Comedy is one of the lucrative jobs, and some of the world’s best comedians are making a fortune out of it. Some comedians incorporate humor with acting or any other business venture to increase their income.
Comedy has one of the wealthiest people in the entertainment industry. Some of the top wealthiest comedians are listed below.
Richest Stand-Up Comedians.
1. Jerry Seinfeld: $950 million.
First on our list of the richest stand-up comedian is Jerry Seinfeld. Thanks to his performance in the fictionalized version of himself known as Seinfeld, he has acquired immense wealth.
The sitcom has proved to be very profitable as he earns syndicate royalty since he has 7.5% equity points. The famous sitcom is a brain combination of writer Larry David and Jerry.
Over the years that Jerry was active in the show, his salary was increased from $20,000 to $1 million per episode.
He was the first actor to earn $1 million per episode. NBC wanted him for a final episode, which they were ready to pay $5 million to appear, which would make him the highest-paid actor.
Even after his exit from the show, he still earns from syndicate and royalties since he owns 7.5% of the show’s backend equity points. Apart from the show, jerry is a creator where he hosts his show.
Jerry is successful in his career, and his net worth is estimated to be $950 million.
2. Richest Stand-Up Comedians No 2: Matt Stone: $700 million.
Matt Stone is an actor, producer, voice artist, screenwriter, and film creator.
Before creating the successful south park, he had coproduced acted in cannibal, which was his breakthrough. Its success comedy central allowed matt and his friend Trey Parker to create their show. South Park has been running for over a decade, and it seems there is not slowing down.
Apart from South Park, he has also acted in several movies, which have generated income. They also co-created the Book of Morman, which has generated $500 million to date.
A clause that didn’t seem important when it was written has earned then millions from the south park show. It states that they get to reach 50% of income earned apart from its tv broadcasting.
He earns $25 to $30 million annually and 50% from syndicate profits each time sales are made. Matts’s net worth is $700 million.
3. Matt Groening: $600 million.
Matt Groening is undoubtedly one of the richest stand-up comedians. The creator of the prolonged primetime television shows the Simpsons has a net worth of $600 million.
Matt Groening is an American author, cartoonist, tv producer, and animator. Though his start was a struggle, he managed to join a newspaper as a cartoonist. His life in hell comic was a success and caught the attention of James l. brooks.
He created Simpsons with its characters named after his family members.
He has also created a comic strip known as life in hell(1977-2012), futurama (1999-2003, 2008-2013), and he is also a co-writer in Simpsons the movie. The Simpsons are still aired to date and have gained millions of followers.
Groening has received several awards due to his work, thirteen primetime grammy awards, eleven for Simpsons, and two for futurama.
In 2004 he received the British award for outstanding contribution to comedy. He also has a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, among other achievements.
4. Trey Parker: $600 million.
The Third in our list of richest stand-up comedians is Trey Parker. Parker is an American writer, actor, producer, and director who has co-created the central comedy production known as the South Park.
Together with his best friend and co-writer Matt Stone, they have created several animated strips from “Jesus vs Santa, Jesus vs frosty to south park.”
In 1997 comedy central signed a contract with them for 13 episode comedy show, which is still aired to date.
Just like his partner, he has been able to acquire much wealth amounting to $ 600 million.
5. Ellen DeGeneres: $500 million.
Fith in our list of richest stand-up comedians and first among female comedians is Ellen DeGeneres. Ellen started her career in the early 80s, where she performed as a stand-up comedian in comedy clubs and tv shows such as The Tonight Show.
Her break was when she appeared in the sitcom ellen in 1997 when she came out as gay. The show was later canceled due to its drop in rankings in May 1998.
After the cancellation, she tried to return to TV with the Ellen DeGeneres show, which was also canceled after a few episodes. She voiced both the Finding Nemo and Finding Dory animation.
Later in 2003, Ellen DeGeneres was debuted, and it’s still aired to date. She has hosted several awards such as the Grammy awards, academy awards, and Emmy awards.
6. Jay leno: $450 million.
Jay lenos first appearance on tonight’s show, he was featured as a comedian. At that time, he was taking small roles in different films to make a living.
He frequently substituted Carson in the tonight show, where he replaced him in 1992 amidst controversy with David Letterman. Though he hosted, The Tonight Show, Leno was still able to perform as a stand-up comedian.
Even though he left the show, jay still tours to perform on several platforms.
7. Adam Sandler: $420 million.
Sandler is an American producer, actor, and comedian whose fame came from casting in Saturday live before joining Hollywood. He is widely famed for his comic roles in films.
His creativity and a great sense of humor have led him to have many successful productions released. Sandler is one of the highest-paid actors; he manages to earn $20 million per movie.
Sandler also earns from Netflix, who still get many streams of his movies despite the negative review. He is a great comedian and actor with significant influence in the film industry.
8. Bill Cosby: $400 million.
He is popularly known for his bill Cosby show, which was later renamed the Cosby show. The number one show focused on the routine in the lives of African American families.
The show was popular at the time, and Cosby earned $4 million per episode, including royalties and profits from syndication.
He has also created other shows, including a different world, Cosby, kids say the darndest things and the Cosby mysteries.
However, due to his conviction for sexual assault, his empire may vanish to settle compensation. His shows have been pulled down from syndication, and most of his associates want nothing to do with him.
