During his first stint as a comedian, Rodney Dangerfield struggled to make ends meet. He was unable to book consistent and lucrative gigs, and writing jokes for other stand-up comedians was not as profitable. However, after a few years away from comedy, He returned to the profession and eventually found success. Rodney Dangerfield sold several million comedy albums and performed multiple stand-up shows, amassing a considerable net worth in the process.
Rather than a decline as shud be the case, there has been an increase in his net worth since he passed in 2004 at the age of 82, through posthumous rereleases of his works and other intellectual properties. We took a look at how much Rodney Dangerfield is worth years after his death. Check it out below.
Rodney Dangerfield’s Net Worth Now
More than a decade since Rodney Dangerfield passed away following complications from a heart valve replacement surgery; his net worth has risen to a significant $10 million. His exact net worth at the time of his death is unknown, but it has witnessed remarkable growth through the use of his name in and on several intellectual properties, the continued sale of his comedy albums, and residuals from the movies he made.
With regards to his name and the rights to his intellectual property, a stand-up comedy class, The Rodney Dangerfield Institute of Comedy in Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy was named after him. A suite of operating rooms at the Division of Neurosurgery at the UCLA Medical Center was also named after him. Also, an award, Rodney Respect Award, was created after he passed. The first recipient of the award was Jay Leno, who received it in October 2005.
Rodney’s name and works were also the subject of a sketch on Saturday Night Live. Comedy Central, the comedy channel has also continually licensed the use of his works.
Comedy Albums and Movie Residuals
Rodney Dangerfield has been able to achieve a $10 million net worth since he passed through the continued sales of his best-selling albums like No Respect and Rappin’ Rodney. Both albums fetched him Grammy Award nominations, and have sold several million copies to this day. He also continues to make money from six other comedy albums he released during his lifetime.
Aside from his comedy albums, Rodney Dangerfield’s famous films, such as Caddyshack, Easy Money, and Back To School have continued to fetch him a considerable amount in residual income. Other than his popular films, he also continues to earn residual income from all of the remaining 36 movies and TV show appearances he made throughout his lifetime.
Social Media
Despite passing away long before social media became a thing, the ingenuity of Rodney Dangerfield’s estate to put some of his work on YouTube has boosted his overall net worth.
He has an eponymously named channel which has more than 150,000 subscribers and has over 53 million views. According to SocialBlade, his YouTube channel’s stats earn him an estimated $632 – $10,000 per month and up to $121,000 per year.
Not bad for a man who passed away one year before YouTube was created.
Other Sources of Income
While Rodney Dangerfield was alive, he and his friend, Anthony Bevacqua, found the comedy club, Dangerfield’s, in New York City. The club has remained in operation ever since, both as a profitable business and as the launching pad for several renowned comedians.
The comedy club was the location for several HBO comedy shows, which helped launch the careers of notable personalities like Louie Anderson, Bob Saget, Tim Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey.
Rodney Dangerfield did everything. Acting. Music. Stand-up. One other thing Rodney Dangerfield did that has helped him to a current net worth of $10 million is that he wrote and published four books during his lifetime, all four of which were notable bestsellers. Some of his books include I Couldn’t Stand My Wife’s Cooking, So I Opened a Restaurant, and It’s Not Easy Bein’ Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs.
See Also:Â Did Rodney Dangerfield Have Children From His Wife Joan Child?
Who Inherited His Fortune?
Following the passing of Rodney Dangerfield in 2004, his wife, Joan Dangerfield, inherited his fortune and other properties attributed to the comedian. She has helped nurture the growth of his estate, such as creating a YouTube channel for him, as well as a website. He was the first celebrity to own a website.
Joan Dangerfield once encountered legal challenges with one of Rodney’s children over the rights to Rodney’s intellectual work. However, aside from that, she has had a mostly drama-free time managing the late comedian’s estate.
