Ronnie O’Sullivan has spent decades in the snooker limelight, racking up an incredible 41 ranking titles – and the Rocket’s life has been full of drama away from the table
Ronnie O’Sullivan is undisputedly snooker’s biggest star, and he’s earned a fortune from the sport.
The 49-year-old boasts an estimated fortune of around £20million and has amassed approximately £14.5m in prize money alone throughout his career, which kicked off when he was just a teenager. O’Sullivan boasts an impressive 41 ranking titles, including 23 Triple Crown victories.
Despite being largely absent from the 2024/25 season, the previous year saw him pocket £1.25m in prize money after clinching victories at the Shanghai Masters, UK Championship, the Masters, World Grand Prix and World Masters. When he’s not raking in substantial winnings at tournaments, O’Sullivan also earns a tidy sum through lucrative sponsorship deals with tech firm ROKiT, Eurosport, and snooker company BCE Riley.
In 2018, O’Sullivan used his cash to treat himself to a luxury narrow boat, named Morfe Lady Three. He moored it on Regent’s Canal, which snakes through north and east London. The 60-footer offered the perfect escape from the stresses of the capital thanks to its wide range of amenities.
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Its spacious lounge area was adorned with an indoor fireplace, cosy furnishings such as a sofa, armchair, and rug, as well as a television. O’Sullivan humbly spoke about his purchase to TV presenter Matt Smith in a Eurosport video, saying it’s “no big yacht but it’s alright”.
Yet his floating retreat was still kitted out with a modern kitchen that included a double oven and a wooden oval table. The boat also boasted a bedroom with a double bed and an ensuite bathroom featuring tiled floors, redwood vanity units with granite work tops, and a large wash basin.
He explained to Smith: “I lived on a boat about seven or eight years ago in London and I loved it. I spent about three or four months living on it but couldn’t use it because I had to get back to work – but I always had it in my mind that I’d buy another one.”
He went on to highlight the benefits of his curious purchase, adding: “I couldn’t sit in a hotel room but I come in, have a little kip, put the snooker on, the TV on, have a few friends come in. You don’t feel like you’re cooped up so much. It’s nice to see water.”
But it appears O’Sullivan’s need to “get back to work” took precedent once again, as he reportedly listed his narrow boat for sale just a year later for £129,950, without looking for a replacement afterwards.
O’Sullivan previously was in an on-off relationship with Laila Rouass, known for her roles in EastEnders, Holby City and Footballers’ Wives, for over a decade before they finally ended things last year.
The pair first met in 2012, when Rouass was shown around O’Sullivan’s house while she was property hunting. The snooker champ later asked her out via the estate agent. They got engaged just a year later and were together for nearly 10 years before parting ways in 2022. They briefly reconciled but split again at the start of 2024, with Rouass later sharing reflections on how she coped with the breakup on Instagram.
“Breakups can strip you down to your essence,” she penned. “I got through mine by using pain as fuel to take control because no matter what, we will lose parts of ourselves in relationships. It’s normal, don’t beat yourself up. One thing I’m conscious of not doing is trying to get back where I was. No, I’m discovering who I’ve become. I’ve been through various emotions… hurt, pain, anger but what I’ve realised about anger is that it’s bottomless.”
In February, the pair ruled out any chance of reconciliation as they put their £2million mansion up for sale.
O’Sullivan has three children from previous relationships. He first became a dad to Taylor Ann with ex-Sally Magnus in 1997. He shares a son, Ronnie Jr., and a daughter, Lily, with his former flame of eight years, Jo Langley. He took on the granddad mantle at the age of 42 when Taylor-Ann had a baby girl in 2018.
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