Magnus Carlsen's net worth today: How rich is the Grandmaster?
Nicknamed the Mozart of chess, Magnus Carlsen is ranked among the world's best chess players. He started as a child prodigy and has since expanded his talent into a thriving publicly traded company that leverages modern online chess. This article highlights Magnus Carlsen's net worth and how chess made him a multi-millionaire.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Magnus became a chess grandmaster at the age of 13 and won his first FIDE World Chess Championship at 22. He has since made global headlines, including being named one of Time's most influential people in the world. He also appeared on Forbes 30 Under 30 under the Sports & Games category.
Magnus Carlsen's profile summary
| Full name | Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen |
| Nickname | The Mozart of Chess |
| Date of birth | 30 November 1990 |
| Age | 33 years old in 2023 |
| Birth sign | Sagittarius |
| Place of birth | Tønsberg, Norway |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m/178 cm) |
| Eye colour | Hazel brown |
| Hair colour | Light brown |
| Gender | Male |
| Parents | Henrik Sigrun Øen, Henrik Albert Carlsen |
| Siblings | 3 sisters |
| Profession | Chess player, entrepreneur |
| Title | Grandmaster (since 2004) |
| Social media | InstagramX (Twitter)FacebookYouTube |
| Website | magnuscarlsen.com |
What is Magnus Carlsen's net worth?
The chess grandmaster has an estimated net worth of between $25 million and $50 million in 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth and Wealthy Gorilla. Magnus Carlsen's salary is estimated to be around $3 million per annum. His fortune is mainly from chess-related activities.
Where does Magnus Carlsen get his money?
The chess star gets money from various avenues, including chess winnings, endorsement deals, and his businesses. Below is a breakdown of his money-making ventures.
Source: Original
Magnus Carlsen's chess winnings
Chess tournaments usually offer grand prizes to winners, and Carlsen has won several prizes since he started playing. Here is a highlight of some of his major winnings;
| Tournament/Championship | Year | Prize |
| World Rapid Chess Championship | 2023 | $60,000 |
| Superbet Rapid & Blitz tournament | 2023 | $40,000 |
| World Chess Championship | 2021 | $1.2 million |
| Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour | 2020 | $349,500 |
| Croatia Grand Chess Tour | 2019 | $60,000 |
| World Chess Championship | 2018 | $1.1 million |
| World Chess Championship | 2016 | $660,000 |
| World Rapid Championship | 2015 | $200,000 |
| World Chess Championship | 2014 | $600,000 |
| World Chess Champion | 2013 | $1.53 million |
What businesses does Magnus Carlsen own?
Magnus Carlsen's income from his entrepreneurial ventures has greatly boosted his net worth. In 2013, he co-founded Play Magnus with his former manager, Espen Agdestein.
Play Magnus was initially designed as an app that mimics Carlsen's playing style. In 2019, they merged with Chess24 to expand their business. Espen told CNN Sports that online chess is the future since it is hard to commercialize classic chess.
Old chess has lagged behind compared to other sports when it comes to commercialization and accessibility...The internet provides chess with a huge opportunity because chess is exactly the same online, unlike other sports. Tennis isn't the same when played online, for example.
Play Magnus Group is the only publicly traded chess company globally, currently trading on the Euronext Growth Oslo stock exchange. The company's market cap has surpassed $106 million.
The player also owns 85% of Magnus Chess, a private entity established when he was 16 to keep his winnings. Magnus Chess, in turn, holds a 9% stake in Play Magnus.
Play Magnus currently hosts tournaments that attract lucrative sponsorships. The company's CEO, Andreas Thome, told The New York Times in 2021 that their goal is to host globally recognized championships.
Over time, we would like our Champions Chess Tour to be for chess, what the PGA is for golf, or what Formula One is for racing.
Source: Getty Images
Magnus Carlsen's endorsements
The chess Grandmaster has worked with several top brands due to his growing popularity as a chess star. He previously served as a brand ambassador for the Unibet sports betting site and Nordic Semiconductor.
He had sponsorship agreements with Iskar, a Norwegian water company and Simonsen Vogt Wiig, a Norwegian law firm. In 2022, the Grandmaster signed a deal with PUMA.
Carlsen has also worked as a model. In 2010 and 2014, he modelled for G-Star RAW, a Dutch clothing design company.
Magnus Carlsen IQ
Magnus has never taken an IQ test, although various sources estimate it to be between 163 and 190 due to his high problem-solving capabilities in chess. In his 2010 interview with German-based Der Spiegel magazine, Carlsen revealed knowing his IQ was likely to distract him.
I have no idea. I wouldn't want to know it anyway. It might turn out to be a nasty surprise...Of course, it is important for a chess player to be able to concentrate well, but being too intelligent can also be a burden. It can get in your way...I am a totally normal guy. My father is considerably more intelligent than I am.
Source: Getty Images
Magnus Carlsen's house
The Grandmaster resides in a six-bedroom mansion in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. He purchased the property around 2015 and moved in with his parents. Carlsen told the Financial Times that he was looking at a long-term picture when he bought the home.
For me, long term, it seemed like a good idea to buy for when I finally get a family. I think that is still far away.
Magnus Carlsen's car
The Grandmaster is a car enthusiast and a fan of car racing. In 2015, he visited the Germany-based Volkswagen automaker factory. Carlsen has been spotted driving a Tesla Model 3.
Source: UGC
FAQs
Multiple world championship titles and high-stakes tournament wins have given Magnus Carlsen unparalleled success in chess since he started competing. Here are some frequently asked questions about the chess star.
How much does a chess grandmaster make?
Grandmasters make an average of $18,600 per year, according to WGC. A chess player's salary is a combination of tournament winnings, sponsorships, club/country representations, appearance fees, private coaching, and others. The amount can exceed $350,000 pa.
Is Magnus Carlsen sponsored by PUMA?
PUMA is Magnus Carlsen's current sponsor after they signed a long-term deal in February 2022. Later, in May 2023, they released Clyde Chess, a chess-inspired sneaker.
Source: Getty Images
Magnus Carlsen's net worth today places him among the richest chess players in the world. He has been in the game for about two decades and currently owns one of the biggest chess companies.
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