Millionaires

[The Statman]

This is my list of snooker's millionaires, before the 2005-06 season:

£8,080,936 Hendry
£5,345,453 Davis (S.)
£4,607,381 O'Sullivan
£4,753,189 White
£3,807,502 Higgins (J.)
£3,498,028 Williams (M.)
£3,151,361 Doherty
£3,096,325 Parrott
£2,378,559 Ebdon
£2,094,608 McManus
£1,753,233 Wattana
£1,498,600 Hunter
£1,491,833 Taylor (Dennis)
£1,402,731 Lee
£1,379,425 Stevens (M.)
£1,390,077 Griffiths
£1,221,330 Bond
£1,200,961 Foulds
£1,170,274 Thorne
£1,069,410 Thorburn
£1,036,523 Drago

However, I find that the WorldSnooker website gives their current (end of 06-07) earnings as being blatantly wrong based on the above (i.e. the player definitely earned more than the difference during the season).

For example, Parrott's new total is £3,101,450 meaning that he has earned only £5,150 this season? No.

And McManus, £2,124,220 – yet he apparently got £66,660 this season.

Any advice as to the correct figures will be gratefully received.

[Robert602]

Parrott's 'new' total given on worldsnooker is apparently only up to the start of the 05/06 season. They haven't updated that part of his profile yet. I can't explain the discrepency with your figure though.

Mcmanus's career earnings apparently have been updated, but I'd bet that the 'last season's earnings' bit hasn't. £66,660 seems remarkably high for a man who's barely won a match. The difference between their total and yours is £29,612, which sounds closer to me.

That's my take on it. I can't offer any correct figures though, sorry.

[The Statman]

The £66,660 is from Snooker Scene, not WS.

It occurred to me that the WS figures might not include the Premier League? As it is not a WS-sanctioned event.

So maybe I should just take SS's figures from last year and add the tournament totals (after all, there haven't been that many of them!)

[Robert602]

Yes that's probably it.

Is the £66,660 correct then? Snooker players must earn more than I thought! McManus did have a decent run at the Masters though I recall, that probably accounts for a fair chunk of it.

Incidentally, is the list meant to be in order? I notice White and Griffiths are slightly out of place.

[The Statman]

Yes that's probably it.

Is the £66,660 correct then? Snooker players must earn more than I thought! McManus did have a decent run at the Masters though I recall, that probably accounts for a fair chunk of it.

Incidentally, is the list meant to be in order? I notice White and Griffiths are slightly out of place.

White is out of place because I can't type and Griffiths is out of place because I can't count.

[Obligation]

You know with the list of millionaires, I think that is just prize money, and therefore does not include tax.
Does anybody know how much tax you pay on the prize money?
And does anybody have any idea on the amount gained of things like sponsership, as I'm sure someone like Steve Davis has quite a bit over £5'000'000

[Robert602]

The lists are just for prize money. Their other earnings, through sponsorship, investment or whatever are private so we can only guess as to what they might be worth. Hendry and Williams said they were set to lose £50,000 (each, per year) in personal sponsorship when 888.com took over (source), so that gives some idea. I know Ronnie also owns a lot of property and at least one business, but I can't speculate as to how much that's worth. Suffice it to say the very top players aren't struggling for cash.

Taxes.. I believe prize money is taxed just the same as a normal wage in this country, and for the big earners that means roughly £7000 plus 40% of earnings over £33,000. On a total income of £100,000 for example, you'd see about £66,000 after income tax.

Being that most of the modern players on that list would probably have earnings that put them in the top tax bracket (from sponsorship etc) before prize money is even considered, you can pretty much knock 40% off those figures to get the amount the players actually see. That's for players in the UK of course, Ebdon probably gets it a little sweeter in Dubai.

[RaNeN]

Great work! always wanted a list of Millionares. Wondering will Ronnie take over to the no.1 spot over the years?

[Semih_Sayginer]

Great work! always wanted a list of Millionares. Wondering will Ronnie take over to the no.1 spot over the years?

i doubt that, if its a list of snooker prizemoney, unless theres a huge injection of sponsorship cash in the next 5 or 10 years.

[Obligation]

Thanks Robert

[upton]

does anyone know how much alex higgins earnt before the demise of his career? im guessing he blew most of it on alcoholism? i still love him though.

[Robert602]

In prize money I believe he earned about £900,000. Most of that was made on his way down the rankings as he spent his peak years when there was very little money in the game.

His first world championship win in 1972 got him a massive £480, minus the entry fee. His second in 1982 got him a still rather meagre £5000. By comparison he made almost £100,000 in 86/87 on his way out of the top 16.

Of course, Alex was any manager's license to print money in the 80s and I'd guess that he'll have earnt at least as much again from sponsorship and other commercial stuff. And yes, apparently he blew the lot if the rumours about hustling for tenners are true. Sad, but then it just wouldn't have been the same Alex otherwise.

[Obligation]

I belive Harold was VERY rich from challenging other top players for money?

Does anybody know if this is true?

...And how much he may have made?

[upton]

thanks Robert602!

even though higgins prize money was very low in comparison to today, i think that todays sportsmen get too much money (in most sports really). in an interview that higgins did for BBC 5 live, he was comparing the standard of the snooker tables from then and now...apparently they were much harder to play on back then, so its funny how much the players complained about the standard of the tables this year at the WC's when they get wayyyy more money then higgins ever got. they should think themselves lucky. if they have had to work hard on a difficult table for an amount of money that i can only dream of, then i think that they have earnt it, but i wish they would stop bloody complaining everytime a shot doesnt go their way!!!

[cajt]

I also have a list of snooker's £1 million plus earners on my website. I have given up trying to agree with WSA with regard to money as their figures never agree with mine no matter how careful I am. I do however check my figures with those of several colleagues so at least we agree. That is why on my published list I do not give exact figures only the names of those who have passed certain milestones - £1m, £1.5m, £2m, £3m etc.

I have known occasions when world snooker's figure for one player at the end of a season was LESS that it had been the season before. Work that one out!