What Is “Friends” Co-Creator Martha Kauffman’s Net Worth?

Marta Kauffman's net worth

In the late 90's, Martha Kauffman and David Crane created "Friends", a TV show that appealed to almost all generations and changed the course of television shows. The show made Kauffman and Crane millionaires. Following the success of "Friends," the duo produced "Veronica's Closet" which starred Kirstie Alley and ran for three years. Years later, they created the Netflix show, "Grace and Frankie" which was quite successful. As of October 2023, Marta Kauffman's net worth is $700 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.

Marta Kauffman's sources of income

Quite predictably, most of Kauffman's net worth is attributed to the hit sitcom "Friends." However, she has also earned quite a lot from shows like "Veronica's Closet," "Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh," and movies like "Five," and "Hava Nagila: The Movie."

Marta Kauffman's early life and career

Marta Kauffman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 21, 1956. She grew up in a Jewish home and went to the Marple Newtown High School. She was interested in plays from a very young age and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater in 1978. She got to work on the CBS sitcom "Everything's Relative" in 1987 and in 1990, co-created the show,  "Dream On", which aired 120 episodes over six seasons. She served as a writer on the CBC show, "Sunday Dinner" which aired in 1991, and co-created the 1993 sitcom "Family Album." She was also a writer and associate producer on the television film "Couples."

In 1994, she along with David Crane created one of the most successful sitcoms of all time "Friends" that aired 236 episodes over 10 seasons. The 2004 finale was watched by 53 million people at the time and was the decade's most-watched TV episode. Two and a half decades later, in 2021, the cast of "Friends" reunited for the official reunion titled, "The One Where They Get Back Together."

She then co-created "Veronica's Closet" and also wrote as well as produced the show "Related" which aired on The WB in 2005. In 2015, she and Jane Fonda-Lily Tomlin co-created the hit Netflix series, "Grace and Frankie." Kauffman also directed six episodes of the show. 

Marta Kauffman's real estate

She once owned a house in Hancock Park in Los Angeles which she had bought in 1997 for $1.47 million. She sold the house in 2016 for almost $8 million. She also owned a Malibu house, which she sold to "Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo in 2014 for $6.37 million. She owns another mansion in Malibu that she bought in 2017 for $2.7 million. They tore down the oceanfront home and built a new mansion. She later paid $23.6 million for the house next door which gave them an extra 1.3-acre oceanfront compound. 

Marta Kauffman's personal life

She was married to Michael Skloff from 1984 to 2015. He is the one who composed the popular title track of "Friends"—"I'll Be There for You." The former couple shares two daughters Hannah and Rose and a son, Sam. 

Marta Kauffman's awards

She has received seven Primetime Emmy nominations winning one in 2002. She has also won another Emmy Award for her work in the Comedy Series for "Dream On." She has also been honored with the Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement.

FAQs

What shows did Marta Kauffman write?

She has written shows like "Friends" (1994), "Dream On" (1990), and "Grace and Frankie" (2015).

Who created "Friends"?

It was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman and stars, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Mathew Perry, and Matt Le Blanc. 

How many viewers did "Friends" draw at its peak?

"Friends" drew an average of 25 million nightly viewers on its own.