Hosting the Olympics and coming away with a profit? Imagine that. Three cities that bucked the trend

With such high costs, it’s seemingly miraculous that any chosen location manages to turn a profit. Yet, some manage to do so. Here are three cities that managed to come out of their hosting stint on top:

Getty Images

1. Los Angeles – Surplus: $232.5 Million

The west coast city managed to end the games with a $232.5 million surpluss due to smart planning — like revamping old facilities as opposed to building new ones — and budgeting. The design teams also used cheaper materials typically associated with temporary tents. You can read more about how L.A. pulled it off here.

Michael Smith/Newsmakers

2. Salt Lake City – Surplus: $56 Million

Salt Lake City donated about $30 million of their profits to the Utah Athletic Foundation.

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

3.  Atlanta – Surplus: $10 Million

Aside from finishing in the black, Atlanta also benefitted from converting one of its Olympic stadiums into a facility for baseball.