What is Dan Bilzerian’s Net Worth – And Is He Any Good at Poker?

Written By Ricky Davies |

Updated on 03 January, 2025

 

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Why Trust Us

Poker player Dan Bilzerian has an extremely high net worth. That’s no secret, and it’s something he likes to show off through social media posts, aboard gigantic yachts, and private jets, to his 31m+ Instagram followers.

But how much is Dan Bilzerian worth exactly? And is that really down to his poker skills – or is he bluffing?

Dan Bilzerian Net Worth

Recent estimates place Dan Bilzerian’s net worth at upwards of $200 million, but the precise figure is shrouded in mystery. Things are complicated due to where his fortune began – with his father.

Dan Bilzerian’s father, Paul Bilzerian, was a real estate investor and businessman who made a fortune, setting up a trust fund for his son to the tune of $96 million. He was later charged with conspiracy, making false statements, and securities law violations, which led to Dan spending a big chunk of that on trying to keep his dad out of jail.

Career Earnings

Dan Bilzerian might be filthy rich, but how much of that is from poker winnings?

If you believe him, just a couple of nights at the table earned him more than most of us would make in 10 lifetimes. One time he recounted winning $10.8 million in a private cash game in one night. Another, it was in the region of $40-50 million against billionaire Alec Gores.

Many of his stories cannot be verified, although several high-figure poker pros have spoken on the subject, and seem to back up the fact that Dan Bilzerian has won huge amounts in private poker games.

His only noteworthy tournament cash which can be verified was at the WSOP Main Event 2009, where Dan Bilzerian picked up $36,626 for a very respectable 180th place. In the same tourney, his brother came even closer, notching $138k+ for finishing 47th.

Is Dan Bilzerian Good at Poker?

You can see Dan Bilzerian playing with hole cards visible on a Bill Perkins live stream and from his appearance on Poker After Dark. On neither occasion did he demonstrate poker prowess which suggests he should be making millions from the game – but then, he’s never really claimed that was his strength, anyway.

Dan Bilzerian has stated he never wanted to be the best poker player, but simply to play extremely rich guys that weren’t on his level. He focuses on game selection, targeting players with major bankrolls and exploitable poker strategies.

It’s a sentiment echoed by poker’s greats. Speaking on the Lex Fridman podcast, Daniel Negreanu stated that Bilzerian is “not a top level player, but probably makes more money than they do because he plays with people that are far below his skill level.”

Business Ventures

A $96 million trust fund is a hell of a start in life, but what other businesses has Bilzerian been involved in?

He’s the CEO of Ignite International Brand Ltd., a company which sells vape pens, spirits, water bottles, and clothing. And, of course, leather-bound books of his autobiography, The Setup, which he says took two years to write.

He’s also cut his chops in the acting world, securing brief roles in The Equalizer with Denzel Washington as well as Cat Run 2 and Extraction.

Bilzerian appeared in the film Lone Survivor after contributing $1,000,000 towards the budget, though ultimately opened a lawsuit against the producers after his eight minutes of screen time was cut down to less than a minute and just one line of dialogue.

Endorsement and Sponsors

That 2009 WSOP run we mentioned earlier earned Bilzerian a lucrative Victory Poker sponsorship, but it wasn’t until several years later that he really went mainstream.

In 2016, he appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast to talk about his poker career. The YouTube video alone has racked up over 19 million views to date. Plus, he got an on-the-nose shoutout from T-Pain in a track simply titled Dan Bilzerian.

Conclusion

Dan Bilzerian is a controversial poker player who openly aims to play for big bucks with less-talented opposition. He won’t be remembered as a poker great, but he has successfully leveraged his position to make millions of dollars in private cash games. And for that, we say ‘GG’.

FAQs

Sources

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MekiL2JCdgQ (Bill Perkins live stream)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=rKnoNfajUgM&t=12s (Lex Fridman podcast)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX5Iw-XsWu4 (Joe Rogan podcast)
• https://ignite.co/ (Ignite)

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