INDIANAPOLIS — Felix Rosenqvist made history Sunday — and made it pay.
The Meyer Shank Racing driver captured his first Indianapolis 500 victory in the closest finish in race history — edging David Malukas by just .0233 of a second — then learned his payday would be the largest in the event’s storied 110-year run.
The total purse ballooned to $30,906,400 — a jaw-dropping jump of more than 50% over last year’s $20,283,000. It marks the fifth straight year the race has set a new prize money record.
“The Indianapolis 500 continues to make history, in more ways than one. The Month of May featured a back-to-back grandstand sellout crowd — our largest crowd since the 100th Running in 2016 — and intense on-track action with the most lead changes ever in the Indy 500.”
— Doug Boles, INDYCAR and IMS President
| Year | Winner | Winner’s share | Total purse |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Record |
Felix Rosenqvist | $4.34M | $30,906,400 |
| 2025 | Alex Palou | $3.8M | $20,283,000 |
| 2024 | Josef Newgarden* | $4.3M | $18,456,000 |
| 2023 | Josef Newgarden | $3.7M | $17,021,500 |
| 2022 | Marcus Ericsson | $3.1M | $16,000,200 |
*Included a $440,000 BorgWarner back-to-back bonus