THEY are the snooker sharpshooters making millions through their pot luck.
Now the world’s best snooker players are lining up for the £250,000 prize at the Masters, which kicked off this week.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is among the favourites to win the prestigious competition, at the Alexandra Palace, but faces stiff competition from the likes of Judd Trump, last year’s runner-up Mark Williams and current world champion Luca Brecel.
The 28-year-old, known as ‘The Belgian Bullet’, beat Mark Selby to the title at The Crucible Theatre, in March, and was estimated to be worth £4.5million.
But he recently revealed he was no longer a millionaire– after blowing a fortune on supercars so that he could “feel pressure” again.
From sports cars to mega-mansions with impressive features, we reveal the biggest earners and how they spend it in our ultimate snooker rich list.
Ronnie O’Sullivan – £32m
World number one Ronnie O’Sullivan was known as the ‘bad boy’ of the snooker world but surprisingly shies away from splashing his hard-earned cash.
The 47-year-old, who is a seven-time world champion, is reportedly worth £32million after making a fortune from the sport and other ventures.
Known as ‘The Rocket’, he’s written three novels, three autobiographies and a cookbook and made a tidy sum from sponsorship deals.
Despite his wild reputation, Ronnie now hides away from the spotlight having traded in his flashy motors including a Ferrari, Aston Martin, Bentley and a Porsche.
He once bought a private driving licence plate that read ‘CUEBOY’ – CUE 130 Y – from Jimmy White for £2,500 but sold it back to him because he “didn’t like the attention”.
Unlike many mansion-loving celebs, Ronnie has owned two luxury canal boats including one that he put up for sale for £129,950 in 2019.
The star, who famously battled with alcohol and drug abuse as well as depression, described having wasted nine years of his career because he “mentally wasn’t ready”.
Stephen Hendry – £13.2m
Scottish star Stephen Hendry is among the most successful players in history and held the record for seven world titles before it was beaten by Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2022.
The 54-year-old, who retired in 2012 but has since returned to the sport, is estimated to be worth £13.2m by Celebrity Net Worth.
Away from snooker, he has appeared in several televised poker tournaments and launched his YouTube channel Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips last year.
In 2011, HM Revenue and Customs liquidated his company Stephen Henry Snooker Ltd after he failed to pay an £85,000 tax bill.
The star and his ex-wife Amanda made money from the sale of their marital mansion, which went for £875,000 but was split as part of their divorce settlement in 2021.
Mark Selby – £9.3m
Former world champion Mark Selby, who lost out to Luca Brecel in last year’s World Championships, is said to be worth £9.3million.
The snooker legend, nicknamed ‘The Jester from Leicester’, has been named the best player in the sport multiple times and has a total of 22 ranking titles.
Mark, 39, splashed £215,000 on a Lamborghini Huracan back in 2018 after winning the World Snooker Championships but three years later spent more modestly.
He celebrated his 2021 victory by buying his daughter Sofia two toys– a doll that cost £2.49 and a remote-controlled car for £10.
Mark previously said: “Bless her, she said if it’s too expensive, she’ll choose something else.”
The star also had an impressive mansion in Leicester, which features a playground in the garden and an indoor swimming pool – despite Mark not being able to swim.
Steve Davis – £8m
London-born Steve Davis dominated snooker during the Eighties, winning six of nine World Snooker Championship finals and holding the world number one ranking for several years.
The star, now 65, retired in 2016 after 38 seasons before going on to work as a BBC commentator and appearing on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! In 2013.
Steve, who was made an OBE in 2000, is reportedly worth £8m from his snooker earnings and side ventures.
He’s published at least 14 books, which cover the sport, chess, cooking and music, and has appeared in TV shows including in a Morecambe and Wise sketch.
Steve is also a DJ, which has led him to perform at Glastonbury Festival in 2016, guest present BBC Radio 6 Music and regularly bag gigs in nightclubs.
In 2019, the sportsman listed his luxury Essex mansion, which has four bedrooms, for £1.25million after buying it for £735,000 nine years earlier.
Mark Williams – £4.8m
Three-time snooker World Champion Mark Williams, 48, who is known as ‘The Welsh Potting Machine’, is reportedly worth £4.83million.
Amusingly, back in 2016, bosses from the UK Snooker Championship accidentally paid him £165,750 instead of the tournament winner Mark Selby.
Four years later misfortune struck again when Mark revealed his bank account had been hacked and fraudsters had emptied his account.
He only noticed when his bank card was declined in Wetherspoons after con artists bought eight pairs of trainers, including one for £1,200, a spa day, takeaways and a kitchen sink.
John Higgins – £4.8m
John Higgins, known as ‘The Wizard of Wishaw’, is reportedly worth £4.8million and was the highest performing player between 1968 and 2020.
The Scot, 47, was famously banned from the sport for six months and fined £75,000 in 2010 over alleged match-fixing but was later cleared of wrongdoing.
He was also escorted off a plane for being drunk after losing to Ken Doherty in the 2006 Malta Cup finals and slammed for verbally abusing a taxi driver in 2019.
In 2021, John put his luxury five-bed mansion, which had a detached games room and sat along the River Clyde, in Scotland, up for sale for offers over £825,000.
Ken Doherty – £4m
Known as ‘The Darlin’ of Dublin’, Ken Doherty has been the World Snooker Champion once and compiled more than 350 century breaks.
The sportsman, 53, is believed to be worth around £4million after notching up earnings from the sport and commentary gigs with the BBC.
Back in 2012, Ken had his sights set on a £175,000 pay day when he entered the 2012 World Poker tour but was eliminated and came in 14th place.
Last year, the star confirmed he was no longer with his partner Sarah and that they were selling their five-bed home, in Rathgar, Ireland, which was listed for £2.2m.