Lee Hutchinson Net Worth: What Most People Get Wrong

Lee Hutchinson Net Worth: What Most People Get Wrong

When you type Lee Hutchinson net worth into a search bar, you're usually met with a mess of conflicting numbers. One site says he's a multi-millionaire gaming mogul, while another suggests he’s a tech journalist with a comfortable salary. Honestly, it's confusing because there isn't just one Lee Hutchinson making waves in the digital world.

The name belongs to several high-profile figures. You have the founder of the massive gaming studio Double Eleven, the long-time Senior Technology Editor at Ars Technica, and even a viral magician with a massive Facebook following. Sorting through the noise to find the real financial story requires looking at where the money actually comes from in each of these very different careers.

The Double Eleven Empire: Lee Hutchinson's Biggest Asset

If we are talking about the "wealthiest" Lee Hutchinson, we’re almost certainly talking about the founder and CEO of Double Eleven. This is a guy who basically built a gaming powerhouse from his bedroom.

He started the company in 2009 after a stint at Rockstar Leeds, where he worked on massive titles but eventually hit a wall of burnout. When he left Rockstar, he reportedly had about £100,000 in the bank. That’s a decent cushion, but nowhere near the "net worth" figures people associate with him today.

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Double Eleven didn't just survive; it exploded. They handled the console ports for Minecraft Dungeons, Goat Simulator, and Rust. When you're managing a studio that employs over 350 people across the UK and Malaysia, your net worth isn't just a number in a bank account—it’s the valuation of the company itself.

Why the gaming industry numbers are tricky

People often see "millions in revenue" and assume that’s the CEO's personal take-home pay. It’s not. However, with Double Eleven pulling in massive contracts from giants like Sony and Microsoft, the enterprise value of the company is easily in the tens of millions.

  • Company Growth: From a one-man bedroom operation to 350+ employees.
  • IP Portfolio: Working on billion-dollar franchises like Minecraft and Fallout.
  • Expansion: Setting up international offices in Kuala Lumpur.

While a specific "liquid" net worth isn't public, industry analysts often peg founders of successful mid-to-large independent studios in the $10 million to $30 million range, depending on their equity stake.

The Tech Journalist: Lee Hutchinson at Ars Technica

Then there’s the other Lee Hutchinson. If you’ve spent any time reading deep dives into solid-state drives or NASA’s lunar landers, you know this Lee. He’s the Senior Technology Editor at Ars Technica.

His path to wealth was much more traditional. He started in IT, worked his way up to Enterprise Architect for a Fortune 25 aerospace company (the kind that makes planes starting with the number "7"), and then pivoted to journalism.

Breaking down the journalist's income

Journalism isn't usually where you go to get "rich" in the private-jet sense. But being a Senior Editor at a top-tier Condé Nast publication is a high-level professional role.

  1. Former Corporate Salary: As an Enterprise Architect, he likely earned between $150,000 and $220,000 annually before switching careers.
  2. Editorial Income: Senior editors at major tech outlets typically earn between $110,000 and $160,000, depending on tenure and location.
  3. Freelance and Book Projects: Many tech writers supplement their income with consulting or speaking engagements.

For this Lee Hutchinson, his net worth is likely built on a foundation of smart 401(k) contributions from his "aerospace days" and a steady, high-ranking media salary. We’re likely looking at a comfortable, upper-middle-class net worth in the $1 million to $3 million range, largely tied up in real estate and retirement investments.

The Social Media Magician: Lee Hutchinson's Viral Earnings

Wait, there’s a third one? Yep. There is also a Lee Hutchinson who is a magician and content creator. He’s the guy behind "VideoLee" and some of the largest pages on Facebook.

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This Lee Hutchinson makes his money through AdSense, brand deals, and social media monetization. In the world of 2026, social media earnings are more transparent than they used to be, but they fluctuate wildly. Some months he might pull in $20,000 from video views alone, while other months might be slower.

His net worth is much more volatile. It’s built on "digital real estate"—followers and engagement metrics. While he might not have the brick-and-mortar assets of a gaming studio owner, his liquid cash flow from viral hits is nothing to sneeze at.

Lee Hutchinson Net Worth: The Reality of the Numbers

So, what is the actual number?

If you are looking for a single figure, you are going to be disappointed because these are three different men with three different lives.

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  • The CEO: Likely $15M+ (valuation-based).
  • The Editor: Likely $1M - $3M (asset-based).
  • The Creator: Likely $500k - $2M (cash-flow based).

It is a classic case of why "net worth" websites are often garbage. They see a name, grab a photo of the journalist, and attach the revenue of the gaming company to it. It’s a mess.

Why you should care about the "How" instead of the "How Much"

The common thread between all these guys? They pivoted.
The gaming Lee left a high-paying job at Rockstar to risk it all on his own.
The journalist Lee left a stable aerospace career because he loved writing about tech.
The magician Lee turned a hobby into a massive Facebook presence.

Success for all three didn't come from a straight line. It came from being an expert in a niche and then figuring out how to monetize that expertise effectively.

Moving Forward with This Info

If you’re trying to track your own net worth or looking to emulate this kind of success, don't just look at the final number. Look at the equity. The "richest" Lee Hutchinson didn't get there through a salary; he got there by owning the company.

To get a better handle on your own financial trajectory:

  • Audit your equity: Are you working for a paycheck, or are you building something you own?
  • Diversify your "niche" skills: The Ars Technica Lee succeeded because he knew both IT architecture and how to write.
  • Track the right Lee: Before you cite a net worth figure in a conversation, make sure you've got the right guy's face in your head.

The lesson here is basically that a name is just a label. The real value is in the career path you choose to carve out.