John Higgins' massive net worth and sting operation that rocked sporting world
John Higgins' massive net worth and sting operation that rocked sporting world
The four-time world champion faces Mark Williams in the quarter-finals of this year's World Snooker Championship
Higgins is aiming for a fifth world title in Sheffield
John Higgins has taken another step towards a fifth world title after making it through to the quarter-finals of this year's World Snooker Championship.
The 49-year-old will face Welshman Mark Williams in an enticing last eight match-up on Tuesday, having edged past Xiao Guodong of China with a 13-12 victory in the second round. Higgins is looking to add to the titles he won at the Crucible in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011, but faces stiff opposition in Williams, who he lost out to in the World Championship final seven years ago.
Having turned professional in 1992, Higgins is now one of the most successful players of all time, with his 33 ranking titles putting him third in the all-time list of ranking event winners, behind only Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry.
In addition to his World Championship titles, he has also won three UK Championships and two Masters titles, with his total of nine Triple Crown wins putting him level with Mark Selby and behind only O'Sullivan, Hendry and Steve Davis. A former world number one, Higgins also spent a record 29 years of his career in the top 16 players globally, only dropping out in September last year.
But despite his success at the table, it's fair to say that the Scottish star has not attracted quite the same celebrity status as the likes of O'Sullivan and Hendry, with much of his personal life kept out of the spotlight.
However, that is not to say he has led an uneventful life away from the table, having faced plenty of ups and downs over the course of his time in professional snooker. Here's what you need to know.
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Massive net worth
As one of the most successful snooker players of all time, it is unsurprising that Higgins is also one of the most wealthy.
Over the course of his 33 year career, he has banked a whopping £10.5 million in prize money, according to CueTracker.
Nearly £600,000 of that amount has come this season, making it the second most profitable individual campaign of his career after 2016/17, when he banked just over £650,000.
According to reports, Higgins has an estimated net worth of around £8.8 million, making him the eighth richest player of all-time.
Ban from snooker
Having won the World Championship in 2009, Higgins was banned from snooker the following year in a move that sent shockwaves through the sport.
The snooker ace - who was the world number one at the time - was at the centre of a sting operation carried out by the News of the World in Ukraine, which the tabloid claimed showed him and his then-manager agreeing to lose specific frames in future matches for money.
An investigation followed and Higgins was cleared of match-fixing allegations, with an independent tribunal placing responsibility on his former business partner, Pat Mooney, who received a lifetime ban despite dodging match-fixing charges on a technicality.
However, the Scotsman didn't escape punishment altogether as he was found guilty of failing to disclose an invitation to breach the sport's betting rules and giving the impression that he was agreeing to it.
As a result, he was hit with a six-month suspension from professional snooker and fined £75,000, as well as additional costs of £10,000.
After receiving the ban, Higgins said: "I welcome today's judgment by Sport Resolutions and endorsed by the WPBSA following their exhaustive inquiry into the allegations against me by a tabloid newspaper.
"I am pleased that Sport Resolutions and WPBSA have concluded, after a thorough and fair investigation, that I was not guilty of any dishonesty and had no intention to fix a match and no intention to do anything corrupt."
Vowing to return to snooker a "stronger person", he added: "I accept the decision to suspend me for six months and impose a fine of £75,000. Those who run WPBSA have made it plain that if the sport is to advance it must be above reproach and those of us playing and involved in snooker must be cleaner than clean.
"Those who know me will appreciate that I have tried to encourage and advance snooker. I have tried to be an ambassador for the sport."
Describing the ordeal as "traumatic", Higgins said it had been "made all the more hurtful by the knowledge that I never have, and never would, fix a snooker match." He added: "I have been sustained by the love and support of my wife, family and friends."
However, the snooker star soon bounced back as he returned from his ban and won the World Championship for a fourth time in 2011.
Childhood sweetheart wife
Higgins has been married to his wife Denise since 2010, having met at school as teenagers.
They have since welcomed three children - sons Pierce and Oliver and daughter Claudia - and they sometimes join their father at competitions, particularly major championships.
While Denise tends to avoid the limelight, she has been a source of unwavering support for her husband throughout his career and has been present for some of his biggest moments as a professional.
However, she missed out on seeing him win his 32nd ranking title at the World Open in March, as a logistical error meant she flew out to Hong Kong too late to watch him in action in the final.
"It's just a shame, my missus is coming to Hong Kong and she's going to be flying tomorrow while I'll be playing the final," he told the Metro at the time.
'We didn't work that out right, she's getting on a flight today to Hong Kong, so hopefully when she lands I'll have a chance of winning the title.'
Devastating family tragedy
Higgins suffered heartbreak in February 2011 as his father John Sr passed away following a six-year battle with cancer.
He had been competing at the German Masters in Berlin when he was told that his father's condition was deteriorating, leading him to immediately withdraw from the tournament and fly back to Glasgow.
Tragically however, he was told of his dad's death as he prepared to board the flight alongside his brother Joe.
John Sr had been told he had terminal cancer on the same day that his son was cleared of match-fixing allegations.
After winning the UK Championship on his return to the sport, Higgins dedicated his victory to his late father, saying: "This is my finest hour. This is for my dad."
The Scottish star also faced a family health scare ahead of this year's World Championship, withdrawing from the media day and skipping the annual pre-tournament festivities like the Champions Dinner and Green Carpet Ceremony after his father-in-law suffered a heart attack days before the opening round.
After supporting his wife Denise, Higgins returned to Sheffield to clinch a 10-7 victory over Joe O'Connor in the opening round.
Following that win, he was left in tears as he spoke to the BBC and needed consoling by presenter Seema Jaswal.
"Obviously my father-in-law wasn't great," he said. "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.
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"I had a couple of hours sleep, I came out tonight feeling much better and definitely played a lot better. I am still so proud that I am still playing at a good level at this age."
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