Game firm founder and creative director Petri Järvilehto emerged as Finland’s top earner last year, according to income and tax data unveiled on Tuesday by local tax authorities.
The annual ritual of rubber-necking other people’s incomes revealed that Järvilehto, the man behind game firm Seriously Digital Entertainment, took home more than 30 million euros in 2019, putting him at the top of the list of the country's high income earners.
Järvilehto’s income was mostly capital income and data from the Finnish Tax Administration show that he paid more than 10 million euros in taxes last year.
Seasoned entrepreneur Jorma Takanen was a distant second to Järvilehto, having reported around 17 million euros in income in 2019. His earnings came in part from the sale of lock company iLoq.
Another well-known game maker, Supercell founder Ilkka Paananen rounded out the top three with just shy of 15 million euros in earnings. Paananen was last year’s chart-topper.
On Tuesday the tax administration published its annual list of people who have made 100,000 euros or more in earned or capital income during the preceding year. This year, the names of more than 4,000 people have been withheld from the list by special request.
One of them, Ilkka Brotherus, is actually last year's biggest earner, having pulled down more than 65 million euros. However he is one of the individuals whose name was removed from the list shared with media outlets by tax authorities. Brotherus was the owner of sporting goods firm Amer Sports, which was snapped up by Chinese buyer Anta Sports last year.
All personal tax data can still be accessed on site at local tax offices by members of the public. A group of media outlets has challenged the decision to conceal some names and the matter is being considered by an administrative court.
Agri minister outpaces other cabinet members
Agriculture minister Jari Leppä (Cen) was the biggest earner in government circles. Last year his taxable earned income was more than 149,000 euros, while capital income amounted to nearly 48,000 euros, making his total take last year close to 200,000 euros.
Leppä is a farming man and runs an estate in South Savo with his wife. The property focuses on dairy production, forestry and cottage rentals.
Meanwhile Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (Green) reported the highest capital income -- 120,000 euros. Combined with his earned income of about 52,000 euros, he banked a total of 172,000 euros last year. Last year's ‘tax day’ list showed that Haavisto had no capital income at all.
The minister with the most earned income in 2019 was Economic Affairs Minister Mika Lintilä (Cen), whose total taxable earnings from work amounted to 155,000 euros.
Most of the current crop of government ministers took up their portfolios in June 2019, so their average incomes show a clear increase compared to 2018. Most ministers make about 125,000 euros annually, while lawmakers may earn between 79,000 and 89,000 euros a year, depending on the length of their parliamentary careers.
The prime minister’s annual pay packet is over 160,000 euros but this would not apply to Sanna Marin (SDP), who only took over the role of premier from Antti Rinne (SDP) last December. Marin’s reported taxable income in 2019 was 121,000 euros and did not include capital income.
Edit: Updated at 2.36pm with new lead image and information about the country's actual biggest earner.