Introduction

Stephen King is an American author of fantasy, horror, suspense, and science fiction with an estimated net worth of $500 Million.

King’s career spans more than five decades and 67 published novels, including bestsellers like It, The Stand, The Shining, and Carrie. Just from looking at that brief selection, you might have noticed that his work is often adapted into films, which is where a large portion of his fortune is derived.

In this profile, we’ll discuss our extensive research into Stephen King’s net worth and earnings history. This includes hundreds of millions of dollars from book advances, sales, film adaptations, and the like.

Quick Facts

• Earned at least $374 million between 1993 and 2018
• Actual earnings potentially exceed $500 million
• Peak annual income of $65 million in 2000
• Signed a $45 million, three-book deal that year
• Sold over 350 million copies of his books globally

Earnings History

Stephen King’s reign as one of the world’s highest-paid authors initially began in the 1990s. When he first made the Forbes list in 1993, King’s estimated earnings for the year were $13 million. The following year, his income increased to $20 million, and by 1996, it had risen to $34 million. During this time, according to reports, Stephen would often command book advance payments of $15 million to $18 million. In 1997, he signed a three-book deal with Simon & Schuster, receiving a $2 million advance per book plus a 50/50 split of the profits. This was his highest-earning year of the decade, earning an estimated $50 million.

Another enormous year for Stephen King arrived in 2000, when he signed a three-book deal with Hodder & Stoughton (UK) and Simon & Schuster (US). According to reports, the agreement was valued at £30 million ($45 million), contributing the bulk of his $65 million income that year. For the rest of the 2000s, King remained active, but we don’t have specifics on his annual earnings. He likely continued earning a bare minimum of $10 million per year throughout the decade.

Fast forward to 2012, and King was back on the Forbes list with annual earnings of $39 million. One of his most successful projects that year was the release of the alternate-history thriller about the JFK assassination. The book sold over 600,000 hardcover copies in its first year following release. For the rest of the 2010s, King typically earned between $15 million and $20 million annually through book advances, royalties, film rights, and audiobook sales.

According to our research, Stephen King earned a combined $374 million from 1993 to 2018, but once you factor in the missing years, he could have earned well over $500 million.

Book Sales

Throughout his career, King has sold over 350 million copies of his books worldwide, publishing 65 novels and more than 200 short stories. Many of his books have since been adapted into films, including It, The Shining, and Carrie, all of which have become iconic movies in their own right.

To give you an idea of how successful Stephen’s books were, and which were likely responsible for bringing in the most amount of revenue, we’ve put together a list of his best-selling books:

1. It – 60 million copies (1986)
2. The Stand – 35 million copies (1978)
3. The Shining – 25 million copies (1977)
4. Carrie – 15 million copies (1974)
5. Misery – 15 million copies (1987)
6. Pet Sematary – 10 million copies (1983)

While most would think that The Shining was King’s most popular book, the novel has actually sold over 60 million copies worldwide and has since been adapted into two films. The first film was based on the first half of the 1986 novel and grossed $327 million at the box office, while the second (based on the second half) grossed $467 million.

The Shining was the quickest book to be adapted into a full-length film, starring Jack Nicholson. The film was released in 1980, just three years after the book’s publication, and it grossed approximately $50 million at the box office. While that may seem low, this was in the 1980s, and would equate to roughly $195.7 million in today’s currency.

Real Estate

In the 1980s, Stephen King purchased a 4,952-square-foot, five-bedroom, six-bathroom home in Bangor, Maine, for a reported $135,000. He has owned the property for four decades and also bought the neighboring house in 2005 for $750,000. In recent years, he reportedly vacated the home to turn it into a writer’s retreat. It’s currently valued at roughly $1.76 million.

Introduction

The Fat Jewish is an American professional writer, actor, model, winemaker, and entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of $80 Million. 

In this profile, we’ll outline all our research into The Fat Jewish’s net worth, business ventures, and real estate investments. We’ll primarily focus on his company, Swish Beverages, which scored him a massive payout.

Quick Facts

• Sold Swish Beverages to Anheuser-Busch for $150-$200 million in 2019
• Potentially profited $120 million from the sale
• Currently selling his 3,873-square-foot Miami Shores home for $3.85 million

Net Worth Details

While The Fat Jewish is a man of many talents and industries, almost all of his net worth comes from a single venture. This was his alcohol company, Swish Beverages, which was acquired by Anheuser-Busch in 2019 for between $150 million and $200 million. In the years leading up to the sale, he’d only been worth several million dollars, but thanks to an estimated $120 million payout, his net worth ballooned to roughly $80 Million.

Swish Beverages

In 2015, The Fat Jewish partnered with Alexander Ferzan and actors Tanner Cohen and David Oliver Cohen to launch their American wine brand, Swish Beverages. Later that year, the company released its flagship product, White Girl Rosé, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and White Zinfandel. It was sold in 750ml bottles for the low price of $14.99.

