D Gukesh to pay more income tax than MS Dhoni's IPL salary; check how much youngest chess world champion will pay

The crown of a world champion comes with a price. D Gukesh's triumph at the World Chess Championship 2024 recently in Singapore brings a heavy tax burden on the youngster as the 18-year-old will approximately pay a tax of ₹4.67 crore — which is more than his idol MS Dhoni's current Indian Premier League (IPL) salary at the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). A five-time IPL-winning captain, Dhoni was retained for ₹4 crore by CSK for IPL 2025.

Challenging China's reigning champion Ding Liren, Gukesh won 7.5-6.5 to become the youngest-ever world champion, overhauling the long-standing mark of Russia's Gary Kasparov. Gukesh's triumph gained worldwide attention and the Tamil Nadu native got global recognition — but with a hefty tax bill.

Winning each game in the World Chess Championship was worth $200,000 (approx ₹1.69 crore). While Gukesh won three and took home $600,000 (approx ₹5.07 crore), Liren got rich by $400,000 (approx ₹3.38 crore) after winning two games.

In addition, the prize money of $1.5 million ( ₹12.7 crore approx) will be equally divided among the two. In total, Gukesh will be richer by an estimated ₹11.34 crore while Liren will pocket approximately ₹9.75 crore.

According to the Indian tax system, income above ₹15 lakh is taxed at 30 per cent. People earning more than ₹5 crore will have to pay an additional surcharge of up to 37 per cent. This surcharge, combined with a 4 per cent health and education levy, leads to an effective tax rate of over 42 per cent.

Gukesh returns to India

On Monday, Gukesh arrived home to a rousing reception at the airport in Chennai. A large number of fans thronged the airport to receive the young chess champion, even as the state government officials, led by Additional Chief Secretary Dr Atulya Misra, welcomed Gukesh. The 18-year-old champion expressed joy over his achievement and thanked everyone for their support.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has already announced a cash reward of ₹5 crore to Gukesh.