10 Richest Stand-Up Comedians In The World Right Now
Amassing Fortune Is No Joke, Or Is It?
Being able to make people laugh is a tough job. Some big names in the world of comedy have the natural talent to do that. We have drawn up a list of the richest comedians in the world, who have created empires by cracking jokes. Many who are familiar with this world may know that the list has been topped by Jerry Seinfeld for years now, and only once in 2016 it was taken away from him by Kevin Hart but he soon returned to the top spot.
1. Jerry Seinfeld: $950 Million
Jerry Seinfeld is the richest comedian walking this planet right now. His net worth stands at $950 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Seinfeld had been relevant since the '80s and performed at many open mic nights before finally developing the sitcom "Seinfeld" with Larry David. The show was a huge hit and the revenues, including royalties made him immensely wealthy over the years. On top of the immensely successful sitcom, he was also celebrated as a stand-up comedian and continues to tour with his acts.
2. Ellen DeGeneres: $500 Million
Ellen DeGeneres has been in the business for years now and given her international fame it's hardly a surprise that she is worth $500 million. We have seen her do stand-up, and star in her sitcom "Ellen," before she hosted her daytime talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show". DeGeneres, 65, continues to tour and even gave the world her own Netflix Special, "Relatable." Apart from all this, she is also known for voicing the fan-favorite character Dory from "Finding Nemo" Franchise.
3. Jay Leno: $450 Million
The winner of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Jay Leno is worth a solid $450 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Most of his fortune is attributed to his earnings from his time hosting the hit late-night television show, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Over the years he has also appeared in a variety of television shows and also movies. He continues to do stand-up and frequently performs each year.
4. Kevin Hart: $450 Million
Kevin Hart has been working relentlessly and is known for being business savvy. He owns 85% of his new media business which is valued at a cool $650 million. On top of this, he also tours quite a lot and each show grossed about $1 million back in 2016, as per Forbes. He reportedly earns a stunning $90 million each year from comedy. Kevin has appeared in very many roles on TV, including the hit TV show, "Modern Family." He also appears regularly in commercials like in the Sam's Club Super Bowl Commercial in 2022.
5. Adam Sandler: $440 Million
Adam Sandler has had quite an impressive career. He started by performing his stand-up routine around the States and starred in "Saturday Night Live". He went on to become part of some of the iconic comedies in the late '90s and early 2000s. Sandler reportedly made close to $20 million for each movie he signed. He has given many box office hits over the years, including, "The Wedding Singer," "Big Daddy," "Grown Ups," and more. Back in 2014, Sandler signed a deal with streaming platform Netflix which required him to produce 6 movies for the platform. Needless to say that he has found many ways to build his net worth over the years.
6. Larry David: $400 Million
Larry David is a comedian, writer, director, and actor as well as a television producer who was known for making the crowd roar with laughter. Most of Larry David's fortune comes from the reruns of the hit sitcom "Seinfeld" that he and Jerry Seinfeld created together. In 1998, he sold the show's syndication rights to a company for $1.7 billion which got him a stunning $250 million in one day. He got another $80 million for "Seinfeld" from Hulu after they acquired the streaming rights. He is worth a cool $400 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth.
7. David Letterman: $400 million
The legendary comedian rose to fame with his hit late-night show "Late Night with David Letterman." He has reportedly hosted 6,080 episodes of Late Night and Late Show. On top of this, he is also a television and film producer. He has invested all his salary into real estate and the stock market and his wise investments have paid him well. As per CA Knowledge, his annual income is more than $45 Million.
8. Eddie Murphy- $200 Million
The comedian who rose to fame with the "Saturday Night Live" has had an interesting journey. His net worth has been consistently going up as well. He has been a part of many successful movies like, "Mulan," "Dr. Dolittle," "The Haunted Mission," and more. On top of that, he is also a singer and has provided vocals to songs released by The Bus Boys, which was later featured in "48 Hrs." Eddie Murphy currently has a net worth of $200 million.
9. Ray Romano: $200 million
Not only is he a decorated comedian, but he is also one of the most popular faces on TV, thanks to his popular sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond". The show made him the highest-paid actor on television at the time. It was reported that he was earning around $800,000 per episode for five seasons straight. Before landing a role in the famous sitcom, he was seen in a guest spot on "The Letterman Show."
10. Steve Harvey: $200 million
Harvey landed a spot as the host of a TV show called, "It's Showtime at the Apollo" in 1990 and he has been in the limelight since then. He continued to stay in the stand-up scene for years and performed frequently. From the success, he later landed his show on the WB network, "The Steve Harvey Show." On top of this, he also has a weekday radio program that he has hosted since 2000.