Chris Rock started out in the comedy circuit and made a large fortune. But his career appeared to have taken a hit. But 2017 was Chris Rock ’s year when he made a mega comeback. He started 2018 with a $100.0 million net worth. Now, he’s set to make his return to stand-up after a decade with a Netflix comedy special.
After building a comedy empire, Chris Rock went through a slump, which included his divorce and critically-panned Oscars hosting stint. But he has since made a comeback, thanks to Netflix. His net worth skyrocketed to $100.0 million in 2018 and it could rise further thanks to his “Total Blackout” comedy tour, his first in more than a decade. The phenomenal comedy star is going back to his stand-up roots with the new Netflix special, Tamborine set to premiere this Valentine’s Day. Get the breakdown of his growing millions and more on Chris Rock’s net worth here.
Laughing His Way to the Top
- Born on February 7, 1965, in South Carolina, Chris Rock grew up in Brooklyn, New York. His mother was a social worker while his father was a truck driver and newspaper deliveryman.
- After being bullied in high school, he dropped out and earned his GED later. He worked menial jobs at fast-food restaurants to get by.
- He slowly garnered visibility doing stand-up comedy and acting in small parts in movies and shows like Miami Vice.
- Eddie Murphy became his mentor and gave him his first major movie role in Beverly Hills Cop II.
- He became popular as the cast of SNL alongside Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. He also gained national exposure when he released his first comedy film, Born Suspect.
- After leaving SNL, his low-budget comedy, CB4 earned nearly $18.0 million against a $6.0 million budget.
- He had several comedy specials on HBO which earned him critical applause and even won him Emmy awards. With more comedy specials, he won more awards, and was named the funniest man in the country at that time.
- He took his comedic art to other platforms and published a book, Rock This. He released comedy albums that won big at the Grammys, too.
- He graduated to bigger acting roles in movies like The Longest Yard, Death at a Funeral, Bad Company, Grown Ups, and the Madagascar franchise. He also worked behind the camera as a writer and director and won awards for writing.
- He produced the UPN comedy series, Everybody Hates Chris, based on his own childhood.
- He hosted the Academy Awards twice, but both times were not so well received.
- After divorcing his wife of 20 years, Malaak Compton sought a huge chunk of Rock’s fortune to maintain the champagne-and-caviar lifestyle.
Check out Chris Rock’s commercial value as illustrated below:
| Chris Rock’s Net Worth 2018 | $100.0 million |
| Chris Rock’s Net Worth 2016 | $70.0 million |
| Lethal Weapon 4 (2008) earnings | $2.0 million |
| Everybody Hates Chris (2009 syndication deal) | $42.0 million |
| Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012 movie) | $5.0 million |
| Academy Awards 2016 hosting salary | $15,000 |
| Selling price of Brooklyn townhouse | $3.85 million |
| Netflix specials salary | $57.0 million |
| 2009 salary | $42.0 million |
Netflix to the Rescue
- In 2009, Rock was among the richest comedians who made an estimated $42.0 million from stand-up tours, movies, and TV shows.
- After struggling to maintain his success, he went back to his stand-up comedy roots. He signed a $40.0 million deal for two Netflix comedy specials.
- He was one of the highest paid comedians a few years ago and featured in Forbes’ Celebrity 100. Thanks to the Netflix deal, he made a comeback to the Celebrity 100 in 2017.
- He was ranked among the highest paid comedians in 2017, along with Jerry Seinfeld and Dave Chappelle, who also signed Netflix deals.
- Netflix boasts a $6.0 billion budget for comedy specials, unlike TV networks like HBO. So, Rock stands to profit a lot more from his Netflix deal.
- He also embarked on the “Total Blackout” stand-up tour. Though he reportedly earns around a half a million at each stop, the tour doesn’t add much to his earnings.
Chris Rock’s Tamborines premieres on Netflix on February 14.
Check out how Chris Rock stands against fellow comedians in terms of wealth:
| Chris Rock | $100.0 million |
| Jerry Seinfeld | $920.0 million (9.2 times smaller) |
| Dave Chappelle | $42.0 million (2.38 times bigger) |
| Eddie Murphy | $85.0 million (1.17 times bigger) |
| Adam Sandler | $400.0 million (4 times smaller) |
| Rob Schneider | $15.0 million (6.6 times bigger) |
| David Spade | $40.0 million (2.5 times bigger) |
| Amy Schumer | $16.0 million (6.25 times bigger) |
| Kevin Hart | $120.0 million (1.2 times smaller) |
