Kyren Wilson won the World Snooker Championship in 2024, pocketing a cool £500,000 in the process, and the former champion very quickly invested his winnings
Kyren Wilson claimed victory at the World Snooker Championship in 2024, edging out Jack Jones in the final with an 18-14 victory. And as he celebrated at The Crucible, he already knew exactly what he wanted to do with his £500,000 top prize.
Opting for a sensible investment over a lavish splurge, Wilson ploughed his entire winnings into a holiday home in Portugal, promising his family a permanent getaway spot to bask in sun and tranquillity. But the journey to financial security was a challenge for the Wilson clan.
There was a time when cash was tight, especially during the early days of Wilson’s career. In a heartfelt recollection, he reflected on his modest upbringing.
He commented: “My dad has a fight on his hands every day with multiple sclerosis and that puts snooker into perspective. It’s nothing compared to what he and my mum have to go through.
“She’s been a loyal servant to Weetabix for 30-odd years on the packaging side of things. It’s probably not the ideal thing she wanted for her life, but she knew it’d bring stability to our family.
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“They re-mortgaged the house so I could go out and fulfil my dream. I spoil my children now, but I remind them it wasn’t always like this. Everything seems like a bonus because you never had anything.
“I think that’s been a key part of my success. I went in very hungry and humble. That’s kept me down to earth and made me appreciate the value of money.”
After landing the sport’s biggest prize, Wilson’s winnings shot up to £3million. He has since pocketed just shy of another £1m in the 2024-25 season alone.
Wilson’s current triumphs are a far cry from his early days as an up-and-coming snooker star, when scrimping and saving was the norm for his family’s travel plans. He reminisced about the lean times, saying, “We basically couldn’t afford a hotel.
“If the tournament was somewhere where there was no other way but staying overnight, my mum used to bring a little grill so we could make bacon sandwiches in the morning because we couldn’t afford the hotel breakfast.”
In spite of a recent tight 10-9 loss to China’s Lei Peifan in the opening round of defending his title, Wilson remains focused. He candidly shared his coping mechanism after facing big disappointments: “You can get a bit lost out there sometimes.
“You forget the most important reasons, if you like, but that gave me the fire in my belly to give my family a great life. I told Sophie (his wife), ‘You bring our son up and I’ll try and bring in the earnings,’ and I’ve kicked on ever since then really.’
“It’s been tough sometimes. I do feel like a bit of a part-time dad. You’re always in a different city, country, airplane. When I close the door I can see it breaks the kids’ hearts.
“I’ve been begged not to go, but hopefully when they’re adults they’ll know it was all for this.”