Luke Littler’s irresistible rise to stardom in darts has not only boomed the sport’s popularity over the past year or so, it’s also put plenty of cash in the youngster’s pocket.
After his stunning World Darts Championship triumph earlier this month, which saw Littler defeat Michael van Gerwen in emphatic fashion to claim the Sid Waddell Trophy, the darts prodigy banked another £500,000 to add to his overall prize fund.
After his triumph at the Ally Pally, darts’ youngest ever world champion took his prize total to just shy of £1.1million from major events as a teenager.
However, it is believed his career earnings to date exceed that figure, once winnings from the World Championships, PDC Order of Merit, European Tour, Players’ Championship, UK Open, World Matchplay and World Grand Prix are accumulated.
His earnings, therefore, total up to a figure approximately in the region of £1.5m, which isn’t half bad ahead of your 18th birthday.
Unfortunately for Littler, much of that he will never see — the teenage sensation has paid income tax on all his winnings, and will have to do so again on the back of his latest £500,000 win at the Worlds.
Luke Littler’s total earnings so far add up to a figure approximately in the region of £1.5million
The darts sensation turns 18 today, less than a month after being crowned world champion
Littler defeated Michael van Gerwen to triumph at the World Darts Championship in January
According to Sky, Littler has coughed up a £369,384 tax bill for the 2024 calendar year after earning £811,000 – and there’s more to come.
He reportedly won £202,500 in prize money in 2023, meaning he will have paid £452,772 in income tax already – and he’s only just turned an adult.
The £500,000 was paid in 2025, meaning he will be set for another hefty bill soon.
And that’s only taking prize money into consideration, too. Littler has a handful of sponsorship deals, including a partnership with Target Darts, which is thought to be worth millions.
Dan Squires, meanwhile, chief commercial officer at Saxo, told Sky that Littler could earn more than £13m in his life without having to ever play darts again.
‘If he invested half of his career earnings today, or £500,000, into an index fund returning seven per cent annually, he would earn £36,145.04 in interest in the first year alone,’ he said. ‘Around the same amount Brits earn on average each year working a full-time job.
‘If he leaves that £500,000 into the same fund for his retirement, at age 65, he would have £13,293,751.87 without ever throwing another dart again.’
One source claims Littler could earn more than £13m in his life without playing darts ever again
Littler was surprised by darts stars and his family with a birthday cake out in Bahrain
Littler was seen celebrating his landmark birthday at the Bahrain Darts Masters last week. It marked his first tournament as world champion alongside some of the best players on the planet.
Littler faced Lourence Ilagan of the Philippines in the first round, winning 6-3, with the likes of Luke Humphries, Stephen Bunting and Peter Wright also featuring.
And, as shared on social media by Littler’s dad, Anthony, some of his fellow stars seemed to surprise him on a night out in the country prior to the tournament kicking off, with Littler looking shocked as a birthday cake came out to music.
The likes of Bunting and Nathan Aspinall were spotted in attendance, as well as Littler’s mum, Lisa, with someone dressed in a bull costume delivering the cake, which read ‘Happy Birthday Luke’ and had a picture of him lifting the World Championship on.
