2) Lee Jae Dong – South Korea
AKA: Jaedong Total earnings: $519,086
With nicknames including “The Tyrant” and “The Legend Killer,” Jaedong is something of a competitive videogaming heavyweight. He’s South Korean, so guess what his game of choice is? That’s right, we’re back at StarCraft again. Just in case you still don’t quite believe how popular that game is over there, bear in mind that over half of all the copies of StarCraft in existence were sold in South Korea.
In 2005, the country held a StarCraft Championship, and it attracted 120,000 spectators. To put that into perspective, imagine 40,000 more people than attended this year’s SuperBowl. What that is, is amazing.
And even with all the competition, Jaedong is the best, earning the most prize money of any professional gamer in the world currently, over his seven year career. He revolutionized the way StarCraft was played, he holds several records, and he earned half a million dollars from playing a videogame. He’s a badass, and he commands both your love and respect for that.
But in case you’re having delusions of grandeur about become a pro player yourself, it might be worth considering that these guys treat it like a full time job, training together for hours a day. Have a look at this clip – from excellent documentary The Hax Life, regarding exactly what these guys get up to – then see if you feel like you could still live the dream. Good luck.
