In the ferociously competitive world of professional esports, there’s no doubt who has been the most financially successful.

Danish superstar Johan Sundstein, better known as N0tail, earned more than $7 million from various Dota 2 tournaments.

And despite no longer being an active player, he’s still very much part of the gaming world due to his role as head coach of the OG team.

Here we take a look at N0tail’s career, the wealth he’s built during his career, the pros and cons of reaching the pinnacle of his profession, and how he spends his downtime.  

N0tail’s real name is Johan Sundstein, a 31-year-old Dane who has amassed a multi-million dollar fortune from playing Dota 2 tournaments. He is also known as Big Daddy.

He was twice part of the winning team in The International (TI), the most lucrative esports event that boasts an incredible seven-figure prize pool.

Although he’s stepped back from competing over the last few years, he remains active on the scene as head coach of the OG team, which he co-founded back in 2015.

He also has a substantial social media following on the likes of Twitch and Instagram, while his autobiography, entitled ‘Character Beats Talent’, was released in 2024.

N0tail has earned millions of dollars in tournament winnings. A significant amount came from twice winning The International, the most prestigious Dota 2 event.

According to Esports Earnings, he won prize money of $7.18 million from 130 tournaments between 2010 and 2021. 

His most lucrative year was 2019, when he walked away with earnings of $3.15 million from eight events, having scooped $2.82 million the previous year.

However, his overall net worth is likely to have been boosted by a salary from the OG team, as well as from his autobiography that was launched last year.

It’s believed that N0tail benefits from a number of revenue streams, although the foundation for his wealth is thought to be the $7 million won in tournaments.

Coaches for prominent esports teams can earn more than $100,000 per year, with endorsements and competition earnings boosting that figure.

The OG team also sells merchandise, with shirts, hats, jumpers, jackets, socks, and lanyards available. It even sells a branded gaming chair for £578 ($781).

N0tail also stands to earn money from his substantial social media following, with more than a quarter of a million on Instagram and 172,000 YouTube subscribers.

N0tail published his autobiography, ‘Character Beats Talent’, co-authored with Danish journalist Jacob Mignon, in October 2024.

The book provides an insight into his journey from a boy in Denmark with a passion for video games to winning the world’s most lucrative esports tournament.

It also covers the darker side of esports, including “greedy managers, false friendships, and anger as a driving force”, according to the back cover blurb.

In an X post, N0tail stated that he’d finally decided to reveal his full story after being asked to for many years.

The man who would become N0tail was born on 8 October 1993 in Denmark. In a video released on OG’s YouTube channel, he reflected fondly on his formative years.

He recalled that he had a “nice school, nice childhood, very good classmates”, and made some lifelong friends during this period.

As with most esports stars, he started playing video games at a very early age, spending time in Copenhagen’s LAN cafes, where the high-speed internet made them popular with gamers.

“My parents have always been supportive of me,” he recalled, even though they expressed concern about his plans to leave school early and concentrate on his passion.

He transitioned from playing on his Nintendo Game Boy to becoming a professional player in Heroes of Newerth around the age of 15. His skills soon got noticed as part of the Fnatic team.

While N0tail enjoyed success with NoN, it’s been his long-running association with Dota 2 that has truly cemented his legacy as an esports superstar.

He made the switch in early 2012, with one of the biggest incentives being the seven-figure prize pools for the game’s most prestigious competitions.

In 2015, he co-founded the team (monkey) Business, later to become OG, with long-term teammate Tal “Fly” Aizik. This would end up being an extremely successful and lucrative decision.

Three years later, the team won The International, the world’s most lucrative esports tournament, in Canada, and then stunned the gaming world by repeating the victory a year later in China.

In the same year, he was named in the Forbes 30 under 30 Games list, which was a considerable honour and highlighted his meteoric rise in the sport.

Writing on Facebook, back in November 2021, N0tail acknowledged the influential role that the game had played in his story. He wrote: 

The most significant recorded purchase by N0tail is his 17-bedroom mansion in Lisbon, Portugal, which is a gamer’s dream and, unsurprisingly, equipped with the very latest technology.

In a video released by Red Bull Gaming, he explained the idea behind buying it was to have the “bootcamp set-up” that he’d always wanted.

The sprawling property featured a main gaming room with access to the outside, as well as a “hang-out room” and swimming pool.

As far as his personal life is concerned, N0tail seems to favour a more modest existence with an emphasis on nature, dogs, and travelling, according to his Instagram feed.

N0tail reflected on what made him particularly successful during the height of his Dota 2 powers during his interview with Red Bull. He said:

But while his devotion to the cause helped him achieve almost unparalleled success, the victories came at a substantial price.

N0tail recalled how he was unable to enjoy the relatively simple, human aspects of life, including growing plants and having a dog.

He also admitted relationships were “a complete mess” because of the time commitment involved in preparing for tournaments.

A couple of years after winning the second TI, N0tail announced he was taking a break from competitive Dota 2 to focus on mentoring the next generation of players.

He has since established himself as head coach of the team and doesn’t appear to have any intention of stepping back full-time into the playing fray.

It’s understood that N0tail has made several donations over the years, including to the relief efforts following the Australian bushfires in 2020.

He also reportedly teamed up with Danil “Dendi” Ishutin for a charity stream in aid of Ukraine following the country’s invasion by Russia.

N0tail retains his position as number one in the all-time earning charts, despite not having played competitively for a few years.

The Dane has won $7.18 million from mainly Dota 2 tournaments, including back-to-back wins in the annual TI events, according to Esports Earnings.

Jesse Vainikka, known as JerAx, is in second spot with $6.48 million, while both Yaroslav Naidenov (Miposhka) and Anathan Pham (ana) have each won more than $6 million.

There’s no doubt that Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein’s focus on turning his passion for video games into a full-time career was a wise decision.

The 31-year-old is enjoying the spoils of success in a 17-bedroom mansion in Portugal, having earned more than $7 million in prize money from Dota 2 tournaments.

But he has also spoken candidly about the struggles involved in professional gaming, rather than focusing solely on the positive aspects, and for that, he deserves credit.

While it’s been a few years since N0tail was an active competitor, he still plays an important role in the sport through his role as head coach at OG, where he is inspiring upcoming gamers.