Authors

Jim Davis Net Worth

Published

3 years ago

Sep 7, 2023

Net Worth:	$800 Million
Age:	80
Born:	July 28, 1945
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Cartoonist
Last Updated:	May 6, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Jim Davis is an American cartoonist with an estimated net worth of $800 Million.

Garfield Rights Sale

Davis created the Garfield character in 1978. In August 2019, Davis sold Paws, Inc., the company behind Garfield, to Viacom (now Paramount Global). The exact sale price was not publicly disclosed. However, Garfield merchandise was reported to generate between $750 million and $1 billion in annual retail sales, so the sale was likely in the billions.

The acquisition included global merchandising, licensing, and content rights, placing Garfield under the Nickelodeon banner. The deal excluded the rights to the live-action Garfield films from 2004 to 2006, which are still owned by 20th Century Studios, and the animated film The Garfield Movie, which is owned and distributed by Sony Pictures.

Despite the sale, Davis continues to produce the Garfield syndicated comic strip, maintaining creative control over the various characters. Following the acquisition, Viacom developed new Garfield content, including an animated television series for Nickelodeon. The company manages the global merchandising rights through Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products, which introduced Garfield to a new generation of fans. For Davis, the deal secured Garfield’s future while allowing him to keep doing what he loves most, writing the daily comic strip that started it all.

Business Ventures

Garfield is Davis’s most significant business venture, and he has few known ventures outside the cartoon. In 1981, Davis founded Paws, Inc. to manage the growing Garfield franchise. The company oversaw licensing, merchandising, and production for Garfield and other Davis creations like U.S. Acres.

The comic strip was syndicated in nearly 2,600 newspapers worldwide, making Garfield a global star. Paws, Inc. was based in Muncie, Indiana, before relocating to Albany, Indiana, in 1989. At the time, it employed up to 60 people and had a gift shop for visitors.

In 1984, Davis opened Foxfires, a fine-dining restaurant in Muncie, Indiana, until its closure in 2001. Davis closed Foxfires after the head chef was hired elsewhere. Davis’s creative and commercial focus has always returned to the one character who made him a household name… Garfield.

Philanthropy

In 2003, Davis launched the Professor Garfield Foundation alongside Ball State University to help children develop strong reading skills. Focused on literacy, creativity, and fun, the foundation created interactive online tools featuring Garfield and his friends. These free resources included games, comics, and lesson plans for students, parents, and teachers.

The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, meaning its annual revenue is under $50,000. It relies on partnerships and in-kind support rather than large donations.

In 2019, Davis donated the former headquarters of Paws, Inc. to Ball State University. Located in Albany, Indiana, the facility spans over 43,000 square feet and once housed Davis’s team of artists, writers, and licensing staff. The gift to the Ball State University Foundation supports the university’s growing animation and digital arts programmes. Davis, a Ball State alumnus, hoped the building would inspire students the way his mentors once inspired him. The facility includes creative spaces, production areas, and memorabilia from decades of Garfield history.

Garfield Comic Strips Auction

In the same year, Davis offered over 11,000 original hand-drawn Garfield comic strips for auction through Heritage Auctions. The strips were created between 1978 and 2011. Rather than releasing the whole collection all at once, Davis auctioned them gradually at two daily strips per week. The original artwork included early Garfield drawings and classic ‘lasagne eating’ scenes.

The auction’s goal was to give fans a chance to own part of the Garfield legacy. Individual daily strips have sold for $500 to $700, while the Sunday paper strips have fetched between $1,500 and $3,000. Based on these figures, the entire collection was projected to raise over $5 million.

Authors

Danielle Steel Net Worth

Published

3 months ago

Jan 24, 2026

Dan Western

Net Worth:	$600 Million
Age:	78
Born:	August 14, 1947
Gender:	Female
Height:	1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Professional Author
Last Updated:	May 5, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Danielle Steel is an American professional writer with an estimated net worth of $600 Million.

