Yahoo Finance How this 16-year-old became an overnight millionaire
One 16-year-old is just became a millionaire overnight, after winning US$3 million (AU$4.3 million) in the Fortnite World Cup Finals.
The US teenager, Kyle Giersdorf, known as ‘Bugha’ online, won the solo event of the competition to take home the biggest share of the US$30 million prize pool.
"All I want is a new desk and maybe a desk for my trophy," he told The BBC after his win.
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But Giersdorf could afford a lot more than just a few desks after his massive take-home.
It’s so massive, in fact, that it’s around 45 times the median Australian salary ($65,000).
Giersdorf’s winnings were even more than those of Wimbledon’s recent champion, Novak Djokovic.
Fortnite developer Epic Games said the tournament was the “most participated-in tournament of all time”, with Giersdorf battling over 40 million players around the world to nab the $3 million grand prize.
In fact, even the top five players who missed out on the grand prize still walked away instant millionaires, pocketing between US$1.05 million and US$1.8 million each.
And for qualifying for the final alone, players were given a hefty $50,000 sum.
Lucrative gaming industry
In 2018, the gaming industry generated almost US$135 billion, which was a 10.9 per cent growth on its 2017 revenue (US$116 billion).
And there’s no end to its growth trajectory just yet, with the industry expected to topple US$180.1 million by 2021.
More than 2.5 billion people worldwide play games, with eSports in particular enjoying an audience of around 456 million.
While yesterday’s Fortnite tournament was the largest prize pool ever, there’s big money to be won.
Tekken, Dota and Counter-Strike championships could win you thousands.
According to eSports, Dota has dished out a total of US$182 million in prize money, while Counter-Strike is a close second with US$81 million.
League of Legends has given out US$68 million in total, and there was around US$30 million to be won in StarCraft II.
I’m in - how do I become a gamer?
If you like the sound of winning big for playing online games, data and tech company, Intel, has some good pointers.
First up, pick your game - and practice often.
Then, they suggest you join a gaming community, and once you build a reputation as a serious competitor, find a team.
Entering tournaments is your next step, and if you want to earn a living, find a way to get sponsored.
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