Comedians

Dave Chappelle Net Worth

Published

2 years ago

Jan 18, 2024

Net Worth:	$60 Million
Age:	52
Born:	August 24, 1973
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Professional Comedian/Actor
Last Updated:	Jan 22, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Dave Chappelle is an American professional stand-up comedian, actor, and producer with an estimated net worth of $60 Million.

Throughout his career, Chappelle has secured multi-million-dollar deals with TV channels to perform his comedy, act in various films, and earn substantial income.

Earnings History

Year	Earnings
2005	$12,000,000
2006	$22,000,000
2016	$13,000,000
2017	$47,000,000
2018	$35,000,000
Total	$129,000,000

Forbes has previously ranked Dave Chappelle on the Forbes Celebrity 100 and the “Highest-Paid Comedians” list at least four times, beginning in 2005. That year, he earned an estimated $12 million, largely due to his contract with Comedy Central to air Chappelle’s Show. The following year, his earnings increased to $22 million, but by this point, he’d already walked out on the deal abruptly. Hence, Chappelle dropped off the list and wasn’t ranked again for a decade.

Fast forward to 2016, Dave was ranked the 6th-highest-paid comedian in the world, earning $13 million between June 2015 and June 2016. A significant portion of this income came from his latest tour, which spanned 13 shows from September to October.

At the end of 2016, Chappelle signed his $60 million contract with Netflix. The first two of these specials, The Age of Spin and Deep in the Heart of Texas, were released in March 2017, helping the comedian earn an estimated $47 million that year. The third and final special of the contract, although not the last of his work with the platform, was released in December 2017. This brought his total earnings for the calendar year ending June 2018 to $35 million.

While these figures relate to just four years of Dave Chappelle’s career as a professional stand-up comedian and actor, they equate to a combined $129 million in earnings.

Before Wealth & Fame

Growing up in Silver Springs, Maryland, both of Dave Chappelle’s parents were professors at Universities. As a child, Chappelle attended Woodlin Elementary School. When his parents split up, he spent most of his time with his mother in Washington and the summers with his father in Ohio.

Dave studied Theatre Arts at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington and graduated in 1991. By this time, he had already pretty much decided that he was going to be a comedian, and he’d known for a while that he wanted to be a performer.

Comedy Career

Dave Chappelle did not have a very good start to his comedic career when he was booed off stage at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. After his “Amateur Night” debacle, he was even more determined to make a name for himself and toured the New York comedy circuit.

Aside from his stand-up gigs, he also appeared at various open mic evenings at venues like the Boston Comedy Club. However, it was after he appeared on Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam that his career took off, with subsequent appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman. He was also invited to appear on The Howard Stern Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and made his film debut in Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

Missing Out On a Blockbuster Movie Role

In 1992, he was offered the role of Bubba in “Forest Gump” with Tom Hanks, but was worried about the demeaning aspects of the character, and declined. While still only a teenager, Chappelle secured another role in the movie “Getting In” directed by Doug Liman.

In 1995, he appeared in the ABC sitcom “Home Improvement” which led to a spin-off television series, “Buddies”. Unfortunately, after only five episodes, the 1996 sitcom was canned due to poor ratings and a dwindling audience. After accusing television network executives of racism and only wanting to work with white actors, he appeared with Eddie Murphy in “The Nutty Professor”.

He starred in “Dave Chappelle: Killin’ Them Softly”, an HBO special in 2000, after appearing in various movies during the late 1990s. Chappelle then teamed up with Norm MacDonald later in 2000 in his comedy movie titled “Screwed” about a kidnapped dog. In 2003, he assembled a weekly comedy show featuring various black comedians and parodying American culture.

Viacom/Comedy Central Deal

Chappelle was offered a $55 million contract by Comedy Central’s parent company, Viacom, which also included a share of DVD sales. However, the show became a point of contention for Chappelle, who felt it was harming his stand-up career, and he subsequently broke his contract in 2005.

In an interview, he stated that he felt his audience was uninformed and that he had to contend with network officials over the direction the show was taking. For the next ten years, Chappelle made irregular appearances on stage, performing his stand-up routines to crowds in Los Angeles and Ohio. During this time, he appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, telling her that he felt that black talent was being belittled by entertainment companies.

Making A Comeback

By 2016, Chappelle was ready for his comeback and appeared on the Saturday Night Live show just in time to see Donald Trump win the 2016 election. Later that year, he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, which he donated to his high school.

In 2016, he struck a deal with Netflix to produce three comedy specials, earning $20 million per special. He received the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album and a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture.

