Live streaming chess games on YouTube and Twitch is what mostly made Alexandra Botez famous. However, she is a pro player who has achieved many accolades before becoming an internet figure and commentator. She presently holds the status of Woman FIDE Master from the International Chess Federation. As of 2023, Alexandra Botez has a net worth of $1 million.
Early Life
Alexandra Valeria Botez was born on September 24, 1995. Her parents left Romania just before she was born in Dallas, Texas. She grew up with her sister Andrea, who also grew up to be a chess player and streamer.
Though she was born in Texas, she spent most of her youth in Vancouver, Canada. Her father, Andrei, was the one who taught her chess at six years old. Two years later, she started dabbling in tournaments.
She received training from the famed Valer Eugen Demian. At 15, she moved back to the US and went to a high school in Oregon. She got a chess scholarship at the University of Texas Dallas before deciding to attend Stanford University to study International Relations.
Chess Career
At the age of eight, Botez won her first national title in Canada’s children category. In 2010, she was selected for the Canadian National Team and went on to win four additional Canadian youth national championships.
When she went to the US, Botez represented Oregon twice in the SPF Girls’ Invitational and got the Girls National title both times. This was how she earned her chess scholarship.
Alexandra Botez gained the Woman FIDE Master title in 2013 and her biggest FIDE Elo rating is 2092. Although she isn’t a chess grandmaster, she is still an extraordinary player.
Online Career
As a junior at Stanford, she started live-streaming chess videos in 2016. Her account steadily rose in popularity, and it led her to become a chess commentator. She helped cover the PRO Chess League Finals in 2018 and 2019.
Botez launched the social media startup CrowdAmp in 2017, but it shut down two years later. Even so, her online presence continued to grow. In 2020, her sister Andrea joined her channel. The Botez sisters run BotezLive on YouTube and Twitch.
They signed a deal with Envy Gaming, an esports organization in Texas. Alexandra also streamed poker content for Hustler Live Casino. The BotezLive channels have 797,000 subscribers on YouTube and 1.1 million on Twitch.
Net Worth and Earnings
It is estimated that the BotezLive YouTube channel makes $5,000 to $8,000 per month in ad revenue. On Twitch, the account earns $60,000 to $96,000 per year.
The channels’ earnings are split between Alexandra and Andrea. They also have sponsors to supplement their income. When Alexandra streamed poker games, she won $456,900. Her wealth is now estimated to be $1 million.
Personal Life
Alexandra Botez used to date the chess grandmaster Eric Hansen. Since they broke up, Alexandra has stayed low-key about her love life. It is believed that the chess pro is currently single.
