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Reigning spreadsheet champ Michael Jarman thinks he's still smarter than AI, but are his days numbered? Here's what it takes to dominate the annual Excel showdown.
By Emily Forlini
March 22, 2025
"Jarmy army, come on up to the stage!" an announcer booms into the mic.
Michael Jarman tears through the "hype tunnel" in Las Vegas' HyperX Arena like a football player at the Super Bowl. But he's not here for a physical battle; Jarman is going up against 12 of the best spreadsheet masters from around the world in the Excel World Championships.
He pumps his arms in the air and makes his way to a computer next to the other players. The stadium is decked out in green lights, Microsoft Excel's signature color, with rows of stadium seating stretched before it.
The group is vying for the top prize of $5,000 and an epic, wrestling-style championship belt. To get there, they'll have to take down Andrew “The Annihilator” Ngai, who won the past three competitions, and others like Diarmuid Early, the "LeBron James of Excel."
Jarman was known as "the Excel guy" while at university in the United Kingdom. Now living in Canada, he works for a company called Operis, which manages complex infrastructure transactions with a "whole team of Excel guys," he tells us. Competitions like the Excel World Championships are a rare chance to show off hard-earned corporate skills in public.
https://bsky.app/intent/compose?tex...ampion-isnt-worried-about-copilot-beating-him
http://www.reddit.com/submit?url=ht...Isn't Worried About Copilot Beating Him (Yet)
www.pcmag.com
By Emily Forlini
March 22, 2025
"Jarmy army, come on up to the stage!" an announcer booms into the mic.
Michael Jarman tears through the "hype tunnel" in Las Vegas' HyperX Arena like a football player at the Super Bowl. But he's not here for a physical battle; Jarman is going up against 12 of the best spreadsheet masters from around the world in the Excel World Championships.
He pumps his arms in the air and makes his way to a computer next to the other players. The stadium is decked out in green lights, Microsoft Excel's signature color, with rows of stadium seating stretched before it.
The group is vying for the top prize of $5,000 and an epic, wrestling-style championship belt. To get there, they'll have to take down Andrew “The Annihilator” Ngai, who won the past three competitions, and others like Diarmuid Early, the "LeBron James of Excel."
Jarman was known as "the Excel guy" while at university in the United Kingdom. Now living in Canada, he works for a company called Operis, which manages complex infrastructure transactions with a "whole team of Excel guys," he tells us. Competitions like the Excel World Championships are a rare chance to show off hard-earned corporate skills in public.
https://bsky.app/intent/compose?tex...ampion-isnt-worried-about-copilot-beating-him
http://www.reddit.com/submit?url=ht...Isn't Worried About Copilot Beating Him (Yet)
The Microsoft Excel World Champion Isn't Worried About Copilot Beating Him (Yet)
Reigning spreadsheet champ Michael Jarman thinks he's still smarter than AI, but are his days numbered? Here's what it takes to dominate the annual Excel showdown.