Tanitolua Adewumi, also known as Tani Adewumi, is an 8-year-old Nigerian-American Chess Prodigy who won the 2019 K-3 New York State Chess Championship, which brought curious eyes to his net worth and personal life.
Adewumi’s chess story became even more intriguing given that he was a Nigerian refugee living in a US homeless shelter, showcasing a grandmaster’s potential.
Poised to become one of the notable chess figures, Tani learned and played chess for a year before acquiring the K-3 New York State Chess Champion title. As reported, due to his family’s financial struggle, his chess coach even waived fees for his training.
Now, a lot has changed in the chess prodigy’s life- from lifestyle to owning a home and being a noted player in the chess realm. Aside from his life transformation and earnings, this article will discuss his family and career journey.
- Quick Facts
- How Much Is Tanitoluwa Adewumi’s Net Worth In 2024?
- Earnings Of Tanitoluwa Adewumi: What Are His Income Sources?
- From Refugee Shelter To Owning A Home: Where Does Tanitoluwa Live?
- What Is Age And Height Of Tanitoluwa Adewumi?
- Who Are Adewumi’s Parents? Family, Nationality And Religion
- How Did Tani Adewumi’s Chess Journey Begin?
- Won K-3 State Chess Championship: IM Norms And Aim Of Grandmaster
- Does Tanitoluwa Adewumi Have An Instagram Account?
- FAQs
Quick Facts
| Name | Tanitoluwa Emmanuel Adewumi |
| Nickname | Tani |
| Profession | Chess player |
| Gender | Male |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Career Active | 2018- present |
| Social Media | Instagram, Facebook |
How Much Is Tanitoluwa Adewumi’s Net Worth In 2024?
As of 2024, Adewumi has an estimated net worth of $50K. The sum of money is justifiable for a [age dob=”09/03/2010″]-year-old chess player who is only at the tip of the iceberg of success.
Amid his family’s struggles with finances, the Nigerian refugee kid started to paint his canvas from scratch to become a notable chess figure, which showered him with opportunities and prize money.
With much bigger slots for chess tournaments awaiting him, Tanitolouwa’s net worth will surely rise in the coming days.
| Net Worth | $50,000 |
| Primary Income Source | Chess career |
| Supplementary Income Source | Author and Sponsorships |
| Assets | Two-bedroom apartment in New York |
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Adewumi’s Net Worth In Different Currencies
Many know Tanitoluwa’s rise from homeless to a celebrated chess prodigy with an upgraded lifestyle and a considerable net worth. Let’s see how his fortune converts to other currencies.
| Country | Net Worth |
|---|---|
| United States of America | USD 50,000 |
| Australia | Australian Dollar 76,237 |
| Canada | Canadian Dollar 67,419 |
| European Nations | Euro 46,168 |
| Japan | Japanese Yen 7,514,225 |
| United Kingdom | Pound Sterling 39,557 |
| United Arab Emirates | UAE Dirham 183,645 |
| Bitcoin | BTC 0.97 |
Earnings Of Tanitoluwa Adewumi: What Are His Income Sources?
Like many chess players who make their living from prize money, Adewumi earns from the cash prizes of chess tournaments.
While there’ve been no significantly huge cash wins of the chess prodigy, his impressive gameplay was enough to attract the attention of sponsors. They cover his expenses during travels in tournaments. Even if it might not directly benefit his income, it’s undoubtedly a promising thing that prevents his parent’s pockets from burning.
Besides chess, he presumably achieved considerable money from his contributions to three books about his story (from refugee to a chess prodigy).
He co-authored with Craig Borlase to write the book ‘My Name is Tani… and I Believe in Miracles: The Amazing True Story of One Boy’s Journey From Refugee to Chess Champion‘ released in April 2020. In the same month, an edition for younger readers, My Name is Tani and I Believe in Miracles: Young Readers Edition, came out.
In November 2020, Tanitoluwa Adewumi’s other book, Tani’s New Home: A Refugee Finds Hope and Kindness in America, was released. It is about how he became passionate and succeeded in playing chess.
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From Refugee Shelter To Owning A Home: Where Does Tanitoluwa Live?
Tani Adewumi resides in a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, New York, with his parents and older brother. When his family fled Nigeria for refuge in the USA, they lived in a homeless shelter in Manhattan.
After he won the 52nd Annual New York State Scholastic Championships in 2019, the story of his family struggle made headlines globally.
In that wake, Adewumi’s chess coaches set up a GoFundMe page, with an aim to raise $50K. Surprisingly, in a tenure of ten days, it raised $254,000 from 4,795 donors in just 10 days.
Moreover, dozens of approaches came for their housing, and the family found a modest home. As reported, an anonymous donor even paid a year’s rent for their apartment.
In an interview with the NY Times in 2019, the chess player’s dad said of their transition to a new home, “I think I am still dreaming. I hope I don’t wake up.”
Tani, who once came home from school crying after his friends teased him for being homeless, said of excitement about his new residence, “I have a home! I have a home!”
What Is The Age And Height Of Tanitoluwa Adewumi?
Tanitoluwa Emmanuel Adewumi, aka Tani, was born in Nigeria on September 3, 2010. As of this writing, he is [age dob=”09/03/2010″] years old.
