Chris Rock Net Worth and Facts About His Girlfriend and Family Members

What is Chris Rock’s Net Worth?

Rock is currently the eighth-greatest-stand-up comic, as contained in the 2010 list of 100 Greatest Stand-Ups. Owing to his versatility, the American superstar has walked home with three Grammy Awards and four Emmy Awards.

Chris Rock did not only solidly build his career in comedy, but he has also continued to remain relevant and influential in the entertainment industry. From all the endeavors articulated above, he has amassed for himself an impressive net worth of $100 million as of 2021.

How The Journey To A 100-Million-Dollar Net Worth Began

Rock worked at fast-food restaurants before he began pursuing a career in comedy at 19. He started out at NYC’s famous comedy club, Catch a Rising Star, and quickly became a fixture in the club’s circuit. The comedy club is also responsible for the fame of stars like Robin Williams, Ellen DeGeneres, Jerry Seinfeld, and more. His promising talent earned him small roles in movies such as I’m Gonna Git You Sucka and other TV series.

Rock later landed his first movie role in Beverly Hills Cop II thanks to fellow comedian Eddie Murphy who was impressed by his performance at a nightclub and offered him the role.

His big break came in 1990 when he joined the Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast. Rock’s comedy was influenced by the fact that he was a bully victim in his white-dominated high school. He said he was also influenced by his paternal grandfather who was a preacher. Rock’s comedy became loved by many and together with fellow cast members which included Adam Sandler, they were named the bad boys of Saturday Night Live. A year later, Rock released his debut comedy album titled “Born Suspect”. Thanks to the two-year spell at SNL, Rock gained national exposure.

Rock began to get frustrated with the SNL and left joining the African-American sketch show, In Living Color but unfortunately, it was canceled a few months later. He wrote a movie which he also starred in but still, it was unsuccessful. In 1994 Rock returned to stand up and made his debut in the HBO comedy special titled Big Ass Jokes.

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Rise To Fame

Chris Rocks’ biggest break came in 1996 in his sophomore HBO special titled Bring The Pain. The comedy album brought him huge critical acclaim as well as two Emmy Awards. Rock’s popularity grew and he began featuring in TV shows including as host of 1997, 1999, and 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. He followed up with three HBO comedy specials – Bigger & Blacker (1999), Never Scared (2004), and Kill The Messenger. The first two saw him named the “funniest man in America” while the latest won him an Emmy for Outstanding Writing.

Rock created a comedy talk show, The Chris Rock Show which was aired on HBO. The show ran for 5 seasons between 1997 and 2000 and won him an Emmy. Rock’s success has been on the increase since then. Now popular, Chris Rock began to receive many major movie roles. He lent his voice to the animated film series Madagascar (2005-2012) and won the Kids Choice Award for Best Voice. Some of his recent movies include Death at Funeral and 2 Days In  New York.

His comedy albums Roll With The New (1997), Bigger & Better (1999), and Never Scared (2006) have each won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album. He has also made music videos for his songs including Champagne, No Sex (In the Champagne Room), and more.

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He Used His Fame as A Vehicle To Thrive in Other Endeavors

Chris Rock has written a book titled “Rock This!” which is a translation of his comedies. He has written directed and starred in movies such as Head of State and I Think I Love My Wife. He produced the semi-autobiographical series, Everybody Hates Chris which is part of his life’s story in high school. The show won two Emmys and received several nominations. In 2009, he released his first documentary titled Good Hair and is currently working on another one titled Credit Is Evil.

Apart from the three MTV VMA’s he has hosted, Rock has also hosted the BET Awards, the 77th and 88th Academy Awards respectively in 2005 and 2016.

As a way of giving back to society, Rock is involved in charity. He is an ambassador for UNICEF and has donated millions to support causes like Parkinson’s disease, human rights, education, poverty, and more.

How Did Chris Rock Generate A $100 Million Net Worth?

