Chess world number one Magnus Carlsen has received the backing of the world's most popular YouTube creator after pulling out of the tournament after organizers insisted he not wear jeans.
Norwegian Carlsen defended his FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships title in New York and was fined for his attire and told to change immediately.
The 34-year-old offered to change his pants for the next day but pulled out after the decision, saying he was “too old at this point” to appeal.
OOTD pic.twitter.com/9reOP6zuJv
— Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) December 28 2024
Big's
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) December 28 2024
MrBeast supports Carlsen in X.
Later, Carlsen hilariously shared his 'OOTD'. X was later used to refer to 'outfit of the day' posts, which users often use to reflect their style choices.
American MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, is one of Carlsen's admirers and has responded in support of the post.
“Savage” responded to the social media sensation, with more than 339 million subscribers on YouTube, the third most of all TikTok accounts.
The official account of Chess.com, the largest online community of chess players, responded with heart emojis on X, who has more than 619,000 followers, while partner account Anichess called Carlsen “very dignified and very memorable.”
In a statement, FIDE fined the five-time world chess champion £159 and stressed that its rules were applied “impartially”.
FIDE statement on Magnus Carlsen's dress code violation
The FIDE rules for the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship, including the dress code, are designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants.
Today Mr. Magnus Carlsen broke the dress code… pic.twitter.com/SLdxBpzroe
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 27 2024
Magnus Carlsen Net Worth
The controversy is likely to boost Carlsen's status as the world's most famous chess player, a position that has helped him generate huge earnings during 15 years of dominating the ranks.
His partnerships and endorsements include gaming chair and table makers Secretlab and payment card services giant Mastercard.
Play Magnus – a chess training and competition app Carlsen founded in 2013, claims to be his most profitable business interest.
In recent years, Carlsen's stake has been worth at least £8m. Celebrity Net WorthIt is said to have received around £1.6m from sponsors and “millions more” from tournament prize money.
The site estimates Carlsen's net worth to be around £20 million.