Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen stand to make their latest hefty sums when the pair contest the PDC World Darts Championship final on Friday (8pm GMT) at London’s Alexandra Palace.
Dutchman Van Gerwen has been a huge prize money earner throughout a career that has included three triumphs at the tournament, while relative newcomer Littler has the highest profile in the sport and is the favourite to take the top prize.
The 17-year-old’s bank balance was swelled by a run to last year’s final, losing to Luke Humphries in front of a peak UK audience of 4.8 million viewers – broadcasters Sky Sports’ highest ever peak figure for a non-football sporting event.
Here’s how much Littler and Van Gerwen stand to rake in from the final, as well as a look at their net worths and how much players have pocketed at each stage of the championship.
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World darts final: How much does the winner get?
The winner of the final will be rewarded with £500,000, while the runner-up will receive £200,000, as Littler did last year.
Inaugural winner Dennis Priestley earned £16,000 for his victory in 1994 at Purfleet’s Circus Tavern, where the event was held until it moved to Alexandra Palace from 2008.
The prize money actually went down in 1995 and rose slightly in 1996, when Phil Taylor took £14,000 for winning the first of his 13 titles.
English sporting icon Taylor netted between £33,000 and £45,000 for his five consecutive victories that followed, and the windfall rose sharply after 2001, with each champion capturing £50,000 for three years, £60,000 for one year and £100,000 between 2006 and 2008.
The top prize was £200,000 by 2010, soaring to £400,000 in 2018 via four incremental rises. It has been £500,000 since 2019, with Scot Peter Wright twice bagging that amount.
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Darts World Championship prize fund 2024
The total prize fund of £2.5 million doubles competitors’ money between the first and second round and for each stage from the quarter-finals onwards. Here’s how it looks.
Winner: £500,000
Runner-up: £200,000
Semi-final: £100,000
Quarter-final: £50,000
Fourth round: £35,000
Third round: £25,000
Second round: £15,000
First round: £7,500
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Luke Littler net worth
After his scarcely believable achievements as a teenager, charismatic Littler has become one of the most marketable and recognisable names in British sport.
Alongside his sizeable prize fund wins, Littler has endorsements with car manufacturer Skoda, fashion powerhouse boohooMAN, Target Darts and Prestige Building Supplies, according to financial website Forbes, which has named him one of the most influential people in the world aged under 30.
The site has added that he was projected to gross more than £1.2m in 2024, with his earnings including royalties and appearances fees.
“Littler’s earnings could skyrocket even more once he turns 18 in January,” Forbes said. “He can’t legally endorse any gambling or alcohol brands yet, which are a big part of athletes’ portfolios.”
In the meantime, Finance Monthly cited the Mirror as putting Littler’s net worth at £700,000 earlier this month, although that seems a conservative estimate and is certain to heavily increase again imminently.
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Michael van Gerwen net worth
Flamboyant Van Gerwen is arguably the biggest name in the sport aside from Littler and has secured dozens of major titles since winning the World Masters as a teenager in 2006.
The 35-year-old has earned £1.5m from his appearances in the final of the championships alone, becoming its youngest ever winner – an accolade Littler will claim if he beats him – as a 24-year-old in 2014.
Van Gerwen’s prize money of more than £1.8m in 2017 is the record for a single season, according to TalkSport, with his endorsements including gaming cases manufacturer POGA, decorating and DIY specialists Leyland Trade, kitchen suppliers Keuken Concurrent and Van Mossel Automotive.
The former world number one has a net worth of around £6.6m, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
