World Snooker Championship ref has massive net worth bigger than five-time NBA champion

 One World Snooker Championship ref has an enormous net worth

Jan Verhaas (Image: GETTY)

Jan Verhaas, one of the most esteemed snooker referees to have ever officiated at the Crucible, has done quite well for himself financially. The senior official is renowned in the sport as the first Dutchman to referee a World Championship final, a distinction he has since experienced five more times.

His inaugural final was in 2003 when Mark Williams triumphed over Ken Doherty, and his most recent appearance at snooker's grandest event was in 2017 when Mark Selby defeated John Higgins. He has also presided over four UK Championship and eight UK Masters finals, and has been a board member of the WPBSA since 2016

However, his tenure in snooker has not been without its share of controversy. In January 2007, during the Masters final, he expelled a spectator from Wembley Arena for alleged heckling.

In 2012, Verhaas erroneously interrupted Dott in the middle of a break to correct the score, only to realise his mistake and that the score was indeed accurate.

Despite this rare blunder, the 57-year-old's standing in the game is seemingly reflected in his substantial net worth. According to AllFamousBirthdays.com, he boasts an impressive £1.15million fortune, suggesting he's in no hurry to come out of retirement.

This is an astonishing sum for a snooker referee, especially considering Verhaas worked as a process operator for Shell Chemicals before embarking on his professional career in 1993. It even eclipses the wealth of other more notorious sports figures, including basketball legend Dennis Rodman.

The five-time NBA champion is best known for his three-year tenure with the Chicago Bulls, where he played alongside basketball legend Michael Jordan. Their partnership was immortalised in the hit Netflix documentary series, The Last Dance.

Dennis Rodman

However, Rodman's interests extended beyond the basketball court. He made appearances in professional wrestling with WCW and even hosted his own MTV reality talk show.

Despite his fame, legal issues have significantly impacted his wealth. According to celebritynetworth, he's worth a mere £482,000, less than half the value of experienced Verhhaas.