The young chess player is 3 feet 9 inches (1.14 m) and weighs 30 Kg (66 lbs). Adewumi has short black hair and brown eyes.
| Age | [age dob=”09/03/2010″] Years Old |
| Height | 3 feet 9 inches (1.14 m) |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Hair Color | Black |
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Who Are Adewumi’s Parents? Family, Nationality And Religion
Tanitoluwa is the youngest of two sons of Kayode James Adewumi (b. June 24, 1976) and Oluwatoyin Kuburat Adewumi (b. June 16, 1981).
He has an older brother, Adesina Austin Adewumi, who is seven years his senior. He completed high school at Union Square Academy for Health Sciences in 2021.
His parents are Nigerian-born; his father ran a print shop in Abuja, while his mother worked as an accountant. According to online sources, his dad is a descendant of a royal Nigerian family.
However, after the Islamist terrorist organization Boko Haram threatened with violence against Christians like them, they left Nigeria in June 2017.
Tani’s dad and mom moved to the United States seeking religious asylum, where a Queens-based pastor, Philip Falayi, connected them to the NYC Department of Homeless Services. Afterward, they lived in a homeless shelter in Manhattan.
Adewumi’s father, Kayode, worked as a dishwasher and Uber driver, while his mother, Oluwatoyin, worked as a cleaner.
In October 2022, the US government granted them asylum, meaning the family could live in the country permanently. As a result, Adewumi goes as a Nigerian-American.
As reported, they applied for asylum in 2019 and received the final confirmation order in October 2022, and their asylum card arrived on November 30.
| Parents | Kayode James Adewumi and Oluwatoyin Kuburat Adewumi |
| Brother | Adesina Austin Adewumi |
| Nationality | Nigerian-American |
| Ethnicity | African |
| Religion | Christian |
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How Did Tani Adewumi’s Chess Journey Begin?
Adewumi started playing chess only after he moved to the United States in 2017. Before that, he competed in track & field, winning two trophies in an interschool race as a first grader.
After moving to New York, he attended elementary school P.S. 116, where the school’s head chess coach, Shawn Martinez, introduced him to the game. Fascinated with chess, Tani asked his mother if he could join the club of coach Russell Makofsky (1700 Elo rated).
Even if Tani’s mother wanted to, the family living in a homeless shelter couldn’t afford the fee of $300. So, she told everything to coach Makofsky, who waived the fee, and thus, the prodigy’s chess journey began.
Won K-3 State Chess Championship: IM Norms And Aim Of Grandmaster
After only a year of training, Tanitoluwa’s chess skills had drastically rocketed, and he already had seven trophies in his name. In March 2019, Adewumi, then with a 1473 Elo rating, competed in the New York State K-3 Scholastic Championship, where he emerged victorious with a score of 5.5/6.
At 11 years old, he became USCF’s National Master after his Elo rating reached 2200 in May 2021. The same month, he won the 2021 CCFC (Chess Club Of Fairfield Connecticut Championship).
Then in August 2021, Adewumi became the 2021 North American Youth Chess Champion, which followed his milestone of FIDE rating of 2300, granting him the title of FIDE Master.
In 2022, he started with a 6th finish in the CCCSA Winter IMC 2022 in January and another 6th finish in Charlotte Spring IMB 2022 in March.
On April 14, 2022, Tani earned his first Internation Master (IM) norm in the New York Spring Invitational Norm. His second IM norm came after winning the 2022 New York Summer Invitational, while his third norm was at the 2022 New York Fall Invitational.
According to the new rule by FIDE, Tanitoluwa has to earn his 4th norm at the Swiss tournament and reach an Elo rating of 2400 to obtain the IM title. As of February 2024, he has a FIDE rating 2280 and ranks #526 in the United States (#10069 globally).
Tanitoluwa Adewumi stated that he wanted to become the youngest grandmaster; however, as of the current scenario, it’s out of his hands. He is [age dob=”09/03/2010″] now, while the youngest GM is American-born Abhimanyu Mishra, who achieved the feat at 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days.
Having said so, it is undeniable that he can become a noted GM in the coming years.
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Does Tanitoluwa Adewumi Have An Instagram Account?
Yes, the young chess player is active on Instagram, which he joined in January 2020. Considering his age, his parents manage his IG account, which has posts about his games and books. Adewumi’s parents are also on Instagram under the handles @kayodeade06 and @toyinqb1.
He also has a Facebook page, My Name Is Tani. Tani doesn’t have profiles on Twitter or Tiktok as of this writing.
- Instagram – mynameistani__
- Facebook – MyNameIsTani
- Youtube – N/A
- Twitter – N/A
- Tiktok – N/A
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FAQs
Who is Tanitoluwa Adewumi?
Tanitoluwa Adewumi is a Nigerian-American chess prodigy with the title of FIDE Master.
What Is Tanitoluwa Adewumi’s Religion?
Adewumi grew up in a family with the Christian faith. His parents had to flee from Nigeria after the terrorist organization Boko Haram threatened to harm Christians.
His family donated 10% of the $254,000 from a GoFundMe fundraiser to a church that helped them during their asylum.
What Is Tanitoluwa Adewumi’s Elo Rating?
According to FIDE, Adewumi has an Elo rating of 2280 as of February 2024. His highest-ever rating was 2317 in March 2023.
Where Does Tanitoluwa Study
Tanitoluwa attended elementary school P.S. 116. After winning the 2019 K-3 New York State Chess Championship, he got offers from three elite schools and now attends Simon Baruch Middle School.
Did Adewumi write a book?
The Nigerian-born American chess prodigy contributed as a book co-author with Craig Borlase on “My Name is Tani… and I Believe in Miracles: The Amazing True Story of One Boy’s Journey From Refugee to Chess Champion.”
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