As of August 13, 2016, American swimmer Michael Phelps has won the most Olympic medals with 28 medals (23 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze). He is also the most decorated Olympian in individual events, with 16 medals (13 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze). Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjrndalen is the most decorated Winter Olympian, with 13 medals (8 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze).

Based on this passage, highest number of gold medals in olympics by an individual? Let's think fast. Stream of consciousness:
The relevant sentence in the passage is: As of August 13, 2016, American swimmer Michael Phelps has won the most Olympic medals with 28 medals (23 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze). So the final answer is 23.