Quick Facts

Earned an estimated $201 million between 2010 and 2018
Peak annual income of $35 million in 2011
A former bookkeeper allegedly stole $2.7 million from her in 2009
67th richest self-made woman in America

Net Worth History

Year	Net Worth
2016	$310 Million
2017	$330 Million
2018	$350 Million
2019	$375 Million
2020	$385 Million
2021	$390 Million
2022	$410 Million
2023	$420 Million
2024	$500 Million
2025	$520 Million

Although not a billionaire, Forbes has been tracking Danielle Steel’s net worth for over a decade because she is a member of America’s Richest Self-Made Women. In 2016, she had an estimated net worth of $310 million, and for the next several years, this figure grew by $10-20 million annually. In 2024, her net worth jumped from $420 million to $500 million, and at the time of writing, she’s ranked as the 67th richest self-made woman in America, with an estimated net worth of $600 Million.

Earnings History

Year	Earnings
2010	$32,000,000
2011	$35,000,000
2012	$23,000,000
2013	$26,000,000
2014	$22,000,000
2015	$25,000,000
2016	$15,000,000
2017	$11,000,000
2018	$12,000,000
Total	$201,000,000

According to reports, between 2010 and 2018, Danielle Steel earned approximately $201 million from all endeavors. She often earned substantial annual sums from book advances, film and TV rights, and royalties. This included estimated earnings of $32 million in 2010 and $35 million in 2011, which were her highest-earning years of the decade. During the 2010s, Steel’s earnings gradually declined, dropping to between $22 million and $26 million in the mid-2010s and to $12 million by 2018.

Legal Issues & Lawsuits

In 1993, Steel filed a lawsuit against author Lorenzo Bene, who was going to disclose that her son had been adopted by her husband at the time, John Traina. California law states that adoption records must remain sealed to protect adoptive families and can only be opened under very special circumstances. Generally, the records can be disclosed for medical purposes or with the consent of the adopted child once they reach adulthood. Steel believed that if her son’s adoption went public, it would violate her family’s privacy.

Despite her arguments, the state supreme court ruled in favor of opening the adoption record, which was highly unusual given that her son was still a minor at the time. Controversially, the court decided that, because of Steel’s public profile, privacy standards didn’t apply to her and therefore agreed that the records could be opened.

Theft By Former Assistant

In 2009, Steel was the victim of theft after her bookkeeper stole approximately $2.7 million from her. Kirsty Watts had worked for Steel for 15 years when, in November 2008, Steel discovered irregularities in the way Watts had handled credit cards and subsequently terminated her employment. An investigation later revealed that Watts had stolen the money by writing herself cheques and paying herself bonuses. She also used Steel’s credit card reward points to buy flights and gift cards for her family.

Watts was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing over several years and agreed to surrender her assets to help repay the money. So far, she has returned the majority of what she stole, mainly through the sale of her home, its contents, and her family’s vehicles.

Real Estate

Danielle Steel and her husband, Thomas Perkins, own the Spreckles Estate in San Francisco, California. The property has a significant history. It was initially split into four units before Steel acquired it and began her restoration efforts. She also reportedly purchased approximately 25 parking permits for guests in the adjoining streets.

While we don’t know precisely how much Steel paid for the home, recent estimations place its current valuation at roughly $19.2 million. Public records show that the annual property taxes range from $130,000 to $140,000. Over at least twenty-five years of ownership, the couple is estimated to have spent at least $2.5 million on property taxes alone.

Authors

Tom Shadyac Net Worth

Published

4 months ago

Dec 28, 2025

Dan Western

Net Worth:	$5 Million
Age:	67
Born:	December 11, 1958
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Director
Last Updated:	May 5, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Tom Shadyac is an American professional producer and screenwriter with an estimated net worth of $5 Million.

Quick Facts

Earned over $30 million from backend points of Bruce Almighty
Reportedly earned $5 million from Liar Liar
Donated $50 million of his fortune to charity

Net Worth History

In Tom Shadyac’s case, his net worth history is rather interesting. Shadyac was responsible for producing some of the world’s most iconic films in the 2000s, including The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty, and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. He earned tens of millions of dollars from doing so, and once held an incredible fortune.

