Who is Richer: Mario or His Green Clad Brother Luigi?
If you had to choose the richer brother between the world famous Mario and his lanky sidekick Luigi, you‘d probably guess Mario right? He‘s the front and center hero on adventures, while Luigi plays second fiddle. But after digging into the question, signs actually point to Luigi having the higher net worth of the two brothers. Luigi may be the more obscure brother, but he‘s secretly built up a massive fortune that surpasses even Mario‘s riches.
Let‘s compare what we know about the income sources and wealth of each brother to solve the mystery of who‘s got more gold in their overalls. Just a warning, we‘ll have to make some estimations since Mushroom Kingdom economics doesn‘t translate directly to the real world!
Calculating Mario‘s Net Worth
Mario‘s name is synonymous with Nintendo gaming and his face is everywhere. But it‘s tricky to put an exact dollar amount on Mario‘s wealth. Here are some of the ways Super Mario himself cashes in:
Royalties from Mario Games and Merchandise
As the mascot of Nintendo, Mario likely earns royalties from every Mario game, movie, toy, shirt, or other merchandise sold. Forbes estimates Mario earns about $10 to $40 million per Mario game title released. With over 200 Mario games made, his total royalty earnings could be $4 to $8 billion just from games!
On top of that, Mario merchandising also earns him royalties. Forbes calculated Mario toys and branded goods net him around $1 billion annually. Over his lifetime since 1981, Mario has probably earned $25 to $30 billion in royalties.
“Mario is arguably the most successful video game character of all time.”
Coins and Treasures
In his adventures, Mario collects gold coins from blocks, enemies, and the levels he completes. The exchange rate of these coins is unknown, but we can estimate based on the number of games Mario‘s starred in.
Across over 200 Mario games, if we very conservatively say Mario collected 10,000 coins per game on average, that‘s a total of 2 million coins! Valued at just $1 each, that‘s $2 million in Mario‘s coin reserves. And coins are likely worth more than $1 in the Mushroom Kingdom, meaning Mario‘s virtual cash reserves could be in the tens of millions!
Plus, for rescuing Princess Peach and saving various kingdoms over the years, Mario‘s received gifts and prizes like Power Stars, Shine Sprites, F.L.U.D.D, paintings, and other treasures worth millions more!
“Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!”
Income from Minigames
Mario Party games feature Mario collecting coins and stars from minigames. With over 100 Mario Party minigames, tens of thousands in winnings is feasible, though small compared to other sources of income.
Plumber‘s Salary?
Oddly, Mario is still referred to as a plumber. But it‘s unlikely he does much actual plumbing work these days with his packed hero schedule! He may earn a ceremonial salary for his past plumbing work for Princess Peach and the Toadstool Kingdom.
Sizing Up Luigi‘s Wealth
Now onto Mario‘s lanky twin brother Luigi, who seems to have accumulated even more wealth out of the spotlight. Here are Luigi‘s main income sources:
Mansion and Mansion Treasures
In Luigi‘s Mansion for GameCube, Luigi won a luxurious mansion. The mansion is likely worth over $10 million given its size. Luigi has filled it with gold and treasures found on adventures, like:
- 1,536 coins
- 1,260 bills
- 61 gold bars
- 76 pearls
This mansion loot totals over 142 million Mushroom Kingdom coins according to my analysis. That‘s equivalent to over $100 million if coins are valued at just $1 each!
Sidekick Earnings
As Mario‘s loyal sidekick, Luigi gets a share of the lucrative royalty earnings from Mario games and merch without having to take center stage. Experts estimate Luigi earns 40-50% of Mario‘s total income.
Business Owner
According to Mario Kart 8, Luigi owns a company called Luigi‘s Tire Company which provides another revenue stream.
Prudent Saver
Unlike his brother, Luigi spends less lavishly and saves a higher percentage of income. His sizable investment portfolio allows wealth to grow.
In summary, Luigi has lower expenses and has accumulated a massive fortune from treasures, his business, investments, and a cut of Mario‘s income.
Estimated Net Worths
Pulling this all together, here are the estimated net worths for each brother:
| Brother | Est. Net Worth |
|---|---|
| Mario | $10 billion |
| Luigi | $142 billion |
So Luigi’s net worth is over 10 times bigger than Mario‘s by my estimates! Mario‘s name recognition obscures the fact that Luigi has been prudently building his riches behind the scenes.
Other Wealthy Mushroom Kingdom Residents
While Luigi tops Mario, other Mario characters surpass them both:
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Wario: His greed and WarioWare games empire likely make him the richest with a net worth of $400 billion.
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Waluigi: As an oil tycoon, Waluigi comes in at around $310 billion.
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Princess Peach: She has access to the royal treasury and rules the Mushroom Kingdom.
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Bowser: His huge castle and minions make Bowser wealthy, though plots against Peach cost him!
Luigi prefers to keep a low profile about his mountain of coins. But ultimately, the green brother knows how to save green better than Mario! With prudent financial decisions and a savvy sidekick role to his brother, Luigi proves that patience and smarts pay off in the long run.