**Snooker Star Jimmy White: Wealth, Resilience and a Remarkable Journey Beyond the Table**
Jimmy White, one of snooker’s most charismatic and enduring figures, returns to centre stage this week as he competes in the World Seniors Championship at Sheffield’s iconic Crucible Theatre. At 63, White continues to draw crowds, his saga of victory and adversity both on and off the table captivating fans for generations.
White, affectionately known as ‘The Whirlwind,’ boasts an illustrious career spanning over four decades. While success at the professional level eluded him in the form of a World Championship crown—he finished as runner-up on six heart-breaking occasions—his achievements remain prodigious. Notably, he has secured ten ranking event victories, including triumphs at the Masters in 1984 and the UK Championship in 1992. More recently, White has cemented his reputation as a dominant force among the sport’s veterans, having claimed the World Seniors crown a record four times.
Yet, White’s life has been defined by far more than simply potting balls. His story is one of personal challenges overcome—involving high-stakes gambling, substance addiction, and significant health scares. These battles have, by his own admission, shaped the man and the competitor he is today.
Financially, Jimmy White stands among the sport’s most prosperous names. His earning power across 45 years of professional involvement is well-documented, with the snooker statistics tracker CueTracker estimating his prize money at over £5 million. Supplementing this, White has built his net worth to approximately £6.7 million, aided by media and punditry roles in recent years. Nevertheless, that wealth has not come without hardship. White has openly discussed losing millions to gambling, admitting on a podcast that his betting habit drained as much as £3 million, resulting in bankruptcy during his playing days.
His encounters with addiction do not stop at gambling. Speaking candidly on a BBC documentary, White recounted his period of cocaine dependency, detailing how, at his lowest ebb, he spent tens of thousands on drugs and found his personal and professional life spiralling. The notoriety of the snooker scene in the 1980s and 1990s, he suggests, only exacerbated these issues.
Despite these tumultuous years, White’s later life has been marked by stability, with his relationship with Jade Slusarczyk playing a pivotal role. The pair met in 2018 at a snooker event in Blackpool; Slusarczyk, a television presenter and former beauty queen, is 23 years White’s junior. The age gap, neither says, is of any consequence, and White credits her teetotal lifestyle and support with keeping him on a healthier path. “I’ve never been so happy,” he told The Sun, reflecting on the positive impact Jade has had on his recovery from addiction and his newfound contentment.
Health-wise, White spoke earlier this year about a diagnosis that, he says, “completely changed” his outlook: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Revealing the diagnosis on a snooker podcast, White explained that his condition had been an unrecognised influence on his concentration and performance for decades. Now, with professional guidance and medication, he feels better equipped to manage both life and competition. Looking back, he wonders how differently things might have played out had he known earlier.
This wasn’t his first serious health battle. Almost 30 years ago, White confronted testicular cancer, a diagnosis he admitted left him paralysed with fear. After swift surgery, he was relieved not only to survive but, to his joy and surprise, to have a fifth child following the ordeal. “It’s a miracle, really,” he reflected.
Jimmy White’s journey stands as a testament to resilience. From the dizzying highs of snooker stardom and the lows of addiction and ill-health, he remains a beloved icon whose openness and fighting spirit resonate far beyond his time on the green baize. As he competes once more at the Crucible, fans will surely be reminded not only of his skills with a cue but of the remarkable personal journey that keeps Jimmy White at the heart of British sport.