Hollywood Gigs/Acting

A greater percentage of Chris Rocks’ wealth is known to come from his work as a comedian – a trade he knows too well and has done for so many years. But, following that, his adventure into the world of acting has also been a major success. Yes, Chris Rock does not appear in every movie franchise, however, his choices so far have been very financially rewarding.

He began with the American TV sitcom Everybody Hates Chris which earned him a whopping $42 million in 2009. Comic movie projects like Madagascar (parts 1,2&3) and Grown Ups (parts 1&2) further increased his purse significantly. While the former raked in $532.7 million, $603.9 million, and $746.9 million respectively, the latter raked in $271.4 million and $247 million from a budget of $80 million and $80.2 million respectively.

Top Five is an American rom-com written, produced, and directed by Chris Rock (he equally acted in the 2014 movie alongside Kevin Harts and Rosario Dawson). He became $12.5 million richer when Paramount Pictures bought the distribution rights.

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Hosting the Oscars

In February 2016, Chris Rock hosted the 2016 Academy Awards and that would not be the first time he is having such an opportunity – having had his first shot in 2005 – as he joins an illustrious company of those who had hosted the Oscars more than once including Jon Stewart, Ellen DeGeneres, and Whoopi Goldberg. Although it’s tough to figure out the exact amount he earned from hosting the Oscars, it is reported to be in the six figures.

Netflix Deals

Netflix is popular for movies but also included in that kit is an affinity for comedy specials from elite comedians. In recent times, comedians like Eddie Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld, and Dave Chapelle, among others, have bagged multimillion-dollar deals with the streaming giant. In February 2016, Chris Rock set a high bar for mega deals for stand-up comedians when he signed a 40 million-dollar deal with Netflix for two specials – at $20 million per special. The first of the pair, Chris Rock: Tamborine which was released on February 14th, 2018 was his first appearance as a stand-up comedian since he released Kill the Messenger in 2008 for HBO.

Here’s an overview of Chris Rock’s sources of income:

• Acting
• Show hosting
• Comedy specials – Netflix, HBO deals
• Comedy tours – rakes in over $500,000 per stop
• Books writing – He wrote the New York Times bestseller Rock This! in 1997

A look at Chris Rock’s net worth/earnings over the past few years

• $70 million in 2016
• $57 million in 2017
• $60 million in 2018
• $75 million in 2019
• $100 million in 2020

Earnings from films

• Everybody Hates Chris – $42 million
• Madagascar 1 ,2 and 3 – $532.7 million, $603.9 million, and $746.9 million respectively
• Grown Ups 1 and 2 – $271.4 million and $247 million, respectively

Highlights of His Career

Comedy albums

• 1991: Born Suspect (Atlantic Records)
• 1997: Roll with the New (DreamWorks Records)
• 1999: Bigger & Blacker (DreamWorks Records)
• 2004: Never Scared (DreamWorks Records)
• 2018: Tamborine (Netflix Studios, LLC)

Standup specials

• 1996: Chris Rock: Bring the Pain (Released on HBO)
• 1999: Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker (Released on HBO)
• 2004: Chris Rock: Never Scared (Released on HBO)
• 2018: Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger (Released on HBO)
• 2018: Chris Rock: Tamborine (Released on Netflix)

Chris Rock Has Very Rich Ancestral Roots and Family Background

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Born as Christopher Julius Rock III, Chris’ parents welcomed him on 7th February 1965 in Andrews South Carolina. However, after his parents relocated to Brooklyn, he settled there and subsequently enrolled at James Madison High School.

Christopher Julius Rock and his wife Rosalie Rock raised Chris along with his seven other brothers and two sisters. His father, who worked as a truck driver and newspaper deliveryman, died in 1988 from ulcer surgery while mother (née Tingman), worked as a teacher and social worker.

After dropping out of high school, he managed to obtain a GED. His parents withdrew him from James Madison High School as he was a bully-victim at the hands of white learners.

Rock is said to have traced his roots to the Udeme people of northern Cameroon. His great-great-grandfather, Julius Caesar Tingman, served in the American Civil War as a member of the US colored troops after 21 years of slavery while his paternal grandfather, Allen Rock, was a preacher.

