The Richest Comedians, Ranked
Comedians will be the first to tell you that it isn’t a career to choose if you want to get rich, fast. It can take a lifetime for some comedians to see any sort of major success from their talent.
The road to comedy is a bumpy one, with lots of rejection and loneliness. But the few who succeed, have earned quite the pay off.
Comedic stars like Terry Fator, Adam Sandler and Seth MacFarlane have certainly made the cut, but who is really raking in the cash making people laugh? Find out who has a whopping net worth of $900 million using only their sense of humor.
Using data taken from Celebrity Net Worth for 2024, here’s 20 of the richest comedians, ranked.
20. Terry Fator
Net Worth: $160 million
Terry Fator is a famous ventriloquist, impressionist, and stand-up comedian, who also dabbles in singing.
While he did start young, Fator didn’t gain national recognition for his talent until he won the second season of America’s Got Talent—which immediately boosted his career.
Soon after he signed a five-year multi-million-dollar contract to headline shows in Vegas, and has been going strong since.
Fator is consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid comedians.
19. Stefan Raab
Net Worth: $160 million
Stefan Raab is said to be the “most powerful man in German entertainment television.” He became popular back in 1993 as the host of the comedy show Vivasion, and soon after the late-night comedy talk show TV total.
TV total started as a comedy format showing funny and embarrassing moments, but eventually started featuring various celebrity performances, sports challenges, and hilarious newly invented sports, like World Wok Racing.
Raab retired from television in 2015, but continues to focus on production.
Daniel Kruczynski, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
18. Drew Carey
Net worth: $165 million
Drew Carey is an American comedian, actor, and game show host who made a name for himself in stand-up comedy after serving six years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Carey gained stardom in 1995, in his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, which aired for nine seasons and earned him an impressive $1 million per episode at its height.
In 1998, Carey joined the improv comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway? His income from both shows led to his inclusion on the Forbes list of highest-paid entertainers of 1998, with $45.5 million.
Today, he's kept the gravy train rolling as Bob Barker's successor on The Price Is Right.
Carey's busy career has earned him several awards over the years, including Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time in 2004.
Mercy For Animals MFA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
17. Bill Murray
Net worth: $180 million
Bill Murray is an American actor and comedian known for his deadpan delivery. But before he became a major film star, he started his career in sketch comedy.
He became a national presence on Saturday Night Live in the late 1970s, where he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.
He then established stardom acting in a string of comedy films, and has been going strong since, reportedly earning $125 million (unadjusted for inflation) on the first two Ghostbusters movies alone.
Paul Sherwood, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
16. Steve Harvey
Net worth: $200 million
American television presenter, actor and comedian, Steve Harvey is one of those “started from the bottom” success stories we all love to hear about.
Before he made it big, Harvey worked a variety of menial jobs and even experienced homelessness at one point.
His stand-up comedy stints eventually earned him recognition, and he ended up hosting Showtime at the Apollo, and then his own television sitcom, The Steve Harvey Show—which became a three-time NAACP Image Award winner for Outstanding Comedy Series.
His career took off, and between 2014-2022 Harvey earned seven Daytime Emmy Awards, and is a four-time winner for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series—among many more prestigious awards.
15. Ray Romano
Net worth: $200 million
Ray Romano is another stand-up comedian and actor who gained stardom from his own sitcom—Everybody Loves Raymond. The CBS comedy sitcom earned him three Primetime Emmy Awards, and he reportedly made $800,000 per episode.
He continues to star in various popular comedy films, earning several other awards for his talent, including two Grammys and two Golden Globes.
Charlie Llewellin, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
14. Conan O’Brien
Net worth: $200 million
TV host and comedian, Conan O’Brien turned his late-night popularity into a full-scale media empire, founding the production company Team Coco.
Before his hosting career, O’Brien was a writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons.
His podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend has been gaining popularity since 2018, averaging over nine million monthly downloads in 2021.
A deal with SiriusXM in 2022 sent his net worth skyrocketing even higher, and his 2024 travel show Conan O’Brien Must Go is only going to add to it.
13. Dan Aykroyd
Net worth: $250 million
Canadian actor and comedian Dan Aykroyd started his career as a stand-up comedian in various Canadian nightclubs, and ran an after-hours speakeasy in Toronto for several years.
Eventually, he landed a role on Saturday Night Live, where he went on to receive five Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and won for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.
He gained further prominence for writing and starring in the Ghostbusters franchise, and has starred in numerous comedy films.
Aside from acting Aykroyd, was the co-founder of House of Blues—a chain of music venues that became the second-largest live music promoter in the world in 2004.
Bernard Gotfryd, Wikimedia Commons
12. Seth MacFarlane
Net worth: $300 million
Seth MacFarlane is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director—and of course comedian. He is best known as the creator and star of the popular television series Family Guy—along with The Orville, American Dad!, and The Cleveland Show.
He also co-wrote, directed, and starred in Ted, Ted 2, and A Million Ways to Die in the West.
Before his big breaks, he went to school for animation and was recruited to Hollywood to work on various shows like Johnny Bravo and Dexter’s Laboratory.
Over the years, MacFarlane has won several awards, including five Primetime Emmys for Family Guy alone. In 2020, he signed a $200 million deal with NBCUniversal.
