Snooker stars are amongst the richest sportspeople on the planet - a single World Championship title earns you a jaw-dropping £500,000 and the winner of this week’s Masters will win a cool £350,000.
It’s a sport which has seen prize money soar in recent years thanks to television and sponsorship deals, with increasing interest in China and the Far East bolstering the tournament coffers even more.
It means that some of the greatest of all time who played in less lucrative times - including Stephen Hendry, Jimmy White and Steve Davis - aren’t even in the top five highest earners.
We’ve taken a look at the players who have won the most prize money in the history of the sport, with their true net worth being around 50 per cent more due to sponsorship, exhibition games, advertising deals, investments and media work.
Here are the 15 richest, as of January 2026, directly before the Masters.
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9. Mark Allen - £5,946,640
Two-time World Championship semi-finalist Mark Allen just needs that competition to complete the Triple Crown, having won the 2018 Masters and the 2022 UK Championship. Along the way the Northern Irishman has banked £5,946,640. He just overtook Steve Davis in prizemoney terms last year. | Getty Images
10. Steve Davis - £5,623,536
Dominating the sport in the 1980s, Steve Davis reached eight World Snooker Championship finals in nine years, won six world titles, and held the world number one ranking for seven consecutive seasons. His career earnings were £5,623,536. | Getty Images
11. Ding Junhui - £5,425,244
The posterboy for snooker in China, Ding Junhui has won 15 major ranking titles, including three UK Championships. In 2016, he became the first Asian player to reach the final of the World Championship. It's won him prize money totalling £5,425,244. | Getty Images
12. Jimmy White - £4,980,179
Famously never world champion, despite reaching six finals, Jimmy White is one of the most popular players of all time. His career earnings total £4,980,179 - and he's still playing. | Getty Images