The best bodybuilders in the world listed in this article are professional’s bodybuilders who have a tremendous physique, pleasant personalities, and subsequent successful careers in other professions as well.
These men have enhanced their body’s muscular development and promote general health and fitness.
As regards the world’s best bodybuilders of all time 2025 list (famous & richest bodybuilders) , they are,
- Ronnie Coleman
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Lee Haney
- Dorian Yates
- Jay Cutler
- Frank Zane
- Phil Heath
- Dexter Jackson
- Franco Columbu
- Kevin Levrone
- Gary Strydom
- Rich Gaspari
- Flex Wheeler
Check them out, their age, their nationality, their achievements and lots more . Keep reading!
15. Mike O’Hearn
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| Image credit: Erny Peibst/Wikimedia Commons |
Age: 52 (26 January 1969)
Net worth: $2.5 Million
Nationality: United States
He is an actor and professional bodybuilder. He is from a large family of nine children. He started his career at the age of 15, he started out with martial arts and powerlifting. In 1984, as a teenager, he won the Teenage Washington State competition. In American Gladiators, a popular TV show in 1989, he was involved.
He was awarded and received titles such as Four-Time Mr. Natural Universe, Four-Time California Power Lifting Champion, Seven-Time’ Model of the Year’, 2014 Hall of Fame Martial Arts, and Bodybuilding Hall of Fame 2011. He is currently a qualified fitness expert and still one of the best bodybuilders in the world in 2025.
14. Lou Ferrigno
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| Image credit: Lou Ferrigno/Facebook |
Age: 70 (9 November 1951)
Net worth: $12 Million
Nationality: United States
At a young age, he lost 75-80% of his earing to ear infection and he was bullied for this by his peers. So he thought of bodybuilding at the age of 13, possibly to gain power for defense. His is family could not afford sets of weight, so he uses pails filled with cement and broomstick.
IFBB Mr. America was the first title he won when he was still in high school. He then won Mr. Universe 4 years after and in 1974 he was the second in place of Mr. Olympia.
He became more famous at Mr. Olympia when he was trying to beat Arnold Schwarzenegger. The event was later released as documentary title, Pumping Iron. He is retired now as a professional bodybuilder but engages in other careers such as acting and as a fitness trainer.
13. Flex Wheeler
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Age: 56 (23 August 1965)
Net worth: $2.2 Million
Nationality: United States
He started bodybuilding and martial art at a teenage age. He later worked as a police officer before he finally became one of the best professional bodybuilders in the world today.
He won the Arnold Classic bodybuilding competition five times. The NPC Mr. California Championships was also won by him for the very first time. Certainly, he is one out of the best bodybuilders in the world.
Throughout his career, he won titles and awards including South Beach Pro Invitational winner, Night of Champions winner, France, and Hungarian Grand Prix winner, and a five-time Ironman Pro winner. After which he retired in 2002.
See also:
12. Rich Gaspari
Age: 58 (16 May 1963)
Net worth: $100 million
Nationality: American
He is famous in the United States as a professional bodybuilder. He is also known as The Dragon Slayer and The Itch. He pursues his bodybuilding career from 1985 to 1996, and then he retired. He was inspired by Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger to pursue this career.
At 21 years he won Mr. Universe. He has won many awards and titles such as IFBB Hall of Fame awards in 2004, the Muscle Beach Hall of Fame Award in 2011, and the Muscle Beach Hall of Fame Award in 2011.
11. Gary Strydom
Age: 61 (1958)
Net worth: $8 Million
Nationality: South Africa
His career as a pro bodybuilder lasts for 30 years. In the beginning, he decides to left South Africa for America, with the aim of becoming a great bodybuilder even though he did not know how to figure it out then.
At an early age, he always excels in sports like track, swimming, and rugby. His earlier activities in sports may have helped him to excel and to become one of the best bodybuilders of all time.
