8) Lee Young Ho – South Korea
AKA: KT FlaSh Total earnings: $449,516
FlaSh’s game of choice is StarCraft: Brood War, and in case you didn’t know, that game is huge in South Korea. Like, colossal. To the point where people who want a career in StarCraft (which is a completely eligible option) move to Korea in the same way that people who want a career in acting move to Hollywood. It’s gotten to the point where the Korean Air Force started up a team so the young pros didn’t have to stop playing when they got called up for their compulsory military service.
But FlaSh already lives in South Korea. And he’s probably done his time in the force. And he’s definitely pretty good, taking home just shy of $10,000 per tournament. Half of his total earnings were won before his 18th birthday.