Luke Littler in line to become millionaire shortly after 18th birthday

Luke Littler is set to become a millionaire at the age of 18, according to former PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.

The 17-year-old's rise to superstardom has been quick and fast, toasting success after success since bursting onto the scene last year when he made it to the final of the World Darts Championship. While he was ultimately bested by 7-4 Luke Humphries at Alexandra Palace, he has gone on to make up for that defeat – and then some.

The Nuke has racked up a whopping £364,500 in tournament winnings according to the PDC's Order of Merit - putting him 21st in the rankings. That number also doesn't include his winnings for non-ranked events, including £315,000 across the Premier League, £80,000 for his World Series of Darts titles success, plus other non-ranked tournaments.

Given those astronomical numbers, it is perhaps no surprise that Hearn is predicting the youngster could become a millionaire next year. Speaking on The Barry Hearn show, he admitted: "Yeah I think it could be this year. Yeah I think so. I am pre-judging his performances, but I'd be surprised if he didn't to be honest with you.

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"There is darts players out there already earning well over £1million - £2million per year as it is. That is where the sport has got to and for Luke and the sport, it is only just the beginning. We've got opportunities to commercially expand that sport, and the joy when these kids faces.

"Without building Luke Littler up too much, he is one of them stars who people identify with." Littler is set to turn 18 come January 21, but despite his age, he has achieved a wealth of success that a number of seasoned pros have only dreamed of.

Littler followed up his world championship disappointment by winning the Bahrain Darts Masters in January. But that was super-ceded by his performances in the Premier League, where he finished top of the table before beating Luke Humphries on finals night.

His most recent TV success saw him claim the World Series of Darts, beating Michael Smith 11-4 at the AFAS Live in Amsterdam. He has also won the Belgian Darts Open, Austrian Darts Open, the Polish Masters and a host of Pro Tour events in a hugely successful debut season with the PDC.

Littler's bank balance looks set to continue to grow in the coming months with big-money tournaments including the World Series of Darts and the Grand Slam on the horizon. Then it's the return of the World Darts Championship, where the teenager will find himself among the heavy favourites to take him the £500,000 prize.

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