In the following titles, he won first place, in 1983 NPC Florida Championships, Junior – Heavyweight and Overall, 1984 NPC USA Championships, HeavyWeight, 1986 NPC Nationals, HeavyWeight and Overall, 1987 IFBB Night of Champions, 1989 Grand Prix France, 1989 Grand Prix Melbourne, 1989 Grand Prix Sweden, 1991 WBF Championships, and 1992 WBF Championships.
10. Kevin Levrone
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| Image credit: thenetworthportal.com |
Age: 57 (16 July 1964)
Net worth: $2 Million
Nationality: Italy
After thirteen years of participating in Mr. Olympia, he retired in 2016. He competed in 67 IFBB Professional events during his career as pro bodybuilder.
He won 23 Pro Shows and was the most successful IFBB professional till 2004. He won the IFBB Arnold Classic in 1994 and 1996, and he was second in place in the IFBB Mr. Olympia in 1992 and 1995, then also in 2000 and 2002.
See also
9. Franco Columbu
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| Image credit: Thebarbell.com |
Age: lived for 78 years (7 August 1941 - 30 August 2019)
Net worth: $10 Million
Nationality: Italy
He was also referred to as, The Sardinian Strongman, during his lifetime. Although he began as a boxer but later became an Olympic weightlifter. It was boxing that inspire him to pursue a career as a pro bodybuilder.
He competed at World's Strongest Man contestant in 1977, even though he had an injury in his leg, he still came out in the fifth position. He is recognized as one of the strongest men in the world. And of course one of the best bodybuilders in the world in 2025.
In 1968, he won the IFBB Mr. Olympia title, thereby becoming the first under 200lbs winner. He and Arnold Schwarzenegger were friends since 1965.
Moreover, he is an actor. He was featured in movies such as The Terminator and Otto the Strongman in Big Top Pee-wee in 1984, where he played a future terminator. Sadly, he died in 2019, after suffering from a heart attack.
8. Dexter Jackson
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| Image credit: Generationiron.com |
Age: 51 (25 November 1969)
Net worth: $2 Million
Nationality: United States
He began competing in 1992 and by 1999, he won Arnold Classic. For five consecutive times, in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, and 2015 he won the Arnold Classic. As regards the bodybuilding champion in 2008, he also won the title of Mr. Olympia.
In history, he is the best professional bodybuilder in the world with the most titles. He has 29 titles and as Mr. Olympia appearance with 20.
He is one of the 3 bodybuilders who have the title of the Arnold Classic competitions and Mr. Olympia. He has been featured on Flex and Muscular Development magazine. He was featured in his documentary, title Unbreakable, which was released in 2009.
7. Phil Heath
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| Image credit: Per Bernal / M+F Magazine |
Age: 42 (18 December 1979)
Net worth: $8 Million
Nationality: United States
At first, he was passionate as a basketball player, then he became one of best bodybuilders in the world. He started his bodybuilding career in 2002. Then in 2005, after winning the NPC USA Championships; he was qualified to compete on the IFBB Pro circuit.
After which he won first place at many events such as the 2011 and 2012 Sheru Classic, the 2008 IFBB Iron Man, the 2006 BBC Classic, the 2006 New York Pro Championships, and the 2006 Colorado Pro Championships. From 2011 to 2013, he won the title Mr. Olympia in a row and three more altogether 6 consecutive contests.
6. Frank Zane
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| Image credit: Biographypedia.org |
Age: 79 (28 June 1942)
Net worth: $1.5 Million
Nationality: United States
From 1977 to 1979, in a row, he won Mr. Olympia. He is one of the famous and best bodybuilders in the world of all time. Before becoming a bodybuilder, he was a high school chemistry teacher.
His wife, Christine Zane is also a former bodybuilder. They met at a competition and got married in 1967. He defeated Arnold Schwarzenegger in a 1968 Mr. Universe competition, making him one of just three bodybuilders to accomplish it.
During his career, he gets rich. Now he is retired as a professional bodybuilder and he is working as a trainer now and also as an author. He has written many books such as The Mind in Bodybuilding, Super Bodies in 12 Weeks, Zane Nutrition, and Fabulously It Forever.
