Here's How Legendary Arcade Gamer Billy Mitchell Grew His Net Worth
Billy Mitchell, known for arcade game playing skills and achieving the first perfect score on Pac-Man, has a reported net worth of $1 million.
Jul. 21 2022, Published 1:59 p.m. ET
Video gaming expert and legend Billy Mitchell was known primarily in the 1980s and '90s for achieving unbeatable scores in classic arcade games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. Although the gaming industry has since modernized itself, Mitchell continues to hold his titles and is still recognized by many as one of the greatest arcade gamers of all time.
Given how much video game players such as Vincent Ryan (FGTeeV Duddy) and Ryan Kaji (Ryan’s World) make from gaming (primarily by sharing their experience via YouTube), people want to know how much Billy Mitchell has profited from playing video games and what his net worth looks like today.
How much is legendary gamer Billy Mitchell worth today?
Billy Mitchell (center) December 2007
Although Billy Mitchell doesn’t shy away from sharing his record-breaking scores, he isn’t an open book when it comes to his personal life. Despite him being a pretty private person, there are a few pieces of public information we’ve uncovered that support his reported $1 million net worth.
William James Mitchell Jr. (Billy Mitchell)
Legendary Arcade Gamer and Resturaunteer
Net worth: $1 million (unconfirmed)
Billy Mitchell is well known in the gaming industry for his record-breaking scores on games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. Mitchell was the first to achieve a perfect score on Pac-Man in 1999 and is recognized by Guinness World Records for it.
Birthdate: July 16, 1965
Birthplace: Holyoke, Mass.
Spouse: Evelyn Mitchell
Kids: 3
After Mitchell gained attention from the remarkable scores he reached while playing Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, he was featured in multiple documentaries including The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007), Nintendo Quest (2015), and The Fiddling Horse (2019). His family also owns Rickey’s Restaurant & Sports Bar, located in Hollywood, Florida
The restaurant, which is regarded by many as a historical landmark, is primarily known for the wings it serves soaked in the establishment’s one-of-a-kind hot sauce, Rickey’s World Famous Louisiana Hot Sauce. The sports bar, which was founded in 1955 by Mitchell’s parents, William and Barbara Mitchell, still remains in the family.
Although much of Mitchell’s net worth likely comes from Rickey’s, it's also built on the sales of Rickey’s World Famous Louisiana Hot Sauce. Today, the infamous hot sauce can be purchased on Amazon.
Billy Mitchell’s arcade gaming scores helped him catch the attention of Guinness World Records.
For decades, Billy Mitchell dedicated himself to playing and achieving some noteworthy scores on Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. In July 1999, Mitchell achieved the first perfect score on Pac-Man, with 3,333,360 points, according to Guinness World Records. In Nov. 1992, he earned the highest score on Donkey Kong, with 874,300 points.
Some of Michell’s other record-breaking scores include:
- June 2005- Highest score on Donkey Kong- 1,047,200 points
- July 2007- Highest score on Donkey Kong- 1,050,200 points
- July 2010- Highest score on Donkey Kong-1,062,800 points
Although Guinness World Records disqualified Mitchell’s scores in 2019 after Twin Galaxies alleged his scores “were not achieved on an unmodified original DK arcade PCB as per the competitive rules,” the organization reinstated them in June 2020.
Today, Mitchell is recognized by Guinness World Records as "the first gamer to reach the kill screen on Donkey Kong” and the “first gamer to score 1 million points on Donkey Kong.”
Is Billy Mitchell still an active gamer?
Billy Mitchell may not be as active as he once was when it comes to playing video games, but he’s still a well-recognized name in the gaming industry and makes a few appearances here and there. In fact, in 2022, Mitchell made an appearance for Barstool Sports, a digital media company founded by Dave Portnoy.
Mitchell continues to stay relevant through the content being shared on YouTube and via his Twitch account.
