Richest Gaming Characters: Research reveals real-life wealth of our favourite gaming protagonists!

From Lara Croft to Michael De Santa, have you ever wondered what our favourite gaming characters wealth might be if they lived in our world?

New research from leading casino review site Casino.co.uk, has revealed the estimated wealth of some of our favourite gaming characters, and it’s no wonder some of them can live such lavish lifestyles.

Considering different metrics such as their job, living situation, household income, assets, and other streams of income, Casino.co.uk has estimated the fortunes of eight of our favourite gaming protagonists. The rich list is as follows:

1. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider – £706,179,856

Famous archaeologist, treasure hunter, and tomb raider Lara Croft is first on our gaming characters rich list, with an estimated wealth of over £706 million! Lara has amassed this fortune mainly from inheritance from her rich aristocratic parents, estimated to stand at $1 billion¹ (£705,760,162 approx.) and being the heir to Croft Manor also adds £713,102 to her net worth². Lara’s infamous dual pistols and bow and arrows add over £1200 her fortune³, with her Land Rover Defender used in the 2001 film standing at nearly £25,000⁴. And that’s without the annual £31,221 income she would be expected to earn as an archaeologist⁵.

2. Michael De Santa, GTA V – £43,579,862

The second gaming character to feature on the list is former bank robber and career criminal, Michael De Santa, who has an estimated wealth of over £43.5 million. Michael has managed to pull in a substantial fortune, with his Rockford Hills Mansion being valued at £12,828,741⁶. Michael also has several vehicles adding £46,705⁷ to his estimated wealth and a healthy weapon collection adding a further £19,673⁸. But it’s his life of crime which has brought him the most wealth, with heists pulling him in a total of £30,684,743⁹. On top of his estimated wealth, Michael is a retired man who could be earning an extra £33,967¹⁰ year from his retirement income based on the US average.

3. Franklin Clinton, GTA V – £35,875,993

The next criminal to feature on the list is fellow GTA alumni Franklin Clinton, who has amassed an estimated net worth of £35.8 million. Franklin’s Vinewood Hills pad holds a value of around £5,591,557¹¹, with both of his signature vehicles, The Buffalo and The Bagger, collectively adding £79,257¹² to his estimated wealth. And it’s no surprise Franklin has an impressive weapon collection adding a further £12,172¹³. Like Michael, Franklin is reaping the rewards of his criminal past, bringing in a total £30,193,007¹⁴ from the larger heists. And this is without the extra £30,846¹⁵ per year he could pull in as a Car Repossession Agent if he stuck to his day job!

4. Trevor Philips, GTA V – £30,794,648

The final GTA V protagonist is Trevor Philips, who has an estimated wealth of £30.7 million – despite living in a trailer that’s only worth around £4,738¹⁶! Out of the three characters, Trevor has the most impressive vehicle and weapon collection, with £946,128¹⁷ worth of cars, bikes and helicopters to his name, plus £32,623¹⁸ worth of RPG’s, assault rifles and more. Heists again play a significant role in boosting Trevor’s wealth at £29,812,159¹⁹. Trevor is also the proud owner of Trevor Philips Enterprises, and the average US business owner is said to earn £41,751²⁰ so this is the additional figure we estimate he receives a year… ‘legally’.

5. Bella Goth, The Sims – £497,064

Bella Goth is one of the most iconic characters in the Sims franchise. Married to the richest man in the game, Mortimer Goth, she lives in the Ophelia Villa in Willow Creek which is estimated to be worth around £352,802²¹. Additionally, upon moving into the Goth residence, the family has a household fund of £64,262²², with her necklace that is a major plotline in Sims 2 being recently appraised for around £80,000²³. Bella also holds a job as an Intelligence researcher in the Secret Agent service which you would expect to bring her on average £42,417²⁴ per year on top of her estimated wealth.

6. Nathan Drake, Unchartered – £261,966

A professional treasure hunter, Nathan Drake is an adventurer and deep-sea salvage expert who is sitting on an estimated wealth of £261,966. Drake lives with Elena Fisher in a modest home in New Orleans where the average house costs £172,739.70²⁵ but is lucky enough to also have a beach house in Mexico which is valued at £45,021.90²⁵. Drake’s famous Jeep Wrangler adds a further £37,920²⁶ to his estimated wealth, with his impressive weapon arsenal adding another £6,284.22²⁷. All of this, added to an annual income of £43,329²⁸ thanks to his occupation as a Marine Salvager leaves him sitting of a very healthy amount.

7. Solid Snake, Metal Gear – £220,094

Solid Snake was a former spy, special operations soldier, and mercenary who has amassed an estimated wealth of £220,094. In Metal Gear Solid V, he is living in Twin Lakes, Alaska where average house price is £191,602²⁹. His famous Triumph Bonneville motorcycle modelled after the one in The Phantom Pain which was listed on eBay for £7,077³⁰, while his expensive weaponry totals £21,414.85³¹. Snake has worked as a Spy, Special Ops Soldier and Mercenary, and taking the averages from each of these occupations, it is estimated he brings in around £63,500³² on top of his estimated wealth.

8. Arthur Morgan, Read Dead Redemption 2 – £216,592

An outlaw and bounty hunter, Arthur Morgan has amassed an estimated wealth of nearly £217,000. Although Arthur doesn’t have a fixed property in the game, you can pitch a tent and camp up; upgrading as you go – with a max upgraded camp costing £38,251³³. His faithful Mahogany Bay Tennessee Walker Horse cost £1,365³⁴, while he’s earned a grand total of £65,621.80³⁵ from his numerous heists and crimes³⁵. Of course, he cannot complete these without his weapons which have been valued at around £398³⁶. However, the most substantial value to Arthur’s name is the £110,956³⁷ bounty on his head!

Commenting on the research, Casino.co.uk says: “From uncovering famous treasures with Lara Croft and Nathan Drake, to being abducted by aliens with Bella Goth, I’m sure most of us have enjoyed plenty of adventures playing through the eyes of some of these famous gaming characters on this list – and even may have helped amass some of their fortune along the way.

“We wanted to see how much our favourite gaming characters would be worth if they too lived in our world, and the results are much more than we ever thought, with many millionaires in our midst. Online gaming, like online casinos, have a huge sense of community, and we hope our research will get people talking about which other gaming characters may have been featured on this list!”

To find out more about the research, please visit: https://www.casino.co.uk/richest-gaming-characters/