Introduction

Jay Pharoah is an American professional actor, stand-up comedian, and rapper with an estimated net worth of $4.5 Million. 

Throughout his career, Jay Pharoah has realized success as both an actor and comedian, notably starring in 128 episodes of Saturday Night Live between 2010 and 2016. His trademark celebrity impressions quickly earned him a name within the industry.

This profile outlines our research into Jay Pharoah’s net worth, income sources, and other aspects of his finances.

Quick Facts

• Potentially earned $2.2 million from Saturday Night Live (estimate)
• Grossed $835 million in worldwide box office revenue (film career)
• Assets include a $3.5 million, 5,650-square-foot home in Tarzana

Saturday Night Live Salary

In the early years of his career, Pharoah’s work on Saturday Night Live represented a substantial portion of his income. At least based on the typical salary for featured cast members. Jay began appearing on the show in 2010, where he was allowed to show off some of his iconic celebrity impressions, including Denzel Washington, Barack Obama, Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, and Chris Rock.

Cast members are typically paid depending on how long they’ve been with the show, and the pay scales are often as follows:

• First-year cast members – $7,000 per episode
• Second-year cast members – $8,000 per episode
• Third-year cast members – $15,000 per episode
• Veterans – $25,000 per episode

However, the figures can vary, and since Jay Pharoah’s official salary from SNL has never been publicly disclosed, there’s no way of knowing exactly how much he earned during his tenure on the show. If we assume the information is correct, we can do some quick calculations to estimate how much Pharoah earned per season of SNL. 

In his first season, he appeared in 22 episodes, potentially earning $154,000 (Season 36). He was also in 22 episodes of his second season, likely earning $176,000 with the pay rise. With 21 episodes of a third SNL season, he potentially earned up to $315,000, which leaves us with his three final seasons between 2014 and 2016. If he were paid a veteran’s salary during this time, he could have received approximately $1.575 million. All things considered, that would place his total earnings in the ballpark of $2.22 million, based on our estimates.

Additional Income Sources

Following his success on SNL, Jay Pharoah’s comedy career reached new heights. He began performing stand-up comedy more frequently on tour, and landed roles in various films and television shows. Given his unique ability for voice manipulation, he naturally attracted attention from animated productions, working on shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad!, and Legends of Chamberlain Heights.

Pharoah also put together his own television show, White Famous, which aired on Showtime for ten episodes in 2017. Though this wasn’t his first project with the network. The comedian’s debut stand-up comedy special, Can I Be Me?, was also released on Showtime in 2015. Pharoah recently released his second stand-up special, JARED, on YouTube in 2024.

In summary, Jay Pharoah’s income sources outside of SNL comprise the following:

• Stand-up comedy
• Comedy specials
• Voiceover work (TV & film)
• Acting 
• TV hosting
• Brand endorsements

Highest-Grossing Films

While technically not known for his box office hits, Jay Pharoah’s films have racked up some decent numbers. The highest-grossing film of his career was the 2016 animated flick Sing, in which he voiced the character of Meena’s grandfather. The film grossed $634.2 million worldwide against a $75 million budget. Pharoah’s only other film to gross more than $100 million was Ride Along (2014), starring Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. Though he only appeared in a single scene of the movie.

Here’s a list of Jay Pharoah’s highest-grossing films:

1. Sing (2016) – $634.2 million
2. Ride Along (2014) – $154.5 million
3. Top Five (2014) – $25.9 million
4. Unsane (2018) – $14.2 million
5. Busboys (2026) – $2.65 million
6. All My Life (2020) – $1.96 million
7. Get A Job (2016) – $23,910

Real Estate

In November 2018, Pharoah purchased a $2.4 million, 5,650-square-foot, six-bedroom, six-bathroom home in Tarzana, California. According to public records, the home’s property taxes are roughly $31,000 per year. The property is also estimated to be worth $3.5 million now.

Introduction

David Cross is an American professional stand-up comedian, actor, and director with an estimated net worth of $10 Million.

Cross began his stand-up comedy career as a teenager in the 1980s and transitioned to film and television in the 1990s. Since then, he’s starred in more than 150 projects, though he’s best known for Arrested Development and voiceover roles in Kung Fu Panda and Megamind. To date, his films have grossed more than $5.3 billion at the global box office.

In this profile, we’ll discuss our research into David Cross’ net worth, income sources, highest-grossing films, and any events that have significantly impacted his finances.

Quick Facts

• Fined $150,000 for breaking an NDA regarding Alvin & The Chipmunks
• Grossed $5.3+ billion in worldwide box office revenue

Alvin & The Chipmunks Loss

Cross’ role in the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise brought him significant financial rewards but also serious frustrations. Starting with Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007), the films became global hits, earning over $1.04 billion at the box office. Cross reportedly made a seven-figure sum across all three films, giving him financial stability and the means to fund other projects.