In 2019, he again won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for Equanimity as well as the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Chappelle continued to make hard-hitting comedy specials throughout the pandemic, appearing at a Fourth of July event while the audience was socially distanced. He appeared on stage with Jon Stewart, Chris Rock, and Louis C.K. as his special guests under the banner “The Chappelle Summer Camp.”

Real Estate

In March 1993, Dave Chappele paid $300,000 for a 2,770-square-foot, four-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Xenia, Ohio. According to Zillow, the last known sale of this property was for $450,000 in November 1999, suggesting he’s already sold it.

In January 2005, Dave Chappele paid an undisclosed sum for a 3,154-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Yellow Springs, Ohio, close to where he grew up. We’re unsure whether he still owns the home, but it’s currently estimated to be worth roughly $600,000.

However, this isn’t the only property he owns in Yellow Springs. In fact, Chappelle makes most of his property acquisitions through his real estate company, Iron Table Holdings LLC. Reports suggest that since 2020, he’s acquired over half a dozen properties in the county, including:

The former firehouse – $424,000
A home nextdoor to the library – $390,000
The old schoolhouse – $480,000
Three office buildings – $582,000
Former shopfront – $400,000
Smoking Octopus building – $485,000

That’s a total of $2.76 million for these six properties, most of which have since undergone extensive renovations and will be put to new uses in the near future.

Comedians

Jerry Seinfeld Net Worth

Published

1 month ago

Dec 16, 2025

Dan Western

Net Worth:	$950 Million
Age:	71
Born:	April 29, 1954
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Professional Comedian
Last Updated:	Jan 21, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Jerry Seinfeld is an American professional stand-up comedian, actor, producer, and writer with an estimated net worth of $1.1 Billion.

Seinfeld is best known for playing himself in the sitcom of the same name, which he co-created with Larry David. He’s also had an incredibly successful career as a stand-up comedian.

Net Worth History

When we first started tracking Jerry Seinfeld’s net worth in 2019, he was worth approximately $950 million. At the time, while Forbes had been covering his annual income for over two decades, the publication had never mentioned Seinfeld’s net worth. That changed in April 2025, when Forbes officially listed Seinfeld as a billionaire, with an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion.

Given that he’s been grossing approximately $50 million per year since 2019, this timing aligns nicely with the original estimate for that year.

Earnings History

Year	Earnings
1996	$28,000,000
1997	$66,000,000
1999	$267,000,000
2005	$30,000,000
2006	$100,000,000
2007	$60,000,000
2009	$85,000,000
2012	$40,000,000
2013	$32,000,000
2015	$36,000,000
2016	$43,500,000
2017	$69,000,000
2018	$57,500,000
2019	$41,000,000
2020	$51,000,000
Total	$1,006,000,000

If you’ve already glanced at the table above, then you probably noticed there are some gaps in the figures for Jerry Seinfeld’s annual income. This is because we compiled the table using data from every year the comedian has been featured on a Forbes list. Figures for the period between 1996 and 2009 were taken from the Forbes Celebrity 100, and some of that information has been lost as the internet has evolved.

Between 2012 and 2019, Seinfeld was consistently featured in Forbes’ “Top-Earning” or “Highest-Paid Comedians” lists, allowing us to continue seeing the publication’s estimates of his annual income. Finally, when Forbes renewed the Celebrity 100 in 2020, Seinfeld’s name reappeared.

In any case, over the years we have available, Jerry Seinfeld earned over $1 billion from all his endeavors; however, given we’re missing 9 years in between, his actual earnings were likely much higher. A lot has changed over this time, so let’s highlight some key years and his most notable income sources for each.

In the late 1990s, Seinfeld was among the highest-paid actors on television, thanks to his work on the hit show of the same name. However, since he was also a co-creator of the show, salary wasn’t the only way he was making a living. In 1998, syndication deals began pouring in. Turner Broadcasting agreed to pay $1 million per episode to air reruns of the show on TBS, dramatically skyrocketing Jerry Seinfeld’s income. That year, he earned a whopping $267 million, the most lucrative year of his career.

Since Seinfeld, Jerry’s annual income has typically ranged between $30 million and $70 million, with a couple of outliers, including $100 million in 2006 and $85 million in 2009. Seinfeld royalties still accounted for the lion’s share of his earnings during this time.

Before Wealth & Fame

Growing up in New York City, Jerry attended Massapequa High School in Long Island and volunteered at Kibbutz Sa’ar in Israel. He began studying at the State University of New York but transferred to Queens College to further his studies in theater. While at Queen’s College, he performed on open-mic nights at Budd Friedman’s Improv Club, which sparked his interest in stand-up comedy.

