Luke Littler, the 18-year-old darts prodigy, is on track to surpass £10 million in career prize money, a goal deemed achievable by darts legend Dennis Priestley, as Littler continues to dominate the PDC circuit in 2025. Priestley’s prediction, reported by The Mirror on May 25, 2025, underscores Littler’s meteoric rise, with the teenager already banking over £1.5 million in 2024, including a £500,000 World Championship win. Amid this financial ascent, Littler has set his sights on Phil Taylor’s record 16 World Darts Championship titles, controversially claiming the darts icon would “struggle” in today’s competitive era, sparking debate as he prepares for the Premier League Darts finals on May 29, 2025, at London’s O2 Arena.
Littler’s Financial Path
Priestley told OLBG, “Getting to £10 million will be simple for Luke if he keeps his head down with the new £1 million prize money.” The PDC’s escalating prize pools, with the World Championship winner’s prize rising to £1 million from 2025, fuel this optimism. Littler’s 2024 earnings included £200,000 from the Premier League, £150,000 from the Grand Slam, and £315,000 from other majors, per Express.co.uk. However, a £452,722 tax bill for 2023-2024, noted by Saxo, highlights financial challenges, with Littler losing nearly £500,000. Phil Taylor, whose £8.5 million career earnings Littler aims to eclipse, advised using dual bank accounts to manage taxes and avoiding social media distractions, per The Sun. Littler’s 2025 trajectory, with over £6 million earned by mid-year, positions him to outpace Taylor’s financial legacy if he sustains his form.
Chasing Taylor’s 16 Titles
Littler’s first World Championship triumph in January 2025, defeating Michael van Gerwen 7-3 at age 17, ignited his ambition to challenge Taylor’s 16-title record. On Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast, Littler said, “If I can be bothered to stay in darts for that time, I could maybe beat his record. He was 52 when he won his 16th. Probably just the money, to be fair.” His claim that Taylor would struggle today due to fiercer competition—“You still had Phil Taylor, Eric Bristow—it was still a good field, but nowadays, I think Phil would struggle”—drew polarized reactions. Bobby George supported Littler, telling talkSPORT that Taylor’s prime couldn’t match Littler’s scoring power, while Chris Mason called the view “absolute b******s,” citing Taylor’s 113 average over 24 legs, per The Mirror. Taylor himself endorsed Littler, telling Sky Sports, “Only Luke knows if he’s prepared to put in the hours… he’s young enough to go past me.”
2025 Season and Controversies
Littler’s 2025 has been sensational, with 11 PDC titles, including the Premier League, UK Open, and a record 104.35 average on night 10 of the Premier League, per @OfficialPDC. Leading the Premier League with six weekly wins, he’s favored against Gerwyn Price in the May 29 semifinals. However, Littler faced backlash after taunting Sheffield United fans on Instagram following crowd boos at the May 6 Premier League event, posting, “Heard some boos on Thursday night karma always comes back to bite you.” This echoed a 2023 controversy over posing with The Sun, prompting an apology due to Merseyside’s boycott. Rob Cross defended Littler, likening him to Ronnie O’Sullivan’s bold persona and urging fans to “lay off,” per Express.co.uk. Priestley, however, doubted Littler’s chances of matching Taylor’s titles, telling the Daily Record, “I’d give Luke Littler no chance of replicating the success Phil Taylor had.”
O’Sullivan’s Influence
Cross’s comparison to O’Sullivan, a seven-time snooker world champion, reflects Littler’s potential to turn criticism into fuel. O’Sullivan’s 2024 advice to find a mentor like Sir Alex Ferguson—per SportBoom.com—resonates as Littler, with over a million Instagram followers, faces scrutiny. His ability