5. Jay Cutler
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| Image credit: Fanshare |
Age: 47 (3 August 1973)
Net worth: $30 million
Nationality: United States of America
He has won Mr. Olympia four times as a professional bodybuilder. He began working for his family's concrete construction firm when he was 11 years old, prior to his successes. At the age of 18, he began training as a bodybuilder while attending Wachusett Regional High School.
In 1992, he placed second in the Gold's Gym Worcester Bodybuilding Championships, his first competition. He won the Arnold Classic championships from 2002 to 2004. He has crowned Mr. Olympia in 2009 and 2010, also 2006 and 2007.
After winning the title in non-consecutive years, he became only the third Mr. Olympia in history to do so bringing him on the list of the top best bodybuilders in the world of all time. Of recent, he is focusing on Cutler Nutrition his own bodybuilding supplement business.
See also:
4. Dorian Yates
Age: 59 (19 April 1962)
Net worth: $ 4.5 million
Nationality: United Kingdom
He was born and raised in Hurley, Staffordshire, England. At the age of 21, he began working out in 1983. He is an incredible six times Mr. Olympia champion.
Following some muscular victories in England, he traveled to New York for the 1990 Night of Champions, where he became the second behind the late Mohamed Benaziza in his pro debut.
He returned to the United States the next year to win the competition and set his sights on the Sandow trophy, bodybuilding's top accolade.
No doubt about him being one of the best bodybuilders in the world as he set new standards as regards body mass and conditioning by reforming bodybuilding.
At 250 pounds (265 pounds at his peak), he was the first Mr. Olympia, displaying an incredibly shredded figure with extraordinarily little body fat and exceptional muscular density.
3. Lee Haney
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| Image credit: Biographypedia.org |
Age: 62 (11 November 1959)
Net worth: $5.5 Million
Nationality: United States
As regards the bodybuilding sport, he is among the greatest people that he won the title Mr. Olympia with eight from 1984 to 1991. He now holds the record for the most victories and straight wins. Undoubtedly, he is among the best bodybuilders in the world in 2025.
Due to his achievement, he earns recognition from the United States’ president office. Throughout, Bill Clinton’s presidency; he was appointed as the head of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
He has been so interested in bodybuilding since childhood when he learns about the story of Samson in the Bible. He later looks up to Robby Robinson a bodybuilding circles star as a role model. When he was 16 years, he attempts his first competition and he won multiple contests.
In 1979, he won Teen Mr. America. Although he loves his career as a bodybuilder, he still balances up with his education and he graduated from Spartanburg Methodist College with a degree in Youth Counseling.
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Age: 74 (July 30, 1947)
Net worth: $400 Million
Nationality: Austrian-American
Apart from being a pro bodybuilder, he is a politician. He became California governor from 2003 to 2011. As a bodybuilder, he is also referred to as Austrian Oak and the Styrian Oak as he overshadowed his opposition.
In 1967, he won the title Mr. Universe and from 1970 to 1975, he was professionally known as Mr. Olympia. In 1980, he astonished the working out world by getting back to contest once again to guarantee the Mr. Olympia title.
From his net worth as shown above, he is one of the richest, famous and of course one of the top best bodybuilder in the world. He is a writer and most of his few books' subjects are on bodybuilding. Including the self-portraying Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder (1977; composed with Douglas Kent Hall).
1. Ronnie Coleman
Age: 57 (13 May 1964)
Net worth: $10 Million
Nationality: United States
No questioning as regards him being on the top list of best bodybuilders in the world as he has won Mr. Olympia eight times in a row.
He was a football player in college, but today he is an American professional bodybuilder and one of the greatest. He won first place in both the heavyweight and overall categories in the Mr. Texas competition. He also won his first professional tournaments in 1995 and 1996.
He has received several accolades and titles, including the Russian Grand Prix, Mr. Universe (1991), Admiral in the Texas Navy Certificate Award (2001), and 26 wins as an IFBB professional.
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