The only Olympic teams which are entirely privately funded (e.g. sponsorships, broadcast rights, donations etc.) are within the U.S., as virtually all Olympic teams internationally utilize a combination of government funding and private funding. This policy includes all U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams, making the U.S. unique upon the world stage of athletics as of 2024. This private funding model can be challenging for Olympic athletes within the U.S., as many are forced to find additional work or additional individual sponsorship to cover both training and living expenses. The U.S. government does not fund its athletes for a variety of reasons including the historical tradition of the separation of sport and politics within the U.S., a strong and well funded private sector with ample resources to fund athletes and teams alike, the non-profit business model status of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee which affords tax exemption among other benefits, and state and local government sponsorship of athletes and teams. It should be noted, a small number of countries have attempted to replicate the U.S.’ Olympic funding model however data of the efficacy of these nations is not publicly available