Luke Littler could be set to lose nearly half of his huge £1million prize cheque, after he became the first man in 10 years to win back-to-back World Championships.
The 18-year-old darts sensation thumped Gian van Veen 7-1 during Saturday’s final at Alexandra Palace, to cement his standing as one of the best players in the sport.
He now joins an illustrious list of names that includes the likes of Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis and Phil Taylor to have won successive World Championships after besting Michael van Gerwen in last year’s final.
A record-breaking prize pool was on offer this year, with the PDC doubling its total prize pot from £2.5m to £5m.
But Littler is set to pocket only half of his £1m share due to UK tax laws.
The Warrington-born darts star is set to be taxed at the rate of 45 per cent on his income. That will mean Littler will be deducted around £450,000.
Luke Littler (pictured with his girlfriend Faith Millar) could be set to lose nearly half of his huge £1million prize cheque, after he became the first ever man in 10 years to win back-to-back World Championships at Alexandra Palace
The 18-year-old darts star is set to be taxed at the additional rate of 45 per cent on his income
Littler will also owe National Insurance contributions on those earnings.
Van Veen will take home a cheque of £400,000 for placing second. Semi-final losers all banked £200,000, while those reaching the quarter-finals were paid £100,000. Those knocked out in the first round even pocketed a very nice £15,000.
But the prize money, for Littler, is not his main motivation.
‘It’s a massive prize. But it’s the trophy on the stage, it’s not the money,’ the teenager said after his semi-final win against Ryan Searle.
‘I’m repeating myself, but ever since the Grand Slam I have just said I want to go back-to-back. So hopefully I can lift the trophy again and think about the money after.’
Averaging over 106 while amassing 16 maximums, Littler dominated Van Veen in Saturday’s final.
He admitted that he had been feeling nervous in the build-up to the match, but added that a pre-match margherita pizza had calmed him down.
‘In the build-up there were a lot of nerves in the household,’ Littler said.
Littler has now won five of the last six major darts tournaments and has his eyes on usurping Taylor’s 16 World Championships
‘I actually turned up to the venue and realised I hadn’t eaten anything all day.
‘So I got a margherita pizza and scranned that. And yeah, I was good to go.’
Littler has now won five of the last six major darts tournaments and has his eyes on usurping Taylor’s 16 World Championships.
‘It’s so far away. Yeah, 14 to go. Another 15, 16, years, I’d say and I’ll start thinking about it,’ the ‘Nuke’ added.
‘If it happens, it happens. I’ll be around for a very long time and I’m here to win.
‘It’s something any darts player could do, myself, being so young and already picking up two of these.
‘Who knows if I could reach it. If I get five or six, I’ll be happy.
‘I think I could if I stay around for long enough, keep the hunger.
‘Once the hunger goes, there’s no point playing. But there’s a lot of hunger left inside of me.’
