The CS:GO Era is slowly coming to an end, and we continue summing it up. How to determine a player’s success? Look at their individual records (for example, HLTV Top 20 nominees); consider the number of tournaments won or teams played for; calculate average career rating and work through giant statistical databases. But we’ll look at another interesting indicator: the amount of prize money earned. In this article, CS.MONEY Blog will talk about players who have earned the most prize money in CS:GO.
CS:GO didn’t have tournaments with significantly high prize pools (we covered the largest competitions in a separate article), so having a substantial sum in a bank account also signifies esporting longevity. Unfortunately, some players who dominated the game’s early days but couldn’t stay relevant for around a decade won’t be on the list. So, here comes the top ten richest CS:GO players by prize money earned!
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Astralis Golden Five: The Richest CS:GO Players
- Peter “Dupreeh” Rasmussen ($2,180,000)
- Andreas “xyp9x” Højsleth ($2,000,000)
- Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz ($1,950,000)
- Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander ($1,860,000)
- Emil “magisk” Reif ($1,775,000)
Obbvioulsy and well-deservedly. Astralis 2018-20 is unarguably the best CS:GO team in the game’s history, and we explain why in an article linked below. No other team managed to be significantly stronger for such a long time in a competitive environment.
But why Danish Super Five’s prize winnings differ from each other that much? Firstly, it is not surprising that Dupreeh is the richest CS:GO player: he is synonymous with stability and the highest skill level. Moreover, Peter is the only player in the world who has won five Majors, while each of his teammates has four.
Magisk joined Astralis later and missed their first triumph but made up for it in Paris with Team Vitality. His 2016–2017 years were less productive than other players: Magisk earned $170,000, while the rest earned $400,000+.
Prize money differences for other Golden Five players are due to varying career starts and different periods of inactivity within Astralis. Each one of them took breaks from the main roster at different times. However, all five Danish players confidently outperformed everyone else, including the below-mentioned player of the decade.
Sixth Place: Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostylev
- Prize money: $1,720,000
Individually, there is no player to match the Ukrainian superstar. But CS:GO tournaments are about teams, and lone efforts are not always enough for victory. S1mple has played in 77 major LAN tournaments (including 13 Majors) throughout his career. Thirteen significant titles and numerous top-3 finishes — S1mple has been dominating the servers for nine years already. His most successful year was undoubtedly 2021: winning PGL Stockholm Major, the biggest prize pool for a Valve event, by the way; overall esports scene dominance; and winning the Intel Grand Slam, which also severely boosted his bank account.
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Seventh Place: Finn “karrigan” Andersen
- Prize money: $1,635,000
Despite winning his first Major only last year, the Dane is a legitimate contender for the title of the best captain in CS:GO history. He participated in 17 Majors and consistently earned over $100,000 in yearly prize money for seven years. His significant success with FaZe Clan completely silenced all sceptics, and now he has no blanks in his biography.
Eighth Place: Denis “electroNic” Sharipov
- Prize money: $1,570,000
Talking about the success of Na’Vi and S1mple, one cannot leave out the Russian player. Denis didn’t immediately emerge on the global scene, but he only needed one chance to demonstrate his talent and join the top ranks. ElectroNic played alongside S1mple for five and a half years, and it’s no surprise that their numerous successes are reflected in both their bank accounts.
Ninth Place: Russell “Twistzz” Van Dulken
- Prize money: $1,520,000
The Canadian superstar Twistzz started his professional career not that long ago, but already achieved a unique feat: he is the only player to have won two Intel Grand Slams! And he did it with two different teams, so it’s logical that half a million additional winnings, multiplied by two periods of dominance, place him high in our list of highest earning CS:GO players by prize money. Twistzz is only 23 years old, and he has much more ahead. We will be watching him with interest in Counter-Strike 2!
Tenth Place: Håvard “rain” Nygaard
Prize money: $1,420,000
Closing our top is a fellow to Twistzz and Karrigan in FaZe Clan, Håvard “rain” Nygaard. The Norwegian played CS:GO for a long time and did it successfully. He participated in 16 Majors and 98 major LAN tournaments. With fifteen trophies, three MVP titles, and three appearances in the HLTV’s Top 20, Rain was in the top rankings for an extended period. Therefore, seeing him in such a high position is not surprising.
Each of the ten players who earned most in CS:GO is a true legend of the game. Who knows, maybe your legend will begin in Counter-Strike 2! But as everyone waits for the game’s release, one thing you can do right now surely is update your inventory. Come to CS.MONEY Trade, choose a skin you like, and don’t worry— it won’t disappear in the new game, Valve promised!
