Top 10 Gamers & Streamers Who Made More Than Pro Athletes

Ibai Llanos transformed from League of Legends caster into Spain's leading content creator, amassing 15 million Twitch followers and 11 million YouTube subscribers. Co-owner of KOI with Gerard Piqué, his La Velada del Ano boxing events attracted 3.4 million concurrent viewers in 2024. His New Year's Eve 2022 stream drew 2.5 million viewers, replacing traditional TV for millions of Spanish youth. He competes with television networks, not other streamers.

Pokimane is Twitch's most-followed female streamer (9.3 million followers), co-founding OfflineTV, launching the Midnight snack brand sold at Target, and earning an estimated $10 million in 2022 from sponsorships, subs, and brand deals. She also capped Twitch donations at $5 to curb parasocial spending — a move that sacrificed revenue but underscored her ethical stance.

Former CS:GO pro Shroud signed a $10 million deal with Mixer in 2019, kept the full payout when the platform folded, and returned to Twitch as a free agent with peak concurrent viewership of 500,000+. His endorsement portfolio includes Logitech, HyperX, and Postmates, along with co-ownership of the Sentinels esports team.

N0tail is the highest-earning esports player in history by prize money, with $7.2 million from winning The International twice with OG in 2018 and 2019. TI9’s $34.3 million prize pool was the largest in esports history, funded entirely by player battle pass purchases. His 2019 winnings of $3.1 million from a single tournament exceeded Wimbledon's singles champion prize of $2.5 million that year, and his career total tops the average professional tennis player’s lifetime earnings of $2 million. Outpacing Ludwig's record subathon income, N0tail’s strategic dominance in Dota 2 proves that focused tournament play can rival diversified streaming models.

He then signed an exclusive deal with YouTube Gaming, rumored at $10 million+, proving platforms will pay eight figures for top talent. Co-founding Offbrand and hosting the Mogul Money game show, his 2023 chess boxing event drew millions of viewers. Ludwig’s annual income exceeds the average MLB salary of $4.9 million, all while literally sleeping on stream for content.

At 20, Tfue became the highest-earning Fortnite content creator globally, generating an estimated $20 million in 2019 from tournament winnings, sponsorships, and streaming revenue. He sued FaZe Clan over a contract that allegedly took 80% of his brand deal income, a lawsuit that settled confidentially but sparked an industry-wide reckoning on creator deals. During his peak, Tfue averaged over 100,000 concurrent viewers. His legal battle reshaped esports contract structures more profoundly than any individual gameplay achievement.

DrLupo signed a rumored $10 million exclusive deal with YouTube Gaming in 2021, leaving Twitch behind. His true standout achievement, however, is raising over $13 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through gaming streams. His 24-hour charity streams routinely generate $1 million or more per session.