T1 CEO Joe Marsh spoke about his League of Legends players in a recent podcast with Doublelift.
On the Trash Talk with Doublelift podcast on April 6, the CEO brought up contracts and different offers that his players have received in the past. One player that was mentioned was legendary mid laner Faker, who Marsh shed some light on.
In 2023, Faker will have broken into his 10th year of competing, a career that has seen the player earn three World Championship titles and countless domestic feats. But despite his success, it’s not all about the money for the player.
“He has his family that’s really important to him,” Marsh said, explaining that one of his first tasks after becoming T1’s CEO was developing a relationship with Faker. “He doesn’t need money, like, he has money, he’s super successful, he’s made really strong investments in Korea, I mean there’s literally a building he owns called Faker Tower.”
By having such firm investments, it’s no surprise that money offered directly on a contract is secondary for Faker. “He’s done great financially. It’s about where he thinks he can compete the most and when,” March said.
In the offseason, Faker’s contract with T1 expired, and the 25-year-old became a free agent for several days. Naturally, teams enquired about the player. “He always gets offers, even this offseason, like, I had to fly to Korea, like after the free agency started because he was a free agent,” Marsh said. “And every time he’s a free agent the offer from China comes in, it’s, you know, $20 million dollars a year.”
This looks like a big number, but as Marsh explained, Faker’s position in the League of Legends ecosystem is more than just about money on a contract. He has built a legacy and rooted himself as the greatest player of all time.
Right now, after winning the 2022 LCK Spring Split, Faker is preparing to compete at MSI 2022, which is expected to take place in Busan, South Korea in May.
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