As of 2020, Jerry Seinfeld had a net worth of almost one billion dollars, but how did he get so rich?
Jerry Seinfeld made almost all of his money from his hit television show, Seinfeld. The massively successful show ultimately earned Seinfeld a quarter of a billion dollars in the final season alone.
Read on to learn more about Jerry Seinfeld’s massive financial success.
Self-Named Success
When he co-created a television show that both featured him as the lead, and by his own name, Jerry Seinfeld was destined for fame. In 1988, Seinfeld, along with Larry David, created a show that would live on for decades, Seinfeld.
This show would ultimately become the most-watched sitcom on US television ever, by just the third season. The show itself would live for just over a decade, dominating the viewership ratings. It was Jerry Seinfeld who would make an appearance in every single episode.
The show was an overwhelming success. In 1998, for the final season, Seinfeld was paid an eye-watering $267 million. He received more for that final season than any actor ever has for any show in history.
Bizarrely, the channel begged the actor to do a tenth season, for which he’d be paid a further $100 million at least. However, Jerry Seinfeld declined the offer. It would be this very show that would go on to secure Seinfeld financially for the rest of his life.
In 2020, Rolling Stone magazine honored the show on its thirty-first anniversary, starting with a post on Twitter.
By the 2000s, Jerry Seinfeld was earning around $32 million a year in deals and licensing rights. Further to this, in 2020, Seinfeld signed a $100 million deal with broadcasting giant, Netflix. This deal would show Seinfeld’s comedy specials as well as his infamous show, Seinfeld, exclusively on the platform.
This deal included Seinfeld’s successful webseries, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. In this show, Seinfeld would drive around celebrities in various cars, literally getting coffee. You can see an episode of this on YouTube, wherein Seinfeld escorts Barack Obama in a classic car.
Away From The Big Screen
After Jerry Seinfeld withdrew from television, he returned to pursuing one of his earliest ventures: stand-up comedy. In 2005, Comedy Central named him the twelfth greatest stand up comedian of all time.
Without a doubt, Seinfeld was one of the highest paid comedians in the world. As of 2020, he was worth almost one billion dollars. He doesn’t rely solely on his acting and performance acumen to secure financial value, though.
In 1993, he published his first book, followed by another in 2002. These have seen relative success, netting Seinfeld further financial gains.
Seinfeld has certainly put the money to good use over the years. When you have almost a billion dollars to your name, it certainly is tempting to buy everything you see. Jerry Seinfeld has amassed some impressive material possessions since his success through the nineties.
Reportedly, Jerry Seinfeld has an incredible collection of cars. He keeps the majority of his vehicles in a multi-storey garage in Manhattan, under lock and key. The garage itself is worth around $1.5 million.
He also has an entire fleet management team on hand to service his hundreds of vehicles. The biggest portion of his collection is made up of Porsches, of which he has dozens upon dozens. These vehicles complement his other massive investment nicely: a $40 million New York mansion.
The pride of Seinfeld’s wealth is his enormous, sprawling estate. This oceanfront property sports an extravagant history and a twenty-two car garage. Reportedly, the home also portrays some of Seinfeld’s frivolity, such as the proud display of a $17,000 coffee machine.
Seinfeld certainly worked hard for his riches, he’s more than entitled to a silly spend or two.