John Higgins' mega net worth, snooker retirement stance and family health scare

John Higgins is one of 's most popular characters, having carved out a place for himself among the sport's legends since turning professional in 1992. has won a total of 31 ranking titles, trailing only Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry on the all-time leaderboard.

The four-time champion first broke into the world's top 16 in 1995 and held onto that spot for over 29 years until last September. He's since clawed his way back to world No. 3, at the this week to set up a last-16 tie with Xiao Guodong.

There were doubts over whether Higgins would even appear at the Crucible due to a family health scare, having remained in with his wife and missed media day last Thursday. And he while appearing on the after his match as he opened up about his father-in-law’s heart attack last week.

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We now take a look back at the Scotsman’s long and eventful career, which has seen him serve a six-month ban and even clash with the BBC, while also uncovering his stance on retirement, his net worth and his personal life.

Ban from snooker

In 2010, Higgins was slapped with a ban after the News of the World claimed he had agreed to deliberately lose specific frames in future matches for financial gain. He was cleared after an independent tribunal laid the blame on his former business partner, Pat Mooney, who was handed a lifetime ban despite dodging match-fixing charges on a technicality.

Higgins was acquitted of agreeing to accept a bribe and engaging in corrupt or fraudulent conduct. However, he didn't escape punishment altogether: the snooker star was found guilty of failing to report an illegal approach and purposely giving the impression that he was ready to act in breach of betting rules.

As a result, the Scot was handed a six-month suspension and a £75,000 fine, along with another £10,000 fine in costs. Vowing to come back even "stronger", Higgins described the ordeal as “traumatic” and said: "It has been made all the more hurtful by the knowledge that I never have, and never would, fix a snooker match."

Outrage with the BBC

There was drama involving Higgins and the BBC after the broadcaster mistook his nationality during coverage of a World Snooker Championship match in 2022. An English St George's Cross was placed next to his name while he faced off against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, leaving the proud Scotsman furious.

Higgins vented: "England? Am I allowed to swear? God, they better get that changed pronto. That’s poor isn’t it? That’s really poor from the BBC. Very poor."

The error was rectified the next day, with the Scottish flag appearing on the broadcast as Higgins went on to secure a 10-7 victory and reach the second round.

Stance on retirement

Higgins will celebrate his 50th birthday next month but does not seem to be considering retirement any time soon. After losing to Kyren Wilson at last year's World Snooker Championship, he made it clear that he was not thinking about stepping away from the table.

"I’m committing to playing snooker now and I’m committing to trying to get back here," he explained. "I don’t want that to be my final match at the Crucible, so I’ll still be playing snooker. I think it [retirement] is [a long time away].

"There can be other things happening off the table that can be clouding your decisions, but right now it’s a long way away. The sport will have to retire me before I retire myself, simple as that."

Impressive net worth

While Higgins’ wealth is not anywhere near some of his biggest rivals, he still boasts an impressive fortune that dwarfs the majority of his fellow snooker stars. It was revealed by Casino.org three months ago that he had a net worth of around £8.8million, making him the eighth richest player of all time.

The website also claimed he sits ahead of Mark Williams (£7.1m), while retired legend Steve Davis tops the list with an estimated net worth of £26.5m. Hendry is the runner-up at £25.5m while O’Sullivan is in sixth with £11.2m.

Family life

Higgins has been married to his wife, Denise, since 2010, having become acquainted during their teenage years at Wishaw High School. She mainly keeps a low profile but has played an important role in his career behind the scenes, encouraging Higgins to stay committed to his craft in times where he has lacked motivation.

The couple have three children together: two sons, Pierce and Oliver, and a daughter named Claudia. The children have occasionally accompanied their dad to snooker events, especially in major tournaments.

Higgins tragically lost his own father to cancer after a six-year battle in February 2011. He raced back from Berlin where he was competing in the German Masters tournament only to be told his father had died as he was boarding a flight back to Glasgow.

He is also close to his in-laws, as shown by his reaction after his win over O’Connor this week, where he burst into tears and had to be consoled by presenter Seema Jaswal.

Higgins admitted: "That was the most emotional I have ever been today. I left my wife and I was in tears. Obviously my father-in-law wasn't great. I was sitting having dinner with my boy last night and I was thinking about sitting here with my dad 25 years ago. I was drained today.

"I had a couple of hours sleep and I came out tonight and felt a lot better and played a lot better. I am still so proud that I am still playing at a good level at this age."