11. Larry David
Net worth: $400 million
Believe it or not, Larry David was actually unsuccessful as a stand-up comedian. He had to have several side gigs to keep himself afloat, including working as store clerk, limousine driver, and historian.
Eventually though, David was given an opportunity writing for Saturday Night Live, which ultimately led to teaming up with comedian Jerry Seinfeld to create Seinfeld—one of the most successful shows in history, reaching the top TV Guide’s list of the 50 Greatest Shows of All Time.
Later, the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm would net him an impressive fortune as well.
David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons
10. David Letterman
Net worth: $400 million
Before David Letterman became a successful comedian, he was actually a news anchor and weatherman. His sly wit—which included him congratulating a tropical storm for being upgraded to a hurricane—eventually got noticed and further opportunities started flowing in.
Eventually, his self-titled talk shows, Late Night with David Letterman and Late Show with David Letterman awarded him the title of longest-serving late-night talk show host in American television history.
Currently, Letterman hosts My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman on Netflix.
Neal Brennan, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
9. Adam Sandler
Net worth: $440 million
Adam Sandler is one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, with a long list of accolades under his belt. He, too, started as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, eventually gaining recognition for his talent and moving on to star in various Hollywood comedy films that cumulatively grossed over $2 billion worldwide.
His net worth continues to grow, especially since signing a new four-movie deal with Netflix worth over $250 million.
8. Kevin Hart
Net worth: $450 million
Hollywood actor and comedian, Kevin Hart, is said to be one of the hardest-working men in show business. He started his career after winning several stand-up comedy competitions, and finally being cast in a TV series titled Undeclared.
The release of his first stand-up album, I’m a Grown Little Man, grew his comedic reputation and he went on to release four more comedy albums.
He continues to earn big through major film roles and successful stand-up tours.
In 2022, Hart merged two companies to form the media venture Hartbeat—valued at approximately $650 million.
7. Jay Leno
Net worth: $450 million
It’s no secret that American television host and comedian Jay Leno is raking in the dough. With his massive collection of rare cars and motorcycles, his fortune is no secret.
Leno started as your average stand-up comedian before becoming the host of NBC’s The Tonight Show, where he earned as much as $30 million per year before Conan O’Brien took over (briefly).
He then started his own primetime talk show, The Jay Leno Show, whilst also making appearances in several TV series and films.
Today, Leno is still an active entertainer and writes a regular column in Popular Mechanics, showcasing his car collection and giving automotive advice.
6. Ellen DeGeneres
Net worth: $500 million
American comedian, actress, and television host Ellen DeGeneres started her career in the early 1980s, when she became the only female stand-up comic invited to sit on Johnny Carson's couch after an opening performance on his show.
She then starred in two sitcoms titled Ellen and The Ellen Show, where she made history coming out as gay.
But it wasn’t until her own talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, started that she became a wealthy celebrity. The immensely popular talk show earned her a whopping 33 Daytime Emmy Awards and ran for 19 seasons.
5. Trey Parker
Net worth: $600 million
American actor, comedian, and animator is best known for co-creating South Park with his creative partner Matt Stone whom he met at university when they were younger. The pair has taken the show to the next level with music and video games based on it, and in 2021, they signed a deal worth $900 million with Paramount+.
Parker first started exploring controversial comedy at the young age of 11, when he grossed out his classmates during a talent show. He’s been going strong ever since.
4. Matt Groening
Net worth: $600 million
While animator Matt Groening may not be a comedian in the traditional sense, he did create one of the most enduring comedy shows in history and television—The Simpsons.
The immensely popular television series is now in its 34th season and holds a Guinness World Record for the longest-running animated sitcom.
Aside from that, Groening is also known for creating the comic strip Life in Hell—which is how he gained professional recognition—along with television series Futurama and Disenchantment.
3. Matt Stone
Net worth: $700 million
American animator Matt Stone is best known for co-creating South Park and The Book of Mormon with his creative partner Trey Parker. As mentioned previously, Stone and Parker recently made a $900 million deal with Paramount+ for their South Park franchise.
Stone and Parker became celebrities as a result of South Park’s success, which has then awarded them various opportunities in films, albums, and outside script deals.
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2. Byron Allen
Net worth: $800 million
American businessman, producer, and comedian, Byron Allen is the founder of the U.S. media company Entertainment Studios, for which he starred in the debut series, Entertainers with Byron Allen.
But before his big break, Allen pursued stand-up comedy, becoming the youngest-ever stand-up comic to perform on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson at only 18 years old.
His production company is now known as Allen Media Group, and is one of the largest independent producers and distributors of first-run syndicated programming for broadcast TV worldwide.
1. Jerry Seinfeld
Net worth: $900 million
Jerry Seinfeld takes first place as the richest comedian in America. The co-creator and star of his own self-titled sitcom, Seinfeld has raked in some serious cash through syndication and streaming deals, using the sitcom that started his career.
He started doing open-mic nights at an improv club while attending college for communications. After pursuing other comedy roles—some of which he was fired from—he eventually landed some appearances on various talk shows, and was introduced to Larry David. Soon after, Seinfeld was born.
While he has also been involved in numerous other professional ventures, Seinfeld remains one of the most acclaimed and popular sitcoms of all time.
In 2017, Rolling Stone named him the 7th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time.
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