Early Career

After graduating, he tried out at an open-mic night at Catch a Rising Star, leading to an appearance in a Rodney Dangerfield HBO special. At the same time, he had a small recurring role on the sitcom “Benson.” Unfortunately, not long after, Seinfeld was abruptly fired from the show. Despite being fired from the show, he made his first appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” and his comedic personality impressed Carson.

This breakthrough led him to make frequent appearances on other shows, such as “Late Night with David Letterman,” and gained him attention from a wider audience. A few years later, his first one-hour special, “Stand-Up Confidential,” aired live on HBO, further expanding his popularity as a comedian.

Seinfeld

Soon after, Jerry created “The Seinfeld Chronicles” with Larry David, later renamed “Seinfeld,” which became one of the most-watched sitcoms on American television. The final episode of “Seinfeld” aired in 1988, but remained a popular rerun, and despite being offered $110 million for another season, Seinfeld declined.

Well-known actors such as Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus starred in the show, but Jerry was the only actor to appear in every episode.

Comedy Career

After his sitcom ended, he returned to stand-up comedy and recorded a special, “I’m Telling You for the Last Time.” A few years later, Seinfeld appeared at the National Museum of American History to donate the shirt he wore in an episode. He gave a speech when presenting the shirt, saying playfully, “This is the most embarrassing moment of my life.”

Jerry also made cameo appearances on various shows and events, including “Saturday Night Live” and the Academy Awards as the presenter for Best Documentary. His film “Comedian” documented Seinfeld’s return to stand-up comedy, expressing mixed feelings about it but appreciating the process and ultimately finding it rewarding.

A few years later, he appeared in a series of commercial webisodes for American Express titled “The Adventures of Seinfeld and Superman.” Shortly after that, Jerry starred in “Bee Movie” and voiced the main character; he was cast alongside fellow comedians Chris Rock and Renée Zellweger.

Real Estate

In May 2000, Jerry Seinfeld paid $16 million to buy Billy Joel’s mansion in East Hampton, New York. Several reports suggest he actually paid $32 million, but the public records show otherwise. Not much else is known about the property, other than that it houses Seinfeld’s $17,000 Elektra Deliziosa coffee maker and, most likely, his vast car collection.

The home’s current value is also hard to estimate, given that it’s been off the market for nearly three decades. However, industry estimates place the figure somewhere between $25 million and $35 million.

In 2007, Seinfeld and his wife paid $7.55 million for a 27-acre estate in Telluride, Colorado, featuring 11 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, a gym, and a yoga room. This property features a snowy mountain backdrop and was likely used by the family as a skiing vacation home. Seinfeld sold it for $14 million in 2022.

Car Collection

He has a 1964 Porsche 911, a 1964 Volkswagen Camper “EZ Camper” Conversion, a 1983 Porsche 959, and a 1959 Porsche RSK Spyder. His collection of cars is estimated to be worth between $50 to $150 million.

Comedians

Judd Apatow Net Worth

Judd Apatow earned a fortune from his love of comedy and drama, becoming one of the wealthiest comedians in the world through his production company.

Published

2 months ago

Dec 5, 2025

John Mulder

Net Worth:	$160 Million
Age:	58
Born:	December 6, 1967
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	TV/Film Director
Last Updated:	Jan 21, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Judd Apatow is an American professional comedian, film producer, and screenwriter with an estimated net worth of $160 Million.

Apatow is the founder of Apatow Productions, a production company through which he’s created well-known television series such as Girls, Love, and Freaks and Geeks. Judd has also produced legendary films, including Pineapple Express, The Cable Guy (featuring Jim Carrey), and The Big Sick, and has received many awards for his genius over the years.

Before Wealth & Fame

During his teenage years, Judd Apatow started working as a dishwasher at the Long Island Comedy Club. He attended Syosset High School, where he discovered his passion for playing jazz. His love for comedy was sparked while he hosted his school’s radio station. He had the great idea of calling comedians who inspired him to interview for his school’s radio station.

At 15, Judd was motivated to become a comedian after interviewing big-time comedians Steven Wright, John Candy, and Jerry Seinfeld. He worked as a stand-up comedian from the age of 17, continuing throughout his high school years. Judd graduated in 1985 and decided to attend the University of Southern California. It was there that he enrolled in the screenwriting program.

Unfortunately, he dropped out of university during his second year after forming a bond with the well-known actor Adam Sandler. He ended up moving in with the famous actor, which helped create a path to a seriously successful career in comedy.

Career Overview

Judd met a manager named Garry Shandling, who hired him as a writer for the 1991 Grammy Awards. During the 1990s, Judd was involved with major television shows such as Freaks and Geeks, The Ben Stiller Show, and The Larry Sanders Show.