The following year, Swish launched a canned sparkling Rosé called Babe Rosé, followed by Babe Grigio and Babe Red in 2018. These three canned drinks all mimicked the same simplistic branding: bold lettering on a plain white can with different colored fonts (blue, purple, and red).

After rolling out the full collection, the Babe line in particular began receiving significant attention from potential investors, and the company even secured a small investment from DJ Diplo. At the end of 2018, Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired a minority stake in Swish Beverages through its venture capital arm, ZX Ventures. A year later, they acquired the remaining stake, taking full ownership of the company in a deal reportedly worth between $150 million and $200 million. 

It’s believed that The Fat Jewish held the largest stake at the time of the sale. Some reports suggest he personally received $120 million before taxes. Interestingly, Anheuser-Busch InBev discontinued White Girl Rosé and the entire Babe collection in 2023.

Real Estate

In July 2022, The Fat Jewish paid $2.5 million for a 3,873-square-foot, six-bedroom home in Miami Shores, Florida. He returned the property to the market in June 2024, asking for $4.25 million. However, the listing failed to attract any buyers. Thus, he reduced the price to $3.85 million in September. It’s currently still for sale.

Introduction

Matt Stone is an American professional actor, animator, writer, producer, and composer with an estimated net worth of $700 Million.

Although best known for creating the adult comedy South Park, Matt Stone has a long history in the industry as one of Hollywood’s wealthiest and most successful creators.

In this profile, we’ll discuss our research into Matt Stone’s net worth, early career, earnings from South Park, and investments.

Quick Facts

• Sold $150+ million of South Park merchandise by 1998
• Receives a 25% share of syndication deals
• Earns 50% of the advertisement revenue generated from South Park

Early Career 

In 1992, Matt Stone and his partner Trey Parker founded the Avenging Conscience production company, which the pair used to create their first production, Jesus vs. Frosty, a short film pitting the religious figure against Frosty the Snowman.

By 1993, Stone’s production company had created Alferd Packer: The Musical. In 1996, it was eventually sold to Troma Entertainment, which renamed it Cannibal! The Musical. In the wake of this film’s success, Stone went on to create the short comedy film Your Studio and You, which featured several celebrities, including Demi Moore, Steven Spielberg, and Sylvester Stallone.

South Park

However, Matt Stone’s biggest success came in 1997 when he created one of the best TV shows of all time, South Park, now in its 25th season. The show’s pilot was made on a $300,000 budget and took three and a half months to complete, but when it premiered, it quickly became one of the most popular shows on Comedy Central, despite numerous South Park controversies that have emerged since its first season.

By the end of 1998, Comedy Central had sold over $150 million in merchandise for the show, and, due to its success, over 3 million new subscribers were drawn to the channel. Matt Stone was now a full-fledged celebrity, and in 1998, he signed a contract with Comedy Central that allowed him to keep producing episodes of South Park in exchange for a slice of the merchandising profits.

When South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut came to theaters in 1999, it drew critical acclaim and $83 million at the box office, making the show an even larger phenomenon. 

While South Park has been Matt Stone’s biggest cash cow, he is also a co-developer of the hit musical The Book of Mormon, which debuted on Broadway in 2011 to critical praise and raving reviews.

The Book of Mormon was so successful that it won 9 Tony Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, becoming one of the most successful musicals of all time. 

Career Earnings

Matt Stone is one of the richest comedians in the world, and we know a bit about his earnings over the years. Most notably, Matt Stone’s contract was renewed at Comedy Central in 2007 with specific terms that include:

• A 50% cut of all ad revenue earned by South Park, both during digital and broadcast airings.
• Stone gets an additional 25% cut anytime South Park is sold to another syndication.
• Parker and Stone receive between $25 and $30 million per year from South Park episodes broadcast on Comedy Central.

To put the terms of this contract into perspective, consider that Hulu spent $198 million on the streaming rights for South Park. That means that Matt Stone received a whopping $49.5 million just for that one deal!

Real Estate

In November 2005, Matt Stone paid $3.25 million for a 2,918-square-foot, three-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Venice, California. He returned the property to the market in early 2020 with an asking price of $4.5 million. It sold for just $3.46 million in May. Stone also owns a smaller property in Venice, which cost him $800,000 in 2003.

In addition, Stone spent $5 million on a New York property consisting of an entire floor of a building. While he later sold this property in 2019 for $6.15 million, in 2021, he went on to buy Casa Bonita, a Colorado restaurant featured in South Park, with his partner, Trey Parker.

Summary 

Matt Stone is one of the richest and most successful comedians in the entertainment industry. His talent has earned him an incredible net worth. However, seeing as South Park is showing no signs of being canceled any time soon, we can expect Stone’s wealth to continue increasing with each new season.