The Five Biggest Earning eSports Stars of All Time

Have your parents, friends, or loved ones ever voiced their concerns that you playing video games is a waste of time and effort? Show them this article if you answered yes because we are about to talk about the five biggest earning esports stars of all time. Add up the winnings of those top five esports players, and you arrive at an almost unbelievable figure: $31,123,206.51! More than $30 million in combined winnings for playing video games is nothing short of ridiculous.

Johan “N0tail” Sundstein - $7,183,918.80

Johan Sundstein is a 28-year-old Danish professional gamer known as “N0tail.” The Dane specialises in Dota 2, an Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game, in which he is ranked not only number one in his native Denmark but worldwide.

Sundstein had already won several titles and hundreds of thousands of dollars prior to 2018 when he and his Team OG teammates made a name for themselves. Team OG was among the favourites for victory at The International 2018: Dota 2 Championships with the best online Canadian sportsbooks. Sundstein and his four teammates lived up to their pre-tournament billing by coming out on top and sharing the $11,234,158 top prize.

Amazingly, OG came out on top again in the 2019 edition of The International and walked away with another $15,620,181. Sundstein has $7,183,918.80 in esports earnings, making him the biggest winner of all time by more than $700,000.

Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka - $6,470,548.78

Finnish star Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka is best known for being part of the back-to-back The International champions OG. Vaiikka made a name for himself in heroes of Newerth before moving into Dota 2, which is the game where the biggest prizes await the best players.

After winning The International for the second straight year in 2019, Vainikka retired from the Dota 2 scene, citing a lack of passion for the game and a desire to forge a new career for himself. However, on November 20, 2021, he returned to competitive gaming with Evil Geniuses.

Anathan “ana” Pham - $6,004,411.96

Anathan “ana” Pham is a 22-year-old Australian who officially retired from the competitive gaming scene on June 14, 2021. He had not played in a major tournament since he and his OG teammates won The International 2019. At the time of his retirement, the Australian youngster had amassed $6,004,411.96 in esports winnings.

Pham played the Carry role to perfection, and it was his return to OG that proved instrumental in their record-breaking back-to-back wins in The International.

Pham shocked the gaming world when he announced his retirement at such a young age. However, he is not 100% ready to leave esports because he recently posted screenshots of him achieving elite status in the first-person shooter game Valorant.

Sebastian “Ceb” Debs - $5,773,909.40

Sebastian Debs is known as “Ceb,” although he started his professional gaming career using the alias “7ckingMad.” The French/Lebanese Dota 2 star is another former member of OG; he retired from the competitive scene on November 18, 2021.

Debs’ retirement came almost exactly a month after OG finished 7th-8th in The International 2021 and won $200,100 each. Debs has not entered another tournament since hanging up his mouse, unlike other gamers who retire. How long will the 29-year-old stay away from the scene?

Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen - $5,690,417.57

Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen is a 23-year-old Finnish Dota 2 professional who has played the game since he was only eight years old. Although he has not officially retired, Taavitsainen does find himself on the inactive roster of the OG team.

Almost 95% of the Finn’s $5,690,417.57 earnings stem from his share of OG’s victories in the 2018 and 2019 The International tournaments.

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