Highlights
- Larry David has earned an impressive $800 million from Seinfeld alone, thanks to his ownership of 15% of the backend points from the show.
- Larry also makes a significant amount of money from Curb Your Enthusiasm , both as the writer, creator, and lead actor, and through future syndication deals.
- Larry's net worth is estimated to be $450 million, although he claims it is lower due to a divorce settlement and denies having the reported $500 million from Seinfeld syndication.
Fans love the way that Larry David writes sitcoms, as both Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm took a hilarious look at the annoying things that happen to everyone all the time. Fans love knowing that George Costanza's character was somewhat based on Larry, as they feel that they have gotten to know Larry over time through his TV work.
Since Jerry Seinfeld has a $950 million net worth thanks to Seinfeld along with other projects, it makes sense that Larry has a lot of money in the bank as well. But how much of Larry David's net worth comes from Curb Your Enthusiasm? Let's take a look.
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Jerry Seinfeld has been just inches away from billionaire status for years now, but how close are his Seinfeld co-stars to reaching his net worth?Updated January 2024:To date, Larry David's fortune has vastly been built from his earnings as 15% owner of the backend of 'Seinfeld'. As a result of this deal that was struck with NBC so many years ago, it is estimated that Larry has made $800 million from 'Seinfeld' alone. However, Larry is also an owner of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'. And with the series ending in 2024, it will likely go into syndication shortly after the conclusion. When it does, that will make Larry an impressive sum of money and at that time, it will be clear if 'Seinfeld' will be the sitcom that made Larry his money or if 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' will be the cash cow for the comedian.
Larry David's Income From Seinfeld
Larry David has earned nearly $800 million from Seinfeld
Larry David has earned himself a net worth of $450 million over the years, according to CelebrityNetWorth. A large share of this is thanks to his time on Seinfeld and the deal he was able to ink with NBC before leaving the sitcom to pursue Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Larry has also made a lot of money from Seinfeld. This is because Larry is paid between $40 and $50 million each year from royalties, merchandise, DVD sales, and syndication of the popular '90s sitcom. So far, as a result of owning 15% of the backend points from Seinfeld, Larry has earned an impressive $800 million.
More money was made in 2015 when Hulu bought the streaming rights for Seinfeld for $180 million. This earned Larry $80 million from that deal alone. And with a second deal with Netflix, who has secured the rights to Seinfeld until at least 2026, more money was made by Larry still, as the deal netted him $75 million.
RelatedThis Is The One Thing Seinfeld Got Wrong In The Finale
The Seinfeld finale took some creative license with one part of the episode, making the entire thing unbelievable.Larry David's Income From Curb Your Enthusiasm
Larry David stands to earn a huge payday after Curb Your Enthusiasm ends in 2024
Larry's role in Curb Your Enthusiasm is that of the writer, creator, and lead actor. As such, he makes quite a bit per season of the HBO sitcom.
It has not been disclosed how much Larry made in the early days of Curb Your Enthusiasm. However, for the 2023 season of the show, Larry made $20 million. Whether that will be the same salary he makes for the final season in 2024, or if that will increase, is unclear.
RelatedLarry David Famously Hated Working On Seinfeld, But Does He Feel The Same Way About Curb Your Enthusiasm?
Larry David has an interesting relationship with his HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm.Much like Seinfeld, Larry has ownership in Curb Your Enthusiasm as well. This means that when the show is sold to a streaming network, Larry stands to earn a substantial amount of money that will significantly increase his net worth.
Larry David's $450 Million Net Worth
Larry David claims his net worth is substantially lower than reported
When people began saying that Larry had $450 million to his name, Larry did not agree. This is because of a divorce he went through that caused a portion of his fortune to be handed over in the settlement.
According to Deadline, Larry went on 60 Minutes, stating, "I don’t have that kind of money! My wife took half of it in the divorce. The figures are crazy."
Charlie Rose mentioned on his talk show that people say that Larry has taken home more than $500 million because of Seinfeld syndication. Larry replied, "That’s just nuts! No, it’s not! It’s not! And mind your own d*mn business!"
According to The Globe and Mail, Jason Alexander said, "Julia, Michael and I, during our big renegotiation for the final year, asked for something that I will go to my grave saying we should have had, and that is back-end participation in the profits for the show. It was categorically denied to us, which forced us to then ask for ungodly salaries. We make very little, standard Screen Actors Guild residuals for the reruns."
It sounds like from what Jason said, Seinfeld makes a lot of money in reruns, and Larry and Jerry are the ones making the most cash from these, according to Cheat Sheet.
The Curb Your Enthusiasm And Seinfeld Comparison
Fans have compared Larry David's shows Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld for years
Curb Your Enthusiasm premiered in 2000. The show has been extremely successful over the years with a very loyal audience. However, the decision was made that Season 12 will be the last for the sitcom. As such, 2024 will be when Curb Your Enthusiasm comes to an end.
In some ways, the show can be compared to Seinfeld as it is also "a show about nothing." Curb, however, is known for being a bit harsher and more blunt than Seinfeld ever was.
When asked in an interview with NPR if he was upset that people thought of him as an "insensitive jerk" because of his character on Curb, Larry said, "Oh, God, no, not at all. Why - no because that's - doesn't bother me in the least. I'm quite happy about it. I'm way closer to being the guy on 'Curb' than the guy who's talking to you right now."
Larry went on to explain that he thought his character on Curb was "nice" and he's "honest" which doesn't necessarily make him a mean character. Larry said, "I think he's expressing a lot of the things that many people think about."
It may not be clear just how much Larry is worth these days as his calculations are clearly different from what has been calculated from his earnings on Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. But, what is clear is that for now, Seinfeld is what has earned Larry the lion's share of his wealth. A fact that may change once Curb Your Enthusiasm goes into syndication. Only time will tell.
Source: Deadline, Charlie Rose, The Globe and Mail, CheatSheet, NPR
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