Luke Littler has won the biggest prize amount ever awarded in darts history – but it still isn’t enough to put him in the same realm as the sport’s all-time highest earner
Tom Sunderland Sports Writer
12:01, 04 Jan 2026
Luke Littler still hasn’t scratched the surface when it comes to challenging darts’ biggest ballers(Image: PA)
No one in darts has won a bigger lump sum from a competition than Luke Littler following his win at the 2026 World Championship. However, ‘The Nuke’ still has a long way to go before he can challenge the sport’s biggest earners.
Littler, who turns 19 later this month, throttled Gian van Veen 7-1 on Saturday to scoop a record £1million prize at Alexandra Palace, nearly half of which he’ll lose. That’s double the previous record amount on offer in London, dispelling doubts that Littler’s first world title was any sort of fluke (as if there were any).
It also means Littler has instantly added 50 per cent to his overall career winnings thanks to his last seven wins. That takes his total career earnings to £3.3m, though the teenager will have raked in even more when accounting for sponsors and endorsements.
With two World Darts Championships, a Premier League title, two Grand Slams crowns, and so much more, Littler’s record over the past two years makes him one of the most prolific players in history. However, he needs to spend more time adding to his competition earnings before he can challenge the darts elite in that regard.
In fact, he’s still not even in the sport’s top 10 oche earners of all time, where Michael van Gerwen still reigns supreme. ‘MVG’ has earned an astonishing £11.5m in prize money since turning pro almost 20 years ago, having dominated the sport in his own time.
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The Dutchman bowed out in the fourth round of this year’s World Championship and has endured a tough couple of years amid some personal struggles. However, there was a time when Van Gerwen looked untouchable, evidenced by the three world titles, five World Masters, seven Players Championship Finals, six World Grands Prix (and more) he won between 2013 and 2022.
And the gap between him and second place on the darts prize money leader list isn’t even particularly close. In fact, one could fit almost all of Littler’s career riches between Van Gerwen and runner-up Phil Taylor, who earned £8.5m from his efforts at the oche.
‘The Power’ is at a significant disadvantage compared to his peers on the rich list, considering he played in an era when prize rewards were significantly smaller. However, his utter domination of the field nonetheless led to a mountain of gold.
Littler has made darts history by winning his second world title before he’s even turned 19(Image: PA)
Littler looks like the only current talent with a realistic chance of contesting Taylor’s all-time record of 16 World Championship wins (14 in the PDC, two in the BDO). That’s only the tip of the iceberg concerning The Power’s prowess, however, as he also collected 16 World Matchplay crowns, 11 World Grands Prix, six Premier League gongs and six Grand Slams.
His record of 87 major titles will take some beating, though Littler is well on the way to mounting his challenge. And it set Taylor up for life as a true pioneer in his field to show the riches on offer to those with the necessary talent.
Michael van Gerwen reigns supreme as darts’ highest earner of all time(Image: John Walton/PA Wire)
Scottish powerhouses Peter Wright and Gary Anderson are some of the few who overlapped with Taylor’s prime years and are still active today. Wright sits third on the all-time earners list with £6.2m in prize money earnings, while fellow former world champion Anderson accrued £5.5m of his own.
The top five is rounded out by James Wade, who is yet to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy but has nonetheless racked up £5m in prize money alone. A career spanning 20 years has seen ‘The Machine’ celebrate some major paydays from his wins at the World Masters, European Championship, three UK Opens and more, but a maiden world title would fire him up the rankings.
Darts’ all-time highest earners (prize money only)
Phil Taylor’s world championship record may never be beaten – but Littler stands a good chance(Image: MAX NASH/AFP via Getty Images)
12. Luke Littler (£3.3m)
11. Rob Cross (£3.4m)
10. Luke Humphries (£3.5m)
9. Adrian Lewis (£3.6m)
8. Raymond van Barneveld (£4.2m)
7. Michael Smith (£4.3m)
6. Gerwyn Price (£4.6m)
5. James Wade (£5m)
4. Gary Anderson (£5.5m)
3. Peter Wright (£6.2m)
2. Phil Taylor (£8.5m)
1. Michael van Gerwen (£11.5m)
Figures reported by The Scotsman.
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