Professional tournaments are the pinnacle of the massive iceberg known as Counter-Strike. Hundreds of thousands of people play and compete to make it to the top, as besides the fame, there is also a significant amount of money awaiting them… right?
We have already discussed who among professional CS:GO players earns most, but we have yet to discuss their total income. In this article, CS.MONEY Blog tries to estimate how much s1mple makes. Surely, is there a better example other than the best player in CS:GO history? Note: we don’t have any exact figures, but many things can be reasonably estimated.
No matter how much Sasha earns, he is just as any of us: regular skins enjoyer. By the way, while we’re all waiting for CS2, it is worth updating inventories! And the easiest way to do it is CS.MONEY Trade, where prices are lower than Steam!
S1mple’s Prize Winnings In 2023 & Total
This is the easiest part. Prize pools are open for everyone, so calculating how much s1mple made in prize money throughout his career is quick and easy. So, from 2014 until today, s1mple has earned over $1.7 million from tournaments. More than half of that amount was earned in 2021 when Na’Vi won Intel Grand Slam and PGL Stockholm Major. However, let’s look beyond that super successful year and consider, for example, 2019, 2020, or 2022. During those years, he still earned quite a lot: ranging from $123,000 to $162,000 (before taxes and organization deductions).
In the first five months of 2023, Oleksandr Kostiylev earned $37,500.
S1mple’s Salary in NAVI
Owen “smooya” Butterfield stated that s1mple’s salary is around $50,000 monthly. Still, it may not necessarily be accurate, even though seems legit. Such an amount could very well be the salary of the world’s top players, which Oleksandr undoubtedly is. However, Natus Vincere is known for working within a budget and not being reckless with spending. Therefore, s1mple’s actual salary may be slightly lower, but even if that’s the case, it wouldn’t be by much.
In general, many top-tier pro players earn between $40,000 and $50,000 a month, as many esports-related personalities leak or spill. Therefore, we might say that s1mple really receives at least fifty thousand dollars per month in NAVI.
How Much S1mple Makes On Stickers?
Let’s turn to well-known speakers again. KennyS mentioned that if players make it to the playoffs and win the Major, they can earn anywhere from half a million to a million dollars from stickers. Worst-case scenario: a player would still receive a six-figure sum even if dropped in the first stages. This is substantial support for the players from the community. In return, we get numerous amazing options to decorate our skins.
By the way, if you want to get a specific player’s sticker, the easiest way to purchase it is through CS.MONEY Trade: fast deals, a user-friendly interface, and a wide selection awaits!
But let’s get back to the GOAT. Throughout his career, s1mple has played in the playoffs of eleven CS:GO Majors! However, he did not receive a significant sticker bonus from every single one of them. For example, at DreamHack Winter 2014, where Oleksandr played in the quarterfinals with HellRaisers, there weren’t no player autograph stickers at all! Valve introduced them only later.
Nevertheless, we can safely say that the amount of money earned from CS:GO stickers nowadays is substantial. In 2022, s1mple reached the quarterfinals of the Major in Rio and the final of the Major in Antwerp. It is quite likely that he earned at least half a million dollars from them.
Streaming? Not That Much
Streaming could be a significant source of income for some (and most) players, but s1mple just doesn’t do it. In the last month, he streamed only a few hours, and the revenue from subscriptions ranged from $55 to $145, according to streamscharts. Considering his other sources, this sums are hilarious. So, Sasha seems to stream for pure joy and certainly not for earning money.
S1mple’s Endorsements
Basically, s1mple is already a legend and an icon of Counter-Strike, which inevitably attracts popular brands. In 2019, s1mple became an ambassador for AMD and Raid: Shadow Legends, where he even got into as a full-fledged character. Each of these deals could have brought Alexander a six-figure sum per year. It’s an excellent income in addition to other sources. s1mple has a massive fan base on social media, making him a desirable partner for many brands.
Summary: How Much Does s1mple Earn?
Let’s sum up all the info we have about s1mple’s earnings:
- Monthly Salary: at least $50 thousand, according to various sources
- Yearly Salary: more than $600 thousand
- Prize Money: in general, usually not less than 100 thousand dollars a year
- Stickers: at least 200-500k dollars a year
- Streaming: meh
- Advertising Contracts/Endorsements: unknown, may be salary-included at NAVI; most likely at least a hundred thousand dollars a year
So, how much does s1mple make? Taking into account all income sources, we estimate his annual income to be a seven-figure sum, that is, at least one million dollars a year.
About half of the total amount of money per year s1mple get from his salary (50 thousand dollars per month multiplied by 12 = 600 thousand dollars per year), the rest of the amount is completed by prize money, as well as money from stickers and advertising contracts. A decent amount for a legendary player.
P.S. If you want to know more about s1mple, we have a review of his inventory and training routine. Click to read and learn from the best!