Judd made his directorial debut with the hit film The 40-Year-Old Virgin in 2005. The film starred Seth Rogan, Paul Rudd, and Steve Carell. This was the movie that gave him a name in the film industry and put him on the map. Not only was Judd climbing the Hollywood ladder at a rapid rate, but with the release of his first film, he had created a whole new comedic genre.

Judd decided to partner up with world-renowned Seth Rogen and created the masterpiece Knocked Up. After his two big hit films, comedians everywhere were fighting to be a part of Judd’s exclusive production company.

Apatow’s company became internationally well-known for its elite talent, including Seth Rogen, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and Will Ferrell. This led to the release of two comedic films: Funny People (2009) and This Is 40 (2012). Unfortunately, these films were not as successful as his previous work. He decided to become more involved in television series and created hilarious shows such as Girls, Bridesmaids, and Love.

Highest-Grossing Films

Here’s a list of Judd Apatow’s highest-grossing films:

Bridesmaids (2011) – $288 million
Knocked Up (2007) – $220 million
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) – $177 million
Superbad (2007) – $171 million
Trainwreck (2015) – $113 million
Pineapple Express (2008) – $102.4 million
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) – $90 million
Funny People (2009) – $71.6 million

Real Estate

Judd has invested heavily in his property portfolio over the years, beginning with his 2,400-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Sherman Oaks, California. According to public records, Apatow paid $448,500 for the property in December 1993 and sold it for $485,000 in December 1997.

Beverly Hills Home

In December 2005, Apatow and his wife, Leslie Mann, paid $1.66 million for a 4,914-square-foot, five-bedroom, six-bathroom home in Beverly Hills, California. This home sits on a 1-acre lot and features black-and-white interior design throughout. The couple sold the property for$1.87 million in April 2013.

Malibu Beachhouse

In March 2013, just a month before selling their previous property, the couple upgraded to a $10.83 million beachfront home in Malibu. This home, overlooking the ocean, features 2,550 square feet, three bedrooms, and four bathrooms. However, they didn’t own it for long. Apatow officially returned the property to the market at the end of 2015, asking for $12 million. They closed a $11.5 million deal in March 2016, incurring a loss after property taxes and agent commissions. The property taxes alone amounted to roughly $370,000 during their three years of ownership.

Additional Properties

Apatow also owns a $4.9 million condo in Hawaii, purchased in 2009. Other properties in his portfolio include a beach house in California for $10.82 million, an empty lot in Santa Monica for $8.6 million, and a penthouse in Santa Monica for $14.5 million.

Summary

Judd has created and directed masterpieces throughout his career and will go down in film history for his unique comedic tactics. He always knows how to put on a funny show or produce a new joke when he’s working with the elite of Hollywood, and that makes him a sought-after commodity.

Comedians

Kevin James Net Worth

Published

2 months ago

Dec 1, 2025

Dan Western

Net Worth:	$100 Million
Box Office Gross:	$3.7 Billion
Age:	60
Born:	April 26, 1965
Height:	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Professional Actor/Comedian
Last Updated:	Jan 21, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Kevin James is an American professional actor and comedian with an estimated net worth of $100 Million.

James is mainly known for his role as Doug Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens. He is also known for movies such as Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Grown Ups, Zookeeper, Pixels, and Sandy Wexler. The talented comedian has received several nominations and awards for his performances in his films.

Career Overview

During college, Kevin James aspired to become a professional athlete and build on his success as a heavyweight wrestler. However, following a string of injuries, he pursued his comedy career in the late 1980s, debuting at Richie Minervini’s East Side Comedy Club.

Early Stand-Up & Late Night Television Appearances

James’s early comedy efforts on the stand-up circuit soon allowed him to join the ranks of some of the richest comedians in the world on late-night shows. A popular comic, he appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, rising through the ranks of comedians with many more talk show appearances.

He guest-starred on shows such as Conan O’Brien’s and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, among many others, throughout the early 1990s. Throughout this period of his career, James continued performing stand-up, appearing on Just For Laughs and developing his unique style.

Notable Television Roles During The 1990s

In addition to his many late-night talk show appearances, Kevin James also performed in numerous comedy sitcoms throughout the 1990s. After appearing in several episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond, he took on the lead role in The King of Queens, which ran from 1998 until 2007.

He earned acclaim for guest appearances in Cosby and Becker, while taking on serious roles in Martial Law, demonstrating his dramatic abilities. With his reputation in television secured, James took this experience and moved to Hollywood, where he worked with A-list comedy actors.

