Top 10 Highest Paid Esports Players

The Esports industry has been one of the fastest-growing sectors of the sports world. More competitions are created each year, and the top players in the world have cashed in on their play. In terms of earnings, the top ten highest-paid esports players average $5.52 million. Listed below are the top players, their player IDs, and their annual earnings.

Who Are the Highest-Paid Esports Players in the World?

1. Johan Sundstein (N0tail) - $7.18 Million
2. Jesse Vainikka (JerAx) - $6.47 Million
3. Anathan Pham (ana) - $6.02 Million
4. Sébastien Debs (Ceb) - $5.82 Million
5. Topias Taavitsainen (Topson) - $5.7 Million
6. Kuro Takhasomi (KuroKy) - $5.28 Million
7. Amer Al-Barkawi (Miracle-) - $4.88 Million
8. Lasse Urpalainen (Matumbaman) - $4.87 Million
9. Ivan Ivanov (MinD_ContRol) - $4.67 Million
10. Maroun Merhej (GH) - $4.28 Million

1. Johan Sundstein (N0tail) - $7.18 Million

The highest-paid player in the esports world is Johan Sundstein, who has reportedly earned $7.18 million while playing Dota 2. The Danish player started out playing Heroes of Neworth and competed in nine tournaments, later moving to Dota 2 where he has amassed over 120 competitions. His largest prize earning came in 2019 when N0tail earned over $3 million in the International 9 Tournament. Sundstein is also the co-founder and leader of OG Esports.

2. Jesse Vainikka (JerAx) - $6.47 Million

JerAx, aka Jesse Vainikka, takes second place by earning $6.47 million while playing Dota 2. The Finnish gamer has competed in 68 competitions, with his biggest win also coming in the 2019 International 9 Tournament as a part of OG.  Vainikka competed in just three tournaments in 2022. JeraX most recently held a rocky coaching position for Team Liquid after having no prior coaching experience.

3. Anathan Pham (ana) - $6.02 Million

Another member of the TI9 championship team comes in at third, Anathan Pham having brought in $6.02 million during his young gaming career. Pham has participated in 26 tournaments and had won more than $600,000 before reaching the age of 18. The Australian native had a great 2019, not only winning the TI9 but also recording the highest average kills per game at the EPICENTER Major 2019. Anna earned $8,000 from that tournament alone.

4. Sébastien Debs (Ceb) - $5.82 Million

The fourth member of the OG team from 2019 places fourth, Sébastien Debs, having $5.82 million associated with his name from Dota 2 gameplay. The 30-year-old is the only Frenchman to have won the international, as he won both the IT8 and IT9. Recently though, Ceb has just one first-place win since 2019 with that coming at the ESL One Stockholm 2022 tournament. Debs helped OG and the team earned a combined $200,000 from the victory. 

5. Topias Taavitsainen (Topson) - $5.7 Million

The final member of the OG winning squad ranks as the fifth highest-paid esports player, Topson having earned $5.7 million throughout his career. The Finn started his competitive esports career at only 16, placing third in the I53 Dota 2 cup. Taavitsainen later went on to be nominated for The 2018 Esports Rookie of the Year at 19 years old. Topson most recently finished first in the BetBoom Universe: Episode I - Comics Zone as a part of Tundra Esports to start 2023.

6. Kuro Takhasomi (KuroKy) - $5.28 Million

KuroKy, aka Kuro Takhasomi, has netted an estimated $5.28 million while primarily playing Dota 2. The German was a part of Team Liquid’s TI7 victory in 2017. Besides that, Takhasomi has competed in 126 competitions. He most recently finished sixth in the DPC WEU 2023 Tour 1: Division I in January of 2023. KuroKy is also the first gamer to achieve one thousand wins in his pro career.

7. Amer Al-Barkawi (Miracle-) - $4.88 Million

The first representative from Asia ranks seventh, Amer Al-Barkawi from Jordan, having  earned $4.88 million during his Esports career playing Dota 2. Miracle- won the 2017 TI7 at just 20 years of age. Miracle- also averaged the most kills per game during The International 2016 and 2018. Al-Barkawi was named Esports rookie of the year in 2016 and Esports player of the year in 2017. Miracle- is taking a break from gaming at the moment but will likely return in the near future.

8. Lasse Urpalainen (Matumbaman) - $4.87 Million

Matumbaman is the third Finn on the highest-paid Esports players list, having netted $4.87 million during his Dota 2 playing career. Lasse Urpalainen has claimed first at 31 tournaments, most notably from The International 2017 where he earned over two million dollars himself. Urpalainen last played at TI11 in October of 2022, placing third. Matumbaman has since retired from the gaming scene, and his career has been honored by his former team, Team Liquid.

9. Ivan Ivanov (MinD_ContRoL) - $4.67 Million

MinD_ContRoL slots in as the ninth-highest esports player, since Ivan Ivanov holds $4.67 million in earnings from his competitive career. The Bulgarian made most of his winnings from 87 Dota 2 tournaments. 2017 was MinD_ContRoL’s most successful year, as he won TI7, and finished first in eight other tournaments. He earned prizes from 14 competitions that year. Ivanov currently plays for Nigma Galaxy.

10. Maroun Merhej (GH) - $4.28 Million

Maroun Merhej claims the tenth and final spot, having accumulated $4.28 million while playing Dota 2 professionally. The Lebanese player started by winning the MSI Beat IT 2014/Middle Eastern Qualifiers. He later cashed out at The International tournaments. After earning over two million dollars as a part of Team Liquid’s victory at the 2017 games, GH continued to place second at the 2019 rendition and fourth in 2018. Merhej is also now playing for Nigma Galaxy.

Honorable Mentions

• Wang, Chunyu (Ame)
• Sumail Hassan (SumaiL)
• Clement Ivanov (Puppey)
• Magomed Khalilov (Collapse)
• Alexander Khertek (TORONTOTOKYO)
• Miroslaw Kolpakov (Mira)
• Ilya Mulyarchuk (Yatoro)
• Yaroslav Naidenov (Miposhka)
• Zhang, Ruida (Faith_bian)
• Zhang, Yiping (y`)

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