If Ronnie O’Sullivan is snooker’s rebel rock star, then Steve Davis is the architect of the sport’s golden age, the man who built the house that every snooker player since has lived in. Once dismissed as the “boring player in the world,” Davis silenced critics by dominating the 1980s like no one before him, collecting six World Snooker Championship titles, appearing in eight finals, and cementing himself as a snooker legend. Calm, clinical, and ice cold under pressure, he turned the green baize into his personal empire and rewrote what it meant to be a professional snooker player.
Yet Davis’s story goes far beyond the Crucible. His net worth, estimated at more than £26.5 million, tells only part of the tale. After hanging up his cue, the Nugget stunned the sporting world with a surprise new career as a DJ, spinning prog rock and techno at festivals, including the Glastonbury Festival, and proving that life away from the snooker table can be every bit as wild as the sport itself. Add in whispers of an affair with a 19 year old at the height of his fame, his long career as a BBC pundit, and his enduring influence on the snooker world, and you’ve got a character who has never stopped reinventing himself.
From championship finals that stopped the nation to underground music sets that shook festival tents, from his rivalry with Jimmy White and Dennis Taylor to his reinvention as a successful DJ and musician, Steve Davis has lived a life that defies every expectation. And at 67, the six time world champion is living proof that snooker legends never truly hang up their cue, they just find a different stage.
Steve Davis: The Making of a Snooker Legend
Steve Davis, the ginger haired genius from Plumstead, became a professional snooker player in 1978. Backed by the then unknown Barry Hearn and his Matchroom empire, Davis transformed snooker from a smoky pastime into primetime television.
Six World Titles and Eight Finals
Between 1981 and 1989, Davis lifted the World Championship trophy six times, reaching eight World Championship finals in total. He was relentless: clinical on the snooker table, ice cold under pressure, and the definition of a professional snooker champion. The Crucible became his kingdom, and fans tuned in by the millions. His net worth soared as he became the first superstar of the modern snooker world.
Championship Finals That Made History
Davis’s rivalries defined his snooker career. The 1985 final against Dennis Taylor, the black ball final remains the most watched broadcast in British sporting history, with 18.5 million glued to their televisions. Though Davis lost, that night cemented his status as the face of professional snooker. He also tormented Jimmy White throughout the decade, denying the people’s champion in several championship finals. For every cheer White received, Davis answered with a cold, winning break.
Net Worth: Millions in Winnings and More
So, what is Steve Davis worth today? His total earnings from snooker career prize money alone reached around £5.6 million in winnings, an enormous sum in the 1980s when the sport was exploding in popularity. With sponsorships, television deals, books, and a media career, his net worth is estimated at £26.5 million.
Money from Professional Snooker
In the snooker world of the 1980s and early 1990s, Davis was unmatched. Winning meant money, and Davis won almost everything. While newer stars like Ronnie O’Sullivan banked fortunes in the 2000s, Davis laid the groundwork proving that snooker players could achieve financial success on a scale comparable with other sports.
Life Away from the Snooker Table
Davis didn’t stop at playing. His dry humour made him a regular on the BBC’s coverage of the World Snooker Championship. Away from the snooker table, he wrote best selling guides, appeared on quiz shows, and eventually pivoted to one of the most surprising careers in sport: DJing.
Surprise New Career: From Snooker Star to DJ
When Davis announced his retirement, many expected him to quietly fade into punditry. Instead, he shocked fans with a surprise new career as a successful DJ and musician.
Glastonbury Festival and Prog Rock
Alongside musician Kavus Torabi, Davis co-founded The Utopia Strong, a prog rock and electronic band that took him from the Crucible Theatre to the Glastonbury Festival. Suddenly, the man once dismissed as the most boring player in the world was spinning techno, prog rock, and obscure vinyl at festivals.
Blur, Soul and Rock Show, and Beyond
Davis’s eclectic taste saw him DJ at major gigs, including warming up for Blur at Wembley Stadium. He hosted The Interesting Alternative Show, a soul and rock show and embraced underground culture in a way nobody saw coming. His second career as a DJ made him a cult figure, adored by fans who had never even watched him on a snooker table.
Personal Life and Gossip
Unlike O’Sullivan, Davis has generally lived a quiet personal life. But even the Nugget hasn’t avoided the tabloids entirely.
Affair with a 19 Year Old?
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, whispers circulated of an affair with a 19 year old dancer Cheree Palla, though Davis himself rarely entertained the rumours. While never proven, stories like these gave tabloids an excuse to paint him as more than the dull snooker automaton his critics labelled him.
Relationships and Family
Davis married flight attendant Judy Greig in the 1990s, but the pair eventually separated. He later entered a long term relationship with Jeannie Nash, who has been by his side during his transformation from snooker champion to DJ cult hero. Despite the gossip, Davis’s personal life has mostly remained dignified, if sometimes understated.
Reinvention of a Snooker Legend
What makes Steve Davis remarkable is not just what he achieved on the snooker table but how he’s constantly reinvented himself since.
Hanging Up His Cue
Davis finally announced he was hanging up his cue in 2016 after a 38-year snooker career. For most, that would have been the end. For Davis, it was just the beginning.
As part of Hearn’s “Matchroom Mob” in the 1980s, Davis was a sporting pin up. In the 2020s, he’s a prog rock DJ, adored by a completely different audience. Whether it’s techno beats at a rave, prog rock at Glastonbury, or dropping obscure tracks at underground clubs, Davis has become a successful DJ and musician in his own right.
Conclusion: The Nugget Still Sparkles
Steve Davis was once dismissed as the “boring player in the world.” Yet with six world titles, eight World Championship finals, and £5.6 million in winnings, his snooker career remains unparalleled. His net worth of £26.5 million proves that dominance pays, and his later life shows he’s anything but dull.
From professional snooker to techno stages, from Crucible finals to Glastonbury Festival sets, Davis has constantly reinvented himself. He’s lived through rumours of an affair with a 19 year old, embraced his tag as the “boring player,” and turned it into a badge of honour.
In the end, Steve Davis is a true snooker legend a champion who conquered the sport, then walked away from the snooker table to conquer something completely different. And as fans chant at his gigs and pundits quote him during the World Snooker Championship, one thing is clear: the Nugget never lost his shine.