Breakthrough & Hollywood Comedy Performances

Kevin James first broke into movies in 2002 with a voice role in Pinocchio and a small role in the Adam Sandler comedy 50 First Dates. Following minor roles in films including Monster House and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, James landed his first starring role in 2009.

The film Paul Blart: Mall Cop proved popular among comedy fans, paving the way for collaborations with Sandler over the following years. He worked with Sandler, Chris Rock, and David Spade in Grown Ups and its 2013 sequel, which smashed box-office records and boosted his net worth.

James again worked with Sandler on the comedy Pixels while also providing voice work for the film Hotel Transylvania and the 2015 sequel. While critics lambasted many of these films, it didn’t prevent them from achieving box-office success, and James was quick to capitalize on his newfound profile.

The Return To Television In The 2010s

With a long list of hits under his belt theatrically, Kevin James secured the lead role in two notable television series during the 2010s.

In 2016, he starred in 48 episodes of the hit comedy series Kevin Can Wait, marking his return to CBS, the network that aired The King of Queens.

James then worked on The Crew, another popular comedy show that ran for ten episodes and was broadcast on Netflix in 2021. Netflix also produced Kevin James’s comedy special Sweat the Small Stuff and the 2007 TV film Elmo’s Christmas Countdown.

Kevin Can Wait Salary

In 2016, Variety reported that James received a salary of $200,000 per episode on Kevin Can Wait, while his co-star, Leah Remini, was paid $125,000 per episode. James earned $4.8 million per season, totaling $9.6 million over the two seasons the show aired.

Highest-Grossing Movies

Like Adam Sandler, James’ highest-grossing movies have come from recent work in the Hotel Transylvania franchise. Kevin starred in all three movies, which grossed a combined $1.36 billion worldwide. The most recent release, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, performed the best, grossing $529 million worldwide. Hotel Transylvania 2 grossed $475 million, coming in second, and Hotel Transylvania grossed $358 million.

Interestingly, the third-highest-grossing movie, just ahead of the original Hotel Transylvania film, was Hitch, released in 2005. It grossed $372 million against a $70 million budget. His role as Eric Lamonsoff in Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2 grossed a combined $518 million at the box office, with both films having budgets of $80 million.

James’ minor roles in Pixels, which grossed $245 million, and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, which grossed $204 million, ranked sixth and seventh, respectively. His best-performing role as a lead actor was in 2009’s Paul Blart: Mall Cop, which grossed $183 million worldwide on a $26 million budget.

Some notable mentions that didn’t make the list include Zookeeper ($170 million), Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 ($108 million), Here Comes the Boom ($73 million), and The Dilemma ($70 million).

Here’s a complete list of Kevin James’ ten highest-grossing movies:

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation – $529 Million (2018)
Hotel Transylvania 2 – $475 Million (2015)
Hitch – $372 Million (2005)
Hotel Transylvania – $358 Million (2012)
Grown Ups – $271 Million (2010)
Grown Ups 2 – $247 Million (2013)
Pixels – $245 Million (2015)
You Don’t Mess with the Zohan – $204 Million (2008)
50 First Dates – $199 Million (2004)
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry – $187 Million (2007)

Real Estate

In August 2002, Kevin James paid $1.45 million for a 5,386-square-foot, five-bedroom, six-bathroom property in Encino, California. He sold this property for just $1.66 million in March 2013, incurring a loss after taxes and commissions.

According to reports, Kevin’s first property in Delray Beach, Florida, was a 25,834-square-foot, eight-bedroom, thirteen-bathroom mansion. He paid $18.5 million for the property in July 2012, plus an additional $4.25 million a year later for the lot next door. The lower level of the home is probably the most interesting, featuring a fully kitted-out home gym, yoga area, playroom, spa, and a wine room equipped with seating. James sold this property for $26.4 million in July 2016.

During the time Kevin owned this compound, his property taxes totaled more than $1.3 million. If we consider that both lots cost him $22.75 million, after taxes, this figure would exceed $24 million. After the agent commissions on the sale, we’re potentially looking at $25 million net, which would be a profit of roughly $1 million before considering any renovations he may have made. Bear in mind, these are rough estimates.

In January 2021, Kevin James paid $14 million for an 11,502-square-foot, six-bedroom, ten-bathroom mansion in Delray Beach, Florida. This property is situated on Ocean Boulevard and features amenities including a T-shaped outdoor pool. It doesn’t look like James owned the home for long – he relisted it a year later for $19.95 million. After multiple price reductions, he settled for just $12.68 million in May 2023. All things considered, he likely lost over $2 million on the investment.

Summary

Kevin James’ net worth has increased throughout his career as a phenomenal actor and comedian. James has become a household name, with roles in Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Grown Ups, and The Dilemma.