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Who is Eileen Gu's dad? What we know about American father behind U.S. citizenship originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
JUMP TO:
- Who is Eileen Gu's dad?
- Is Eileen Gu's father White?
- Eileen Gu citizenship
- Why does Eileen Gu represent China?
- Where does Eileen Gu live?
- Where was Eileen Gu born?
- Eileen Gu net worth
Eileen Gu is one of the most exciting Winter Olympians of all time.
She has achieved loads of success so far in freestyle skiing, having notched nine gold medals between the Olympics, World Championships, Winter X Games and Winter Youth Olympics.
Gu is one of the most talked-about athletes in the world, thanks to her Chinese heritage and her controversial choice to represent her mother’s home nation of China despite previously representing the United States. Gu is currently a student at Stanford University, and her life is very public, as her skiing and modeling career have made her a sports icon in China.
While most of her life is very public, one of the things that isn’t is the identity of her father. She was able to represent the United States after being born here and because her father was American, but beyond that, very little is known about her father, who is not involved in her life.
Here is what we know about Gu’s father and her decision to represent China in international competition.
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Who is Eileen Gu's dad?
The identity of her father is not publicly known. There are reports that he went to Harvard, but nothing has been confirmed. Gu was raised by her mother and maternal grandmother, and her father is not involved in her life.
MORE: Eileen Gu's full family tree
Is Eileen Gu's father White?
Gu's father's identity has never been confirmed. All that is generally known is that he is an American, and there is reporting that he went to Harvard. Gu has called herself a "mixed kid," and while the assumption would be that her father is white, it has never been confirmed.
MORE: A look at Eileen Gu's 2026 medal count
Eileen Gu citizenship
Gu's citizenship has been a big discussion. She was born in the United States and her father is American, which qualifies her to be an American citizen. Her mother is from China, which qualifies her to be a Chinese citizen.
The controversy stems from the fact that China does not allow dual citizens, and there is no public record of Gu ever renouncing her American citizenship. In her own words, she tends to give non-answers like, "I’m American when I’m in the US and Chinese when I’m in China."
Is Eileen Gu a Chinese citizen?
Yes. Her mother was born in China, and Gu chooses to represent China in the Olympics. To do this, the International Olympic Committee would require her to be a Chinese citizen.
Is Eileen Gu an American citizen?
Yes. Gu was born both in the United States of America and her father is an American. This qualifies her for American citizenship through the country's established laws of jus sanguinis (right of blood) and jus soli (right of birthplace).
MORE: A deep dive into Eileen Gu's net worth
Why does Eileen Gu represent China?
Gu grew up representing the U.S. and was a member of the national Ski & Snowboard team until the 2018-2019 season. It was then that she opted to represent her mother's home nation of China. Gu has repeatedly stated that the reason she switched was to give young Chinese girls a role model in the United States. She even told Time in an interview, "The U.S. already has the representation. I like building my own pond."
Was Eileen Gu paid by China?
While Gu's switch seems noble in the responses that she has given in interviews, there is a slight caveat to her statement. There is clear evidence that she has been paid directly from a Chinese governmental agency, and many believe that her choice to represent China was bought and not made on her own.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Gu and fellow figure skater Zhu Yi who is in a similar circumstance of being born in America, but competing for China, received a combined $14 million over the past three years. The payments came from the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau.
This doesn't even take into account the millions that have become available to her since she became a female sports icon in China. Ghu, per Forbes, made an estimated $23.1 million in 2025, which ranked as the fourth-highest among all female athletes.
Where does Eileen Gu live?
Gu lives in Stanford, California, as she actively attends Stanford University. She did take off for the 2025-2026 academic year to train for the Olympics.
Does Eileen Gu speak Chinese?
Yes, Gu is fluent in both English and Mandarin.
Where was Eileen Gu born?
Gu was born in San Francisco, California. She spent most of her life in California, except for some summers in Beijing at a cram school studying math.
Eileen Gu net worth
According to CelebrityNetWorth, Gu has a total net worth of $50 million. Despite being only 22 years old, she is tied for the fifth-highest net worth among Olympians in history.
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