Indy 500 prize purse: How much does the winner earn?

It is almost time for history to be made yet again in Indianapolis, as we gear up for the 109th running of one of the most iconic events in motorsports history, the Indy 500. But how much money does the winner of the event make? And how much bigger is the prize purse for 2025?

The 2025 edition of the Indy 500 is scheduled to take place on May 25 at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou leads the charge ahead of the event, having won four out of the first five races in 2025.

Indy 500 prize purse: How much will the 2025 winner earn?

The prize purse for the Indy 500 is allocated on the basis of multiple factors, which include revenue received by the IMS in sponsorships and ticket sales. The exact numbers for the 2025 edition of the event have not been made public yet, hence, an accurate assumption cannot be made.

But what is known is that some drivers and teams earn more money than others. 20% of the total prize purse is given to the winner of the legendary race, with other drivers being paid according to their finishing positions.

Drivers are also rewarded for multiple other achievements during the weekend, which include bonuses for pole position and leading laps during the race. Josef Newgarden was also awarded a bonus of $440,000 by BorgWarner in 2024 for having won the race in back-to-back years.

The history of the Indy 500 prize purse

The 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2023 - Source: Getty

In 1911, in what was the first running of the Indy 500, the winner, Ray Harroun, received the prize money amounting to $14,250, which would today be worth over $450,000 when adjusted for inflation. That year, the total purse generated was $27,500 [via Planet F1].

The 2024 Indianapolis 500 featured the largest prize pool in the event’s history, totaling $18,456,000 and shared among the 33 drivers who started the race. Josef Newgarden, the winner, earned a whopping $4.288 million for his victory last year, which included a $440,000 bonus (aforementioned) from BorgWarner.

Notably, Emerson Fittipaldi became the first driver to win a prize of over $1 million for winning the race when he claimed victory at the IMS in 1989. The Brazilian earned a total of $1,001,604 that year, making it the biggest prize ever earned for the event back then by a margin of almost $200,000.

For 2025, Palou will surely be one of the favorites to claim his first Indy 500 win, given the start to his season so far. But the Spaniard has never won an IndyCar race around an oval, and could well be challenged by a Newgarden, whose primary motivation will be to become the first driver ever to win the race three times consecutively.