India, May 26 -- Alex Palou made history on Sunday by becoming the first Spaniard to win the Indianapolis 500. The 28-year-old, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, held off Marcus Ericsson for a close victory. With the title, the Spain-born driver will take home a whopping prize money.

The Indy 500 purse is among motorsport's largest, funded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), NTT IndyCar Series awards, sponsors, and TV revenue. In 2024, the purse reached a record $18,456,000, with winner Josef Newgarden earning $4,288,000, including a $440,000 BorgWarner rollover bonus for back-to-back wins.

The purse has grown steadily, from $16,000,200 in 2022 to $17,021,500 in 2023, and is expected to hit or exceed $19 million in 2025, per IndyStar e...