Here's How Craig Ferguson Made His $30 Million Net Worth
Craig Ferguson may have beaten out Jimmy Fallon, one of late night's most lovable hosts, in terms of net worth. According to Goliath, Craig is worth a whopping $30 million. However, it's safe to say that Jimmy Fallon will probably end up making far more money if he continues as the host of The Tonight Show longer than Craig hosted The Late Late Show, which followed David Letterman's iconic chat show.
While Craig Ferguson hosted his wacky and satirical cult-classic chat show from 2005 to 2014 earned him most of his money, it's not the only way. Craig has found numerous ways of pursuing his dreams, paying the bills, and providing for his multiple wives and two kids. Although it should be said that Wealthy Gorilla claims Craig is worth