Not only is it possible to make a living playing video games, some people are making a lot of money doing it. Whether it’s game testing, live streaming, or competitive gaming, these are the 10 richest gamers in the world.
10. KuroKy (Kuro Takhasomi): Earnings: $5,291,572
Born in 1992, German-Iranian gamer Kuro Takhasomi gravitated toward video games due to a disability affecting his legs. Difficulty in walking and playing physical sports led to a passion for eSports. He went pro at age 16 playing Defense of the Ancients. He has played for various teams, including mousesports and Team Liquid. He currently plays for Team Nigma.
9. Mira (Miroslav Kolpakov): Earnings: $5,407,579
Born in 1999, Ukrainian gamer Miroslav Kolpakov is a professional DotA 2 player currently with Team Spirit. He first played the online multiplayer game at an Internet café at age 12. But at age 16, he began playing more seriously. His professional career began at age 20 in 2019. He won The International in 2021 in 2023.
8. Collapse (Magomed Khalilov): Earnings: $5,421,791
Born in 2002, Russian gamer Magomed Khalilov is a professional DotA 2 player and current member of Team Spirit. He began playing DotA 2 at age 13. He formed an amateur team in 2017 and competed in the Russian Esports Cup. An invitation to join Cascade earned him his first professional paycheck. He won the 2021 and 2023 TI tournaments.
7. Yatoro (Ilya Mulyarchuk): Earnings: $5,425,553
Born in 2003, Ukrainian gamer Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk currently plays for Team Spirit. He shaved his head to help his team win during the 2021 TI tournament. It worked. He played as 14 different heroes in 20 games to do so. He holds the record for most rampages in the TI main stage.
6. Miposhka (Yaroslav Naidenov): Earnings: $5,653,952
Born in 1997, Russian gamer Yaroslav Naidenov currently plays for Team Spirit. He began his career as a DotA player in 2015 when he competed in the International 2015 European Open Qualifiers. He had the highest number of deaths per game at the 2017 TI tournament. At The International 2021, he served as team captain, winning the Aegis of Champions trophy.
5. Topson (Topias Taavitsainen): Earnings: $5,726,841
Born in 1998, Finnish gamer Topias Taavitsainen is a professional DotA 2 player with Tundra Esports. He began playing DotA at age 8 and entered pro esports in 2017 at age 19. He represented Finland in the 2017 World Electronic Sports Games. He won Rookie of the Year at the Score Esports Awards in 2018.
4. Ceb (Sébastien Debs): Earnings: $5,900,842
Born in 1992, French gamer Sébastien Debs is a professional DotA 2 player for OG. He played for various teams prior including Alliance, Sigma, and Mortal Teamwork. He served as an OG team coach between 2016-2018. He won the TI tournaments in 2018 and 2019. He also appeared in The International in 2012.
3. ana (Anathan Pham): Earnings: $6,024,411.96
Australian gamer Anathan Pham left high school at age 16 and moved to Shanghai to join Invictus Gaming’s in-house league. Later in 2016, he joined OG. After taking a break from professional DotA 2 in 2018, he returned to OG in 2019 and won the TI tournament. He retired in 2021 but returned to the professional scene in 2022.
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2. JerAx (Jesse Vainikka): Earnings: $6,486,623.98
Born in 1992, Finnish gamer Jesse Vainikka is a two-time TI champion with OG. Over his career, he has played for multiple teams including OG and Team Liquid, which he also coached before retiring. He has left professional gaming stating he no longer holds the same passion for the game.
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1. N0tail (Johan Sundstein): Earnings: $7,184,163.05
Born in 1993, Danish–Faroese gamer Johan Sundstein is currently a team member of OG Esports. He’s a professional DotA 2 player who has won four Major championships, and the 2018 and 2019 TI tournaments. At age 25, he was featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 category. He’s also played for teams Fnatic, Team Secret, and Cloud9.
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