Jann Mardenborough Net Worth: From Gran Turismo 5 to the “Gran Turismo” Film—How Much Is the British Racing Driver Worth Now?

If you’re not a racing fan, chances are you first heard of Jann Mardenborough through the movie Gran Turismo.

Directed by Neill Blomkamp, the movie tells the true story of a young gamer who defied all odds to become a professional race car driver. His name is Jann Mardenborough, and he’s one of the wealthiest race car drivers of today’s era.

This article discusses everything you need to know about the 32-year-old racing driver, including Jann Mardenborough’s net worth, early life, and rise to fame.

What Is Jann Mardenborough’s Net Worth?

As of 2024, Jann Mardenborough’s net worth is around $10 million.

Mardenborough’s net worth nearly doubled following the release of Gran Turismo (2023). This biographical sports drama film depicted Mardenborough’s life from a teenage video game enthusiast to a professional race car driver.

The movie, co-produced by Mardenborough himself, grossed $122 million at the box office on a $60 million budget.

Though its success isn’t comparable to some of the big-hitting movies of 2023, where Barbie, Super Mario Bros: The Movie, and Oppenheimer ranked in billions, it undeniably propelled Mardenborough into the limelight.

Beyond Gran Turismo, most of Mardenborough’s wealth comes from his winnings in various racing series, including the GT Academy, the British GT Championship, the Super GT, and British Formula 3.

Mardenborough’s impressive track record made him a sought-after driver, leading to lucrative contracts and sponsorships with Nissan, Sony, and other big-name brands.

He also receives earnings from branded merchandise, memorabilia, and appearance fees for special events and promotional activities.

Jann Mardenborough’s Early Life 

Born on September 9, 1991, in County Durham, England, to Lesley and Steve Mardenborough—a former professional footballer—Jann grew up with a keen interest in sports and video games.

He dreamt of becoming a professional racing driver at only five years old. He saw the opportunity to “live” his life as a professional racing driver through Gran Turismo, a Japanese racing game developed by Polyphony Digital for the PlayStation.

Since he didn’t own a Playstation, he spent most of his time playing Gran Turismo in his friend’s house. His parents eventually relented, buying him his console. He continued to play the game and its DLCs until his late teenage years.

Start of Jann Mardenborough’s Career 

Unlike most teenagers who outgrow their childhood dreams, Mardenborough’s aspirations of becoming a race car driver grew stronger with age.

In 2010, Mardenborough studied motorsport engineering at Swansea University but dropped out less than a month later, finding the course too math-heavy.

With all the free time in his hands, Mardenborough joined a competition in Gran Turismo 5 sponsored by GT Academy.

The Gran Turismo contest offered more than money: it also promised a professional racing career. To Mardenborough, winning this virtual race was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—his golden ticket from virtual to real-life racing.

Mardenborough wasn’t a Gran Turismo novice; he’d been playing the game since he was eight and knew it inside out. He was confident that he’d win. And win, he did.

Of the 90,000 people that had joined, Mardenborough qualified in the top 20 and subsequently underwent training before making it to the final race.

Mardenborough won the race almost effortlessly, earning him a professional racing contract with Nissan. This was the start of his career.

Rise to Fame

With Nissan as his sponsor, Mardenborough began his journey as a novice race car driver. He completed a rigorous driver training program and competed in various national races.

He didn’t win most of the races, but winning wasn’t the objective—it was to gain experience and accumulate the necessary race credits to qualify for an international racing license.

In 2012, Jann competed in his first international race. Driving a Nissan 370Z GTA, he finished the Dubai 24H race third in his class—a notable achievement for a beginner driver.

He then competed in the British GT Championships, placing 3rd in Nürburgring, 1st in Brands Hatch, and podium in Snetterton.

His streak of winnings continued from 2013 to 2015, winning various competitions in the Le Mans 24H, the British F3 championship, the FIA European F3, and the GP3 season.

The 2015 Mardenborough’s Nürburgring Tragedy 

In May 2015, tragedy struck at 2015 Nürburgring 24H when Mardenborough’s Nissan GT3 flipped, flew off the track, and fatally struck one spectator and injured several others.

Mardenborough’s crash happened almost exactly as it did in Gran Turismo, though slightly dramatized as Hollywood often does. The crash was ultimately ruled an accident.

When asked about the incident, Mardenborough expressed his guilt. “It’s something I wouldn’t want anyone else to experience,” he said, “It stays with you. Someone has lost their life—it’s never going to go away.”

Unfortunately, Mardenborough’s streak of bad luck didn’t end there. Weeks later, he participated in Le Mans, driving a Nissan GT-R LMP1. The race car caught fire with Mardenborough still in it, forcing him to retire.

Mardenborough has never raced at Le Mans since.

Gran Turismo, the Movie 

Mardenborough didn’t let the 2015 tragedy define his career.

In the following years, he competed in the Japanese SuperGT championship, the most notable being in 2016 when he ranked fourth in the lower GT300 class alongside co-driver Kazuki Hoshino.

Mardenborough’s latest win occurred in 2023 at the Fiji 24H, where he finished third overall.

That same year, Mardenborough saw his life story come to life on the big screen with the release of the biographical film Gran Turismo.

The movie starred Orlando Bloom, David Harbour, and Archie Madekwe, who played him. As a co-producer, Mardenborough acted as Madekwe’s stunt double throughout the film.

Final Thoughts 

Jann Mardenborough’s net worth is estimated to be $10 million as of 2024.

Much of his net worth came from his success as a motorsport race car driver, lucrative brand sponsorships, and the substantial earnings generated from the highly successful film Gran Turismo, based on his life story.

Today, Mardenborough continues to be among the best race car drivers from the GT Academy.