Having banked close to £12m in career prize money, it comes as little surprise that Dutch darts icon Michael van Gerwen enjoys the finer things in life. The three-time world champion has lifted 48 PDC major singles titles, helping build an enormous net worth of almost £7m – further boosted by a string of lucrative endorsement deals.
But ‘Mighty Mike’ is no stranger to splashing the cash, with friends warning that the 36-year-old is spending too much attention on matters away from the oche. Earlier this year, fellow tour player Vincent van der Voort publicly urged Van Gerwen to rein in the holidays after his close pal decided to skip representing his country at the World Cup of Darts in favour of a week-long knees-up in Ibiza.
“Sometimes he plays really well, but then he can’t keep it up. He’s going to have to train hard,” Van der Voort told the Darts Draait podcast. “He needs to put in the effort or he’ll never find consistent form again. You can’t just take a holiday and expect things to fall back into place. It doesn’t work like that.”
Jet-setting isn’t the only outlet for Van Gerwen’s wealth. A self-confessed petrolhead, the Dutchman boasts an impressive collection of luxury motors, including a £250,000 Rolls-Royce Ghost he treated himself to in 2020.
“It was once in a lifetime. Normally, you don’t drive a Rolls but now it is ticked off your bucket list all at once. I think it is beautiful, fun and very comfortable,” he told Darts News at the time. He also has several BMWs in his garage thanks to a neat sponsorship agreement with the German car manufacturer, including a lavish £105,000 BMW 750 Li that once starred in a James Bond film.
And that collection could yet expand further if Van Gerwen tastes glory at Alexandra Palace this year and goes home with the eye-watering £1m winner’s cheque. Speaking ahead of the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship, the ‘Green Machine’ said: “I’m going to treat myself to a lorry [if I win]. It’s not just about treating yourself, it’s about how to perform well and giving yourself the ability to win that trophy and everything that comes with it.
“I don’t fancy a Ferrari, they are too small for me. I have been sitting in a Lamborghini before and I don’t like it. Not for me.”
Van Gerwen will hope to book his place in this year’s fourth round later today when he faces Germany’s Arno Merk on the Ally Pally stage. The Dutchman struggled in his opening round, scraping past Japanese outsider Mitsuhiko Tatsunami, before a much more assured display against Willie O’Connor to secure his passage to the post-Christmas period.