Jesse ‘JerAx’ Vainikka may have retired from active competition, but he remains one of the most successful gamers of his generation.

The 33-year-old from Helsinki, Finland, was part of the infamous OG team that won The International in 2018 and 2019.

But after making an impressive $6.48 million in career earnings, he shocked the professional esports world by retiring from active competition.

Here we examine JerAx’s career, explore why he walked away at the height of his powers, and look at what he’s been doing in the years since. 

JerAx is one of the most recognisable names in elite-level gaming. The retired Dota 2 player, real name is Jesse Vainikka, hails from Helsinki, Finland.

He was born on May 7, 1992, which makes him 33 years old at the time of writing, and he managed to turn a childhood passion for video games into a financially successful career.

His gamer name is a combination of Jesse and Cyrax, the character from the Mortal Kombat video game series.

Although he stepped away from actively playing in 2020, he has since made sporadic appearances, as well as reinventing himself as a mental performance coach.

The bulk of his net worth is believed to come from the $6.48 million in prize money he made from 69 tournaments, according to Esports Earnings, primarily from Dota 2 tournaments.

More than $5 million came from OG’s TI wins in 2018 and 2019, while other victories include The Boston Major in 2016 and The Kiev Major in 2017. Each netted him $200,000.

Most of JerAx’s income has come from the prize money won at various international Dota 2 events during a relatively short playing career.

In January 2018, he announced on Instagram the launch of his own website, which would sell merchandise, such as t-shirts and hoodies, and provide a platform for fans to ask questions.

It’s unclear how much he earned from this venture, and the website (www.jerax.gg) no longer appears to be active, as of September 2025.

More recently, JerAx has offered his services as a mental performance coach, for which he usually charges $60 per hour, according to his profile on Metafy. 

Separately, it’s likely that he has earned money in the past from streaming, although there is no recent data on subscriber numbers.

He has 149,000 followers on Twitch, where he’s had a profile for more than a decade, but the site states he hasn’t streamed since last year.

JerAx was born in Helsinki, Finland, on May 7, 1992. In an interview with Red Bull, he recalled a happy childhood. “I remember vividly how my parents were very supportive,” he said. 

His early days were spent playing football and video games with his friends. His dad also built computers, so this helped support his interest. 

“As there was no internet, it was natural to just get around the same PC and play on the same keyboard,” he explained.

He began playing Dota at the age of 15 and also became a serious contender in Heroes of Newerth.

However, it was after travelling to Sweden for a competition that he got his first insight into what it would be like to play esports professionally.

It’s fair to say that JerAx enjoyed rapid career progression after starting out as an independent back in 2013, according to Esports Earnings.

After spells with 4 Anchors & Sea Captain, Team Tinker, South Korean team MVP Hot6ix and Team Liquid, he joined up with the OG team in 2016. This proved to be his most successful spell, with earnings of just over $6 million from 35 tournaments. This accounts for around 93% of his career total prize money. 

In early 2020, it was announced that JerAx was leaving the OG active roster, and his team gave him their full support.

They wrote: “Jesse decided that it was time for him to pursue new things in life, and we couldn’t be prouder to have worked so many years with such an amazing, creative, smart and wholesome guy.

“Together we traveled the world, we won, we lost as well, we experienced so many things. And being friends also means letting them go sometimes.”

During the early part of 2022, however, he played for Evil Geniuses, where he made $16,400 from three tournaments.

As part of his departure announcement from OG, JerAx noted how the competitive environment pushes everyone to be at their best at all times, but argued this wasn’t sustainable. He highlighted the pressure to win on individuals, teammates, and the organisation backing them, likening it to mental warfare.

“Living in this culture has hit me hard,” he wrote. “Thinking about the yearly ‘grind’ makes me feel apathetic, exhausted, and almost numb.”

He went on to say that while he had been very fortunate to compete professionally, he no longer had the “willingness nor passion” to continue playing Dota 2.  

“For me the decision to pursue another direction is clear, and I have no doubts about it,” he added.

Since stepping away from being an active competitor, JerAx has established himself as a performance coach.

JerAx has acted as a coach to Team Liquid and stood in as a coach for PARIVISION at BLAST Slam III in May 2025, temporarily replacing Filipe ‘Astini’ Astini, whose wife was pregnant.

Earlier this year, he also took to X to reveal he’d been working with individual clients to tackle issues such as burnout, low self-esteem, and feeling stuck. On his Metafy profile, which has 86 subscribers, JerAx states he’s trained in motivational interviewing, non-violent communication, and cognitive behavioural therapy. He also highlights how he can help gamers understand where they are in their careers and overcome mental obstacles.

“We’ll uncover your strengths, explore your goals, and devise actionable plans for your progression towards becoming a better player,” he adds.

Relatively little is known about JerAx away from the keyboard, as he’s not very active on social media. His most recent post on Instagram, where he has over 92,000 followers, was a scenic shot in June 2025, without any accompanying explanation.

JerAx certainly seems to treasure the quiet life. He hasn’t publicised any significant purchases, and there is little information about his day-to-day activities. In previous interviews, however, he has emphasised the importance of being at home in the countryside and reconnecting with friends now that his active playing days are over.

JerAx reportedly donated his gaming chair to be auctioned off for charity alongside merchandise from football stars Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney.

The chair raised an impressive sum of $5,800 at the 2020 event organised in collaboration with Valavuori Live, a Finnish talk show.

It compares very favourably. JerAx is currently the second-highest earner with $6.48 million, only trailing fellow Dota 2 star N0tail, who has made over $7 million.

His best years came in 2018 and 2019, helped enormously by being part of the OG team that won back-to-back TI victories, according to Esports Earnings.

JerAx earned $3.16 million from nine tournaments in 2019, which was better than the $2.29 million made from 10 events the previous year.

Jesse ‘JerAx’ Vainikka amassed a multi-million dollar fortune in less than 10 years before retiring from active competition.

He has been very open about the toll playing esports at the highest level has had on his friendships and mental state.

This insight has helped him become a mental performance coach for the next generation of esports stars who only stand to benefit from his experiences.