Hans Niemann reveals how much top players like Magnus, Hikaru earn; claims US blacklist cost him big money

American Grandmaster Hans Niemann has made a bold claim about his earnings, saying he could be making much more money if he was not blacklisted within the US chess community. Niemann revealed the earnings of top chess players like Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, and said that they make much more than him because of strong endorsement deals.

Speaking about the financial side of professional chess on the Threadguy podcast, Niemann explained how income varies among top players. According to him, elite players like Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura can earn around $1 million per year (Rs 9.3 crore), especially because of their sponsorship and endorsement deals.

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He added that players ranked in the top five can make between $600,000 to $800,000 (Rs 5.6 crore to Rs 7.4 crore) annually, while those in the top 10 usually earn between $300,000 to $500,000 (Rs 2.8 crore to Rs 4.6 crore).

Niemann pointed out that the earnings drop significantly beyond that level. He said players ranked in the top 20 are "lucky" to earn around $100,000 to $150,000 (Rs 93 lakh to Rs 1.4 crore), while those outside the top 40 may struggle to even reach $100,000 (Rs 93 lakh) a year.

"Let’s say you’re a Top-3 player in the world — like Magnus or Hikaru — you’re probably making $1,000,000 a year, depending on your endorsements. If you’re a Top-5 player in the world, you’re probably making $600,000 to $800,000. If you’re a Top-10 player, depending on your sponsors, I’d say $300,000 to $500,000. If you’re a Top-20 player in the world, you’re lucky to make $100,000 to $150,000. And if you’re a Top-40 player… You’re lucky to make $100,000 a year. There’s a huge drop off," Niemann said.

Niemann reveals his own earnings

Talking about his own income, Niemann revealed that he earned around $350,000 (Rs 3.2 crore) in prize money last year, which he admitted was decent. However, he believes he is missing out on bigger opportunities due to his controversial image.

"Last year I think I won around $350,000 in prize money, which is not bad. But some people have more endorsements. I’m kind of blacklisted in the American community. If I wasn’t blacklisted, I’d be making much more," he said.

Niemann also shared that he has received offers from other countries to switch federations. According to him, some of these offers included "ridiculous" amounts of money. Despite that, Niemann made it clear that he has no plans to leave the United States, saying he considers himself a patriotic American.

"For example, there were countries that offered me to represent them. And if I’d just switched to some other country, they would have paid me a ridiculous amount of money. I’ve been offered by multiple places — I’ve got a diverse heritage," he said.

Niemann was banned from Chess.com after a report revealed that he cheated in online games, including in prize money events. Niemann also admitted to cheating in online chess in the past, but said he never did anything wrong in over-the-board games. Carlsen also accused Niemann of cheating more than he ever admitted to, leading to lawsuits and documentaries about the controversy.