However, in 2011, while promoting Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, he called the experience “the most miserable” of his career due to alleged mistreatment and difficult working conditions.

In several interviews, Cross stated that he was forced into uncomfortable situations, like wearing a heavy Pelican costume for long periods. Despite the challenges, he still acknowledged that the financial rewards outweighed the negatives, allowing him to pursue other goals and interests.

Consequently, speaking out about his negative experience resulted in a $150,000 penalty for violating his non-disparagement clause, compounding the bitterness of his involvement. This highlighted the problematic balance between financial gain and the personal cost of participating in a creatively unsatisfying and emotionally draining project.

Highest-Grossing Films

As we briefly mentioned in the introduction, Cross’ films have grossed approximately $5.3 billion worldwide. Upon researching which of his films returned the most money at the box office, here’s what we found.

Seven of his ten highest-grossing films are animated, or semi-animated children’s films, belonging to just three franchises. The first, and most successful franchise, was Kung Fu Panda. Cross voiced the character of Crane in the first three Kung Fu Panda films, grossing a combined $1.8 billion in box office revenue. 

Between 2007 and 2011, he played Ian in the Alvin & the Chipmunks trilogy, with the three films grossing $1.04 billion worldwide. The second film, The Squeakquel, was the most successful, bringing in $443.1 million against a $70 million budget.

The last children’s film on the list is Megamind, which was released in 2010 and grossed $321.9 million.

Here’s a list of David Cross’ highest-grossing films:

1. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) – $665.7 million
2. Kung Fu Panda (2008) – $632 million
3. Men in Black (1997) – $589.4 million
4. Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) – $521.2 million
5. Men in Black II (2002) – $445.1 million
6. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009) – $443.1 million
7. Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007) – $361.3 million
8. Megamind (2010) – $321.9 million
9. Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) – $287.5 million
10. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011) – $234 million

Real Estate

The only information we could find about David Cross’ real estate investments is that he owns a townhouse in the Brooklyn neighborhood of New York City. There aren’t any details online about the value of the home, nor how much he paid for it.

Introduction   

Seth Meyers is an American professional comedian, writer, and actor with an estimated net worth of $26 Million. 

Meyers is predominantly known for his tenure on Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Seth Meyers. However, he’s also produced more than a dozen TV shows and films, including The Awesomes, Mapleworth Murders, and The Amber Ruffin Show. Seth’s work also extends to acting, starring in a dozen films since 1995.

This profile outlines our research into Seth Meyers’ net worth, income sources, salary, and real estate investments.

Quick Facts

• Earned $5 million per year from Late Night With Seth Meyers
• Assets include a $7.5 million, 3,200-square-foot NYC duplex

Late Night With Seth Meyers

In 2024, shortly after Meyers celebrated 10 years of hosting Late Night with Seth Meyers, NBCUniversal announced that his contract had been renewed until 2028. The agreement also included a deal between Meyers’ own production company, Sethmaker Shoemeyers, and Universal Studio Group for him to develop other projects for NBCUniversal.

Meyers’ contract for hosting the show pays him around $5 million per year. However, this amount is significantly lower than that of other late-night TV hosts, such as Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, who both earn $15 million per year.

Despite the renewal, the show’s house band, the 8G Band, was let go in August 2024 to cut costs. However, they still provided pre-recorded music, rather than playing live in the studio. Since Meyers took over the slot from Jimmy Fallon in 2014, the show has received 11 Emmy nominations, 7 Writers Guild of America Award nominations, and has won 2 Critics’ Choice Awards.

Real Estate

Meyers and his wife purchased an apartment in the West Village neighborhood of New York in December 2013 for $3.5 million. Subsequently, they renovated the property before listing it for sale in 2017 for $4.5 million. The two-bedroom apartment, which featured a sunken living room with a fireplace, a modernized kitchen, and a spa bathroom, was sold in early 2018 for the full asking price.

Before the apartment sale was completed, the couple purchased a five-bedroom duplex in Greenwich Village in 2016 for $7.5 million, as they needed more space after the birth of their first child. The 3,200-square-foot residence features two wood-burning fireplaces, a chef’s kitchen, a spacious living/dining room, four and a half bathrooms, and wooden beamed ceilings. The duplex occupies two floors of a 15-story building, which has only two apartments per floor, providing complete privacy for Meyers and his wife in a prime city location.

Philanthropy

Meyers has supported various charitable organizations, including Amnesty International, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Cycle for Survival, Forgotten Harvest, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Mia Hamm Foundation, Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Somaly Mam Foundation.