Melbourne's Anathan Pham has collected more than $3 million for playing a major role in winning the richest ever e-sports team event.
The 18-year-old came home from the International Dota 2 Championships in Canada with more money than the best AFL players earn in a year, as his five-man split the staggering main prize of $15.3 million between them.
His takings from this tournament alone would have placed him 19th for Australia's top-earning individual sportspeople last year, even above football heroes Aaron Mooy and Tim Cahill, as well as Wallabies rugby star Israel Folau.
Pham's team, named OG, defeated their more-fancied opponents PSG.LGD 3-2 in a best-of-five grand final series in front of a huge crowd at Vancouver's Rogers Arena on Sunday.
His teammates include a Finnish pair, a Frenchman and a Danish veteran.
Pham's big win takes his career earnings to $3.8 million after he moved from Victoria to China in 2016 as a 16-year-old to chase his e-sports dreams.
Members of the OG team. Source: Facebook/Red Bull Esports
Dota 2 is a five-on-five strategy game where teams play on a virtual battlefield, attempting to kill the opposing players and destroy their base.
Sébastien 'Ceb' Debs said the team adopted a mindset of no expectations.
"We knew we had potential to go far in the tournament, but we didn't put unnecessary amounts of pressure on ourselves," he told Red Bull. "Whatever happens, happens."
"We've been blessed."
