NEW DELHI: At simply 18, Indian chess prodigy Gukesh D has created historical past by changing into the youngest-ever world chess champion. Nevertheless, his monumental success brings a hefty tax burden—Rs 4.67 crore—surpassing Chennai Tremendous Kings (CSK) veteran MS Dhoni’s whole IPL wage for the upcoming season.
His victory in opposition to China’s Ding Liren in an exhilarating Singapore remaining final week has catapulted him to world fame and established him as a trailblazer in Indian chess.
Whereas Gukesh’s victory has drawn admiration worldwide, it comes with a hefty monetary caveat — an unlimited tax invoice.
Together with his earnings from the World Chess Championship estimated at a staggering Rs 11.34 crore, Gukesh faces an revenue tax legal responsibility of Rs 4.67 crore, exceeding Gukesh’s idol MS Dhoni’s Rs Four crore Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 wage.
In India, incomes exceeding Rs 15 lakh are taxed at 30%.
For these incomes over Rs 5 crore, an extra surcharge of as much as 37%, mixed with a 4% well being and schooling levy, results in efficient tax charges of over 42%.
Gukesh’s Rs 11.34 crore consists of Rs 5.04 crore from his three match wins, whereas the remaining was cut up from the whole prize pool of Rs 21 crore as per FIDE laws.
Reflecting on his monetary journey, Gukesh shared that chess was by no means about cash however ardour and perseverance. “Personally, cash isn’t the rationale I play chess,” he stated when requested about being a multimillionaire, including, “It means lots. After I received into chess, we (as a household) needed to make some onerous selections. My mother and father had gone by means of monetary and emotional hardships. Now, we’re extra comfy and oldsters don’t want to consider these issues.”
