Luke Humphries has told ESPN that taking home the World Darts Championship's £1 million winner's prize money will not change his life.
The expanded 128-player field at this year's world championship are competing to win a share of the £5m total prize pot. The winner will pocket a £1m cheque -- double the figure Humphries earned by winning the title in 2024 and Luke Littler took home last year.
Humphries, 30, has amassed more than £1,570, 000 in earnings over the past two years but he was overhauled by Littler at the top of the world rankings in November.
The prize money available to top darts players has risen significantly in recent years as television audiences, sponsorship deals and broadcast contracts have increased in line with the sport's growing popularity.
"Honestly, I don't think the extra million pounds will do anything different to me. It won't change my life any different than I've already changed it," Humphries said.
"So someone, I don't know, between the levels of top 32 and 16 winning it, it'll change their lives a lot. But I don't do this for the money anymore. I've come here for myself. I've got a comfortable level of earnings now where I can just go out there and enjoy myself and try and win as much as I can... being two time more champion means more to me than a million -- but of course having it is lovely as well."
Humphries has said that he plans to fork out on a Lamborghini Urus which costs around £200,000 should he lift the Sid Waddell trophy at Alexandra Palace for a second time.
But to do so he must get the better of his defending champion Littler. Humphries defeated his great rival in a Premier League showdown in May, but Littler has beaten him in the final of three majors in a row.
After his 16-11 loss to the 18-year-old in the Grand Slam of Darts in November which saw 'Cool Hand Luke' leapfrogged by Littler at the top of the PDC Order of Merit, Humphries said he felt he "never really got the attention that I deserve" during his long run at the top of the rankings.
Asked about his comment and why he feels he has been overlooked, Humphries said: "It's no one else's fault than the media's because they're the ones that control it and if they want to push me they can, but they decided not to, or do it as much [as Littler].
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"I mean it's one of them things that can happen in any day in life -- in sport it happens a lot. Most sports, they just want one player.... they just want to build them up. But usually when they build them up they're happy to see them come crashing down because they're straight on it.
"So I'm happy I'm not there. I'm here, I'm happy with that. [I may not get] the appreciation sometimes, but I think when my career is over, I think a lot of people then will sort of maybe see that I didn't too bad to be honest.
"I'm quite happy. I still get a lot of recognition, which from most people, which obviously I'm really happy with."
Humphries begins his bid to become a two-time world champion when he takes on 28-year-old former world youth champion Tedd Evetts on Dec. 13.