$60M Club: The Stars Atop The Earnings Leaderboard

The summer of 2026 has proven to be a monumental period for the titans of the felt, particularly for those etched into the annals of poker history on the all-time money list. Four of the nine elite professionals who boast over $60 million in recorded career tournament earnings have significantly expanded their war chests since June, with three of them adding multi-million dollar sums to their already impressive totals. The high-stakes circuit, including the World Series of Poker and various high-roller series, provided fertile ground for these legends to further cement their legacies.

Leading this charge, and indeed the entire leaderboard, is none other than Bryn Kenney. The 39-year-old New York pro, already a formidable force, amassed an astonishing $5,813,322 over the summer months alone. His spree was punctuated by three seven-figure scores, demonstrating a consistent dominance at the highest levels. Kenney kicked off his incredible run with a runner-up finish in the $250,000 high roller at the World Series of Poker, banking a colossal $2,776,634. His momentum continued at the series, securing third place in a $50,000 buy-in event for an additional $1,041,908. Not content to rest on his laurels, Kenney then traveled to Korea, where he triumphantly took down the $100,000 buy-in King Poker Cup for another $1,954,000.

These three massive cashes propelled Kenney's career count of seven-figure scores to an astounding 17, with seven of those being multi-million dollar paydays. His record-setting $20.6 million payout from a heads-up deal in the 2019 Triton Millions charity event still stands as the largest single payout in poker history. With his recent surge, Kenney now commands a staggering $92,002,616 in total earnings, establishing a formidable $12 million lead over his nearest competitor on the global leaderboard.

While Kenney dominated the headlines, the rest of the top echelon also saw significant movement. Stephen Chidwick, a two-time bracelet winner from Deal, England, maintained his second-place position with $79,964,075. Despite a relatively quiet summer by his standards, adding just over a quarter of a million dollars from five cashes, Chidwick stands poised to become only the second player in history to surpass the $80 million mark, a milestone within reach with just one more high-roller min-cash.

Rounding out the top three is Jason Koon, the newly minted 2026 Poker Hall of Fame inductee, with nearly $77.6 million. The all-time Triton Poker titles leader added over $1.1 million to his total through a trio of cashes at the WSOP this summer. His most substantial score came from a fifth-place finish in the $250,000 buy-in event, earning him $972,375. Koon’s consistent performance at the highest buy-in tournaments underscores his enduring presence at the pinnacle of the game.

Belarusian sensation Mikita Badziakouski, with $72,137,501, solidified his fourth-place standing by ticking over the $72 million mark. He secured a $585,000 payout as the runner-up in the kickoff event of the ongoing Onyx Super High Roller Series in North Cyprus. Badziakouski holds a unique distinction among this elite group, leading all players with an incredible 19 seven-figure scores throughout his career.

Adrian Mateos, the Spanish wunderkind, occupies the fifth spot with $70,315,713, and had an absolutely scorching summer. He cashed for over $5.3 million, highlighted by his victory in the aforementioned $250,000 event at the WSOP, which earned him his sixth bracelet and a staggering $4,334,411. At just 31 years old, Mateos is the youngest player to achieve such a prolific number of WSOP titles. His hot streak extended beyond the series, with two PokerGO Tour high roller wins and a $25,000 buy-in victory at the Wynn Summer Classic, tallying four wins in a single month.

While the players ranked sixth through eighth saw minimal changes to their career earnings, Alex Foxen made a significant leap. The ninth-ranked pro added over $2 million since the beginning of June, pushing him past the $60 million milestone to $61,071,703. His impressive summer included taking down the $10,000 super turbo bounty event for $594,246 and his fourth career gold bracelet, just a week after his wife Kristen Foxen earned her record-extending sixth bracelet. This was the largest of his 13 cashes in this period, closely followed by $522,347 for a sixth-place showing in a $100,000 buy-in event days prior. Foxen’s exceptional year has also positioned him as the outright leader in the Card Player Player of the Year race, boasting five titles and 12 final-table finishes, and a strong contender in the PokerGO Tour points race with 14 qualified cashes.

Looking ahead, the $60 million club is on the cusp of welcoming another legendary member. Poker Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu is tantalizingly close, less than $75,000 away from joining this exclusive group. He had a career-defining summer as well, securing the third-largest score of his career – $2,257,718 – and his eighth bracelet by winning the WSOP $100,000 pot-limit Omaha high roller. The dynamic landscape of high-stakes poker ensures that these leaderboards are ever-evolving, with new records and milestones constantly within reach for these elite competitors.

Here’s a snapshot of the current top nine, with Negreanu knocking on the door:

| Rank | Player | Earnings | Top Score | Cashes For $1M+ | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Bryn Kenney | $92,002,616 | $20,606,421 | 17 | | 2 | Stephen Chidwick | $79,964,075 | $5,380,200 | 17 | | 3 | Jason Koon | $77,592,535 | $3,653,260 | 17 | | 4 | Mikita Badziakouski | $72,137,501 | $7,114,500 | 19 | | 5 | Adrian Mateos | $70,315,713 | $6,370,000 | 15 | | 6 | Justin Bonomo | $69,415,857 | $10,000,000 | 11 | | 7 | Isaac Haxton | $67,810,176 | $3,672,000 | 14 | | 8 | Dan Smith | $64,197,682 | $8,784,000 | 13 | | 9 | Alex Foxen | $61,071,703 | $4,563,700 | 10 |