At the time of his conviction, he was worth $ 400 million.
9. Byron Allen: $400 million.
Allen’s career started while working on armature comedy clubs as a stand-up comedian in Los Angeles.
His appearance on Tonight’s Show with johnny Carson was his breakthrough where he became a regular presenter with NBC’s real people.
Allen remains the youngest comedian to appear on the show, where he later had the chance to host his show known as Kickin it with Byron.
He owns several television networks that generate high revenue in terms of syndication.
His love for comedy started at a young age, and he won multiple recognition and awards for his work both as a comedian and a businessman.
10. David Letterman: $400 million.
He is the longest-serving late-night television host whose casting has lasted for 33 years. He has spent most of his time on the late-night show, where he has hosted several fellow comedians and influential individuals.
David is an American comedian and a former host whose net worth is believed to be $400 million.
11. Larry David: $400 million.
Larry is an American actor, comedian, creator, and producer whose worth is estimated to be $400 million.
He has worked with jerry to create “Seinfeld” and “curb your enthusiasm.” He has gained a lot from Seinfeld, and he still earns syndicate royalties from the show. It’s estimated that he earns $40 to $50 million annually.
Before his breakthrough, he worked odd jobs and was once a cast in several programs. He worked as a writer for the Saturday night show for one year.
12. Seth MacFarlane: $300 million.
Seth MacFarlane is an American comedian, voice actor, and producer with a net worth amounting to $300 million.
He is the creator of the successful animation Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, and American Dad. His creations are major television hits, and he has also created other films that have also done well, such as directing TED.
Seth performs in a musical as a big band act.
13. Dan Aykroyd: $200 million.
Dan is an active entrepreneur, comedian, and screenwriter who is among the first casting members of Saturday Night Live.
His television career started quite early and with him performing in comic sets before becoming both a writer and performer at Saturday Night Live.
He is also a member of Blue Brothers, a touring band whose album was double platinum-selling millions of copies.
He has won several awards and worked in different films, which have increased his popularity as a comedian.
Dan ventured into the vodka business, where he changed the branding of vodka. This partnership is a success earning $80-$100 million in revenue annually.
14. Kevin Hart: $200 million.
Being one of the highest-paid entertainers, kelvin is also a comedian, actor, producer, and spokesman with a net worth estimation of $200 million.
His comedy career started by mimic other comedians at amateur comedy clubs, which didn’t work out for him.
Kelvin hart is the king of stand-up comedy where he has appeared in several tours such as I’m a Grown Little Man, Seriously Funny, among others.
His annual income is estimated to be $70 million. He has his own production company, which is responsible for managing his career.
15. Ray Romano: $200 million.
Romano started as a stand-up comedian before becoming an actor and writer. He is widely known for the sitcom everybody loves Raymond.
Apart from the show, he has also acted in different films. He participated in several central comedy shows with a regular appearance at the Dr. Katz comedy.
Ray was a contestant for the search of a stand-up comedian. His wealth is estimated to be $200 million.
16. Steve Harvey: $200 million.
While talking about the richest comedians, we can’t forget Steve Harvey. Steve is a stand-up comedian who is popularly known for his talk show The Steve Harvey Show.
His comedy career did not pick up from the start. He faced several challenges, such as sleeping in his car since he was homeless. His prowess landed him a job at The Apollo as a host doing stand-up comedy for the longest time.
Steve hosts several shows, including Family Feud and Celebrity Family Feud. He also hosted the miss world pageant from 2015 to 2018.
Apart from his hosting and radio shows, he is also an entrepreneur and an author with published work. He has appeared in films which he starred in.
Harvey’s wealth is estimated to be $200 million.
17. Bill Murray: $180 million.
The Ghostbuster actor, Bill is an American actor, comedian, producer, and writer with a 180 million net worth. His way of delivering comedy makes him a good fit in any film; this attribute has won him several awards.
Murray’s first debut was on the show Saturday Night Live, where he show cast his unique style and was awarded a grammy award.
His success trickled when he joined the film industry where he displayed great acting prowess with success in almost every film. Some directors have a hard time working with him since he works with few directors whom he gets along with.
Throughout his acting career, he has starred in over 60 films.
18. Drew Carey: $165 million.
He is an American actor, comedian, and TV host who is best known for his role in The Drew Carey Show. Though he was an emcee at the comedy club, he gained recognition after appearing on the star search.
He made appearances at comic shows like The Tonight Show and Late night, launching his show.
He has grown to greater heights in his hosting career, where he has hosted several shows. Drew is also involved in other businesses apart from hosting and comedy. He was once in a commercial advertisement.
He is one of the world’s best-paid TV host.
19. Sacha Baron Cohen: $160 million.
He is an English actor and comedian who is best known for his unique character in his given roles. His style is hilarious, but some find it offensive though he can use different accents and disguise according to the script.
Baron has featured in many films and has been nominated for several awards and won some. His wealth is estimated to be $160 million.
20. Stefan raab: $160 million.
The last member in our list of richest comedians is Stefan Raab. Stefan Raab is a German entertainer, comedian, tv host, and musician. He is germans most influential entertainment man on television.
He has participated in various music competitions, and he is a good producer making great pieces for German television entertainment.
Due to his outstanding work, he has won numerous awards in Germany. His net worth is estimated to be around $160 million.
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