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Each May, the Indy 500 captivates racing audiences around the U.S. Almost one million people watched last year's race at the Brickyard, and this year should be no different, if not more.
Since the Indy 500's inception in 1911, the race purse has grown for almost every race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway due to higher sponsorship amounts and more available financial resources.
While the Indy 500's first purse tallied at just $27,550 (around $965,000 in today's dollar amount, according to a CPI Inflation Calculator), last year's number sat at a record $20,283,000. This year, that number is expected to grow yet again.
Here's what to know about the purse and winner's prize money for the winner of the 110th Indy 500.
MORE: Who are the drivers and starting order at this year's Indy 500?
How much prize money does the Indy 500 winner get in 2026?
- Estimated $3.5-$4.0 million
The winner's prize money has not been announced, but it is estimated to be between $3.5 million and $4 million based on the anticipated increase from last year's prize money of $3.833 million.
Similar to previous races, the winner's prize money depends on several factors, such as:
- Laps led
- Sponsorships
- Pole position
Unlike some other major competitions across individual sports, the winner of the Indy 500 does not get a flat percentage of the purse.
MORE: What were the full 2026 Indy 500 qualifying results?
What is the Indy 500 purse for 2026?
- Estimated $20.5-$21 million
The Indy 500 purse for 2026 has not yet been announced. Based on the anticipated increase from last year's $20.283 million purse, the 2026 purse is estimated to be between $20.5 million and $21 million.
If the purse is north of the $20.28 million, it would be the fifth year in a row that the Indy 500 has a new record purse.
MORE: Why will Caitlin Clark be at the Indy 500 this year?
Indy 500 payout history
Here are the payouts from the previous 109 Indy 500 races.
| 1911 | $27,550 | Ray Harroun | $14,250 |
| 1912 | $52,225 | Joe Dawson | $20,000 |
| 1913 | $55,875 | Jules Goux | $20,000 |
| 1914 | $51,675 | Rene Thomas | $20,000 |
| 1915 | $51,200 | Ralph DePalma | $20,000 |
| 1916 | $31,350 | Dario Resta | $12,000 |
| 1919 | $55,275 | Howdy Wilcox | $20,000 |
| 1920 | $93,550 | Gaston Chevrolet | $21,400 |
| 1921 | $86,850 | Tommy Milton | $26,400 |
| 1922 | $70,575 | Jimmy Murphy | $26,200 |
| 1923 | $83,425 | Tommy Milton | $28,500 |
| 1924 | $86,850 | L.L. Corum/Joe Boyer | $20,050 |
| 1925 | $87,750 | Peter DePaolo | $28,800 |
| 1926 | $88,100 | Frank Lockhart | $35,600 |
| 1927 | $89,850 | George Souders | $30,625 |
| 1928 | $90,750 | Louis Meyer | $28,250 |
| 1929 | $95,150 | Ray Keech | $31,950 |
| 1930 | $96,250 | Billy Arnold | $36,900 |
| 1931 | $81,800 | Louis Schneider | $29,500 |
| 1932 | $93,900 | Fred Frame | $31,050 |
| 1933 | $54,450 | Louis Meyer | $18,000 |
| 1934 | $83,775 | Bill Cummings | $29,725 |
| 1935 | $78,575 | Kelly Petillo | $30,600 |
| 1936 | $82,525 | Louis Meyer | $31,300 |
| 1937 | $92,135 | Wilbur Shaw | $35,075 |
| 1938 | $91,075 | Floyd Roberts | $32,075 |
| 1939 | $87,050 | Wilbur Shaw | $27,375 |
| 1940 | $85,525 | Wilbur Shaw | $30,725 |
| 1941 | $90,925 | Floyd Davis/Mauri Rose | $29,200 |
| 1946 | $115,450 | George Robson | $42,350 |
| 1947 | $137,425 | Mauri Rose | $33,425 |
| 1948 | $171,075 | Mauri Rose | $42,800 |
| 1949 | $179,050 | Bill Holland | $51,575 |
| 1950 | $201,035 | Johnnie Parsons | $57,458 |
| 1951 | $207,650 | Lee Wallard | $63,612 |
| 1952 | $230,100 | Troy Ruttman | $61,743 |
| 1953 | $246,300 | Bill Vukovich | $89,496 |
