Snooker players are amongst the richest sportspeople on the planet - a single World Championship title earns you a mind-boggling £500,000 and the winner of this week’s UK Championship will win a cool £250,000.
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.
Last year alone three players - Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson and Ronnie O’Sullivan - took home more than a million pounds in prize money.
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 17 richest, as of December 2025, directly before the UK Championship.
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1. Ronnie O'Sullivan - £15,060,317
Seven times World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan holds most of the records in snooker - including the most prize money. He's earned a remarkable 15,060,317 since turning pro at the age opf 16 in 1992. He's been helped to that total by a remarkable 23 Triple Crown wins. | Getty Images
2. John Higgins - £10,756,719
Wizard of Wishaw John Higgins may not be able to match fellow-Scot Stephen Hendry when it comes to tournament wins, but his longevity and consistancy means he's the second highest earning snooker player of all time. He's banked 10,756,719 over a glittering career that has included four world championships. | Getty Images
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3. Judd Trump - £9,562,871
With 30 ranking titles and five Triple Crown titles on his CV, Judd Trump has banked 9,562,871 in his career. Last year saw the world number one overtake Stephen Hendry to take the third spot on the all-time list. | Getty Images
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4. Mark Williams - £8,860,254
The second of three players to overtake Stephen Hendry for lifetime prize money in the last 12 months is cue ace Mark Williams. Nicknamed the Welsh Potting Machine, Mark Williams has earned £8,860,254 since turning professional in 1992 in a career that has seen him lift the world title on three occasions. | Getty Images