However, Shadyac ultimately stepped away from producing for several years after 2007, the year in which he was involved in a bicycle accident. The accident left him hypersensitive to sound and light and caused him severe headaches, which led him to switch up his lifestyle.

For Tom, this ultimately meant selling all of his material possessions and donating everything to charity. Some reports suggest that by the time he was done, he had donated more than $50 million of his fortune.

Therefore, his current net worth, which is estimated to be in the ballpark of $5 Million, is much lower than what it once was.

Film Earnings

According to the man himself, Shadyac earned a $5 million fee for helping to create and produce Liar Liar, starring Jim Carrey. He also earned a backend percentage of the film’s revenues for Bruce Almighty, which totaled over $30 million.

Real Estate

In December 2019, Tom Shadyac paid $2.2 million for a 4,837-square-foot, four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home on Roxbury Road in Los Angeles, California. He acquired the property from Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul and owned it for roughly four years before relisting it on the market with an asking price of $2.75 million. It sold in May 2023 for $2.645 million, and after considering property taxes and agent fees, he potentially profited between $50,000 and $100,000.

Highlights

Here are some of the best highlights of Tom Shadyac’s career:

The Nutty Professor (Movie, 1996)
Liar Liar (Movie, 1997)
Patch Adams (Movie, 1998)
Dragonfly (Movie, 2002)
Evan Almighty (Movie, 2007)
I Am (Documentary, 2010)

Authors

Jenna Bush Hager Net Worth

Author and news correspondent Jenna Bush is best known for being the daughter of George W. Bush, but she has also earned a substantial net worth on her own.

Published

4 months ago

Dec 25, 2025

Shawna

Table of Contents

Introduction

Jenna Bush Hager is a professional author, journalist, and news correspondent with an estimated net worth of $14 million.

Hager made her fortune on the Today show. Although she is best known as the daughter of former President George W. Bush, Jenna has created her legacy as a talented television presenter. While she started her television career in 2009, she has no plans to leave the Today show, and we can expect to see her active for many more seasons.

Quick Facts

Reportedly earns a salary of $4 million per year on the Today show

Before Wealth & Fame

While living in Dallas, she attended Preston Hollow Elementary School and The Hockaday School until her father was elected Governor of Texas, and they moved to Austin. She then attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and Austin High School from 1996 until her graduation in 2000. When her father became president in 2001, she started attending the University of Texas while also taking summer classes at New York University.

In New York, she was a legacy member of her mother’s sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, but Jenna and her sister quickly made headlines when they were both arrested on alcohol-related charges in April of 2001. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 with a degree in English, she started making media appearances on behalf of her father’s re-election campaign.

NBC Salary

Jenna Bush Hager has been working with NBC since 2009. Her first role with the network was as a correspondent and contributor focusing on human-interest stories. Hager’s salary during this time of her career wasn’t publicly disclosed, but NBC typically paid correspondents between $100,000 and $300,000 per year. In 2014, Hager’s on-air presence grew, and she began receiving much greater visibility.

The most important promotion came in 2019, when Hager succeeded Kathie Lee Gifford as the co-host of the 4th hour of TODAY. She was also partnered with Hoda Kotb to launch Today with Hoda & Jenna. Again, her salary during this period was not public, but it was believed to be upwards of $1 million per year.

By 2020, Hager’s annual salary with NBC had grown to a reported $3 million, and at the time of writing, she is currently earning $4 million per year with the network. Based on the information above, Jenna Bush Hager has potentially earned between $21 million and $25 million since joining NBC in 2009.

Real Estate

In 2015, Jenna Bush Hager and her husband, Henry Chase Hager, paid $4.58 million for a four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom apartment in New York City. The unit is located in the Tribeca neighborhood and features 2,545 square feet of living space. The couple listed the home for sale in 2022 with an asking price of $5.375 million. We’re not sure whether this property has been sold.

Summary

Jenna Bush may have become well-known thanks to her father, George, but her success since 2000 has been all her own. While she has worked on the Today show since 2009, she remains a co-anchor today, and she seems to have no plans to leave anytime soon.