| 1954 | $269,375 | Bill Vukovich | $74,934 |
| 1955 | $270,400 | Bob Sweikert | $76,138 |
| 1956 | $282,052 | Pat Flaherty | $93,819 |
| 1957 | $300,252 | Sam Hanks | $103,844 |
| 1958 | $305,217 | Jimmy Bryan | $105,574 |
| 1959 | $338,100 | Rodger Ward | $106,850 |
| 1960 | $369,150 | Jim Rathmann | $110,000 |
| 1961 | $400,000 | A.J. Foyt | $117,975 |
| 1962 | $426,152 | Rodger Ward | $125,015 |
| 1963 | $494,030 | Parnelli Jones | $148,513 |
| 1964 | $506,575 | A.J. Foyt | $153,650 |
| 1965 | $628,399 | Jim Clark | $166,621 |
| 1966 | $691,808 | Graham Hill | $156,297 |
| 1967 | $734,834 | A.J. Foyt | $171,527 |
| 1968 | $712,269 | Bobby Unser | $175,139 |
| 1969 | $805,127 | Mario Andretti | $206,727 |
| 1970 | $1,000,002 | Al Unser | $271,697 |
| 1971 | $1,001,604 | Al Unser | $238,454 |
| 1972 | $1,011,845 | Mark Donohue | $218,767 |
| 1973 | $1,006,105 | Gordon Johncock | $236,022 |
| 1974 | $1,015,686 | Johnny Rutherford | $245,031 |
| 1975 | $1,001,321 | Bobby Unser | $214,031 |
| 1976 | $1,037,776 | Johnny Rutherford | $255,321 |
| 1977 | $1,116,807 | A.J. Foyt | $259,791 |
| 1978 | $1,145,225 | Al Unser | $290,363 |
| 1979 | $1,271,954 | Rick Mears | $270,401 |
| 1980 | $1,503,225 | Johnny Rutherford | $318,819 |
| 1981 | $1,605,375 | Bobby Unser | $299,124 |
| 1982 | $2,067,475 | Gordon Johncock | $290,609 |
| 1983 | $2,411,450 | Tom Sneva | $385,886 |
| 1984 | $2,795,899 | Rick Mears | $434,060 |
| 1985 | $3,271,025 | Danny Sullivan | $517,662 |
| 1986 | $4,001,450 | Bobby Rahal | $581,062 |
| 1987 | $4,490,375 | Al Unser | $526,762 |
| 1988 | $5,025,400 | Rick Mears | $809,853 |
| 1989 | $5,723,725 | Emerson Fittipaldi | $1,001,604 |
| 1990 | $6,325,803 | Arie Luyendyk | $1,090,940 |
| 1991 | $7,009,150 | Rick Mears | $1,219,704 |
| 1992 | $7,527,450 | Al Unser Jr. | $1,244,184 |
| 1993 | $7,681,300 | Emerson Fittipaldi | $1,155,304 |
| 1994 | $7,864,800 | Al Unser Jr. | $1,373,813 |
| 1995 | $8,063,550 | Jacques Villeneuve | $1,312,019 |
| 1996 | $8,114,600 | Buddy Lazier | $1,367,854 |
| 1997 | $8,612,450 | Arie Luyendyk | $1,568,150 |
| 1998 | $8,722,150 | Eddie Cheever Jr. | $1,433,000 |
| 1999 | $9,047,150 | Kenny Brack | $1,465,190 |
| 2000 | $9,476,505 | Juan Pablo Montoya | $1,235,690 |
| 2001 | $9,610,325 | Helio Castroneves | $1,270,475 |
| 2002 | $10,028,580 | Helio Castroneves | $1,606,215 |
| 2003 | $10,151,830 | Gil de Ferran | $1,353,265 |
| 2004 | $10,250,580 | Buddy Rice | $1,761,740 |
| 2005 | $10,304,815 | Dan Wheldon | $1,537,805 |
| 2006 | $10,518,565 | Sam Hornish Jr. | $1,744,855 |
| 2007 | $10,668,815 | Dario Franchitti | $1,645,233 |
| 2008 | $14,406,580 | Scott Dixon | $2,988,065 |
| 2009 | $14,315,315 | Helio Castroneves | $3,048,005 |
| 2010 | $13,592,815 | Dario Franchitti | $2,752,055 |
| 2011 | $13,509,485 | Dan Wheldon | $2,592,255 |
| 2012 | $13,285,815 | Dario Franchitti | $2,474,280 |
| 2013 | $12,020,065 | Tony Kanaan | $2,353,355 |
| 2014 | $14,231,760 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | $2,491,194 |
| 2015 | $13,397,315 | Juan Pablo Montoya | $2,449,055 |
| 2016 | $13,273,253 | Alexander Rossi | $2,548,743 |
| 2017 | $13,178,359 | Takuma Sato | $2,458,129 |
| 2018 | $13,078,065 | Will Power | $2,525,454 |
| 2019 | $13,090,536 | Simon Pagenaud | $2,669,529 |
| 2020 | $7,502,500 | Takuma Sato | $1,370,500 |
| 2021 | $8,854,565 | Helio Castroneves | $1,828,305 |
| 2022 | $16,000,200 | Marcus Ericsson | $3,100,000 |
| 2023 | $17,021,500 | Josef Newgarden | $3,666,000 |
| 2024 | $18,456,000 | Josef Newgarden | $4,288,000 |
| 2025 | $20,283,000 | Alex Palou | $3,833,500 |
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