million.
To illustrate just how much money the drivers make, let’s take a look at all the Indy 500 purses from the 2000s.
Indy 500 total purses since 2000
Based on historical data, we can only expect the purse to be even higher this year.
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: Indy 500 purse, earnings: How much money do winners make?