He is the Most Popular Child Among His Siblings

As mentioned before, Chris Rock has seven brothers are Tony, Jordan, Kenny, Andre, Brian, Rock, and Charles Ledell Rock (his half-brother). Charles passed away in February 2006 after a protracted battle with alcoholism.

Eleven years older than Chris and highly educated, Charles was Rock’s only son to graduate from the college. Prior to his death, he lived in a homeless shelter and even worked in a hospital. He died a lonely and frustrated man at the age of 52.

Presently, Kenny and Tony, are trying their hands in the entertainment industry and are said to have followed their brother’s footsteps in comedy.

The Highly-rated Comedian Was Once A Family Man

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Until August 22, 2016, Rock was married to Malaak Compton-Rock, a beautiful lady he met at the Essence Festival in 1996. Malaak is the owner of StyleWorks, a non-profit full-service salon that provides free services for women abandoning welfare to join the workforce.

Chris and his wife stayed together as husband and wife in Alpine, New Jersey for 20 years, having gotten married on November 23, 1996. Their relationship was, however, officially brought to end in August 2016 after the comedian filed for divorce from his wife in December 2014.

The couple’s 20-year-old marriage produced two lovely daughters – Lola Simone (born 2002) and Zahra Savannah (born 2004).

How Much Did Chris Rock Lose From His Divorce Settlement?

Following the divorce from his wife, Chris Rock lost a large chunk of his wealth on alimony. His ex-wife, Malaak Compton-Rock, insisted on a huge divorce settlement from the 20-year-old marriage which produced two daughters. The couple had a prenup that expired after they stayed as a married couple for a number of years – a clause referred to as a “sunset law/provision”. This meant the divorce would cost Rock a significant chunk of his net worth which was valued at $70 million at the time.

This was not the only problem associated with the expired prenup. There was also the issue of dividing their assets and children’s custody agreements. To date, the actual amount he parted with as the divorce settlement has not been confirmed by either Chris nor Malaak – but it is rumored to be $40 million.

Chris Rock Moved On From The Divorce With His New Girlfriend

It’s no news that the comedian has found love again after his divorce from Malaak. Rock’s girlfriend, Megalyn Echikunwoke, is an actress born to Igbo-Nigerian father Onigwe Versato Echikunwoke and English, Irish, German mother Anita Laurie on May 28, 1983, in Spokane, Washington. So, she’s of Nigerian descent (from her father’s side) and European descent (from her mother’s side).

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Rock began dating Echikunwoke in early 2016. Megalyn has been appearing on the screen since 1998. She’s famed for starring in TV shows like CSI: Miami, Arrows, and The 4400.

She first drew public attention as an actress at Summer Arts Camp at the age of 14. Nevertheless, an opportunity that moved her to her professional success came at 15 when she guest-appeared on The Steve Harvey Show and on American television miniseries -Culture.

In addition to acting, Megalyn loves politics and has been very active in it. She once embarked on the campaign trail for former president Barack Obama and also helped in wooing voters.

His Relationship With Megalyn Lasted For About Four Years 

Although it began as a fairy tale and fans watched their faves with the hope of a blissful married life for the two lovebirds, it wasn’t to be and the Chris and Megalyn ‘ship’ has long sailed. The love story that began in 2016 – just after Chris Rock’s divorce from his ex-wife, Malaak was finalized – saw Megalyn move in to live with the popular comedian. However, all that would not be a sign of permanence in their relationship as the duo went their separate ways in 2020 – four years after it began in 2016.

Their split is said to have been mutual with reasons behind the breakup not revealed to the public, however, it is rumored that the breakup of his marriage of about two decades took its toll on the relationship.

The American funnyman may not have gotten over the messy divorce and is definitely not ready to begin another marriage relationship. He said in an interview with Rolling Stone (while dating Megalyn Echikunwoke) that is was really going to be difficult to start over (another marriage). Besides that, his jokes portrayed the fact that his divorce was a painful experience for him.