Fortnite's First Solo Champ Is 16 Years Old And Now $3 Million Richer

When I was 16 years old, I remember cruising the mall and local stores in search for a job that would inevitably pay minimum wage, as many jobs do at that age. Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf eschewed the traditional route that most teens take, and collected a cool $3 million from Epic Games for dominating at the Fortnite World Cup.

Yes, at 16 years old, Bugha is now a millionaire. He become one after winning the Solo event on the third and final day of the Fortnite World Cup, scoring 59 points to take a big lead over the next closest competitor. His $3 million payday ranks as the largest ever for a single player tournament in the esports category.

"Words can't really explain. I'm so happy. Everything I've done in the grind has all paid off and it's just insane," Bugha said in a post tournament interview.

The kid was all smiles when presented the trophy, with bursts of steam surrounding him in celebration. I imagine the feeling of winning $3 million is quite the eutrophic experience. He won the event handily, giving him another reason to grin from ear-to-ear—Harrison "Psalm" Chang came in second place with a score of 33 points.

Bugha hails from Pennsylvania. He plays for the esports team Sentinels, and beat out other professional players to take the grand prize. Every player who participated made at least $50,000, the amount awarded for qualifying.

Several players made much more, however. In the Solo tournament alone, four players became millionaires, and several others made hundreds of thousands of dollars. Just a day prior, a 15-year-old raked in more than $1 million, his half of the earnings from winning the Duo event.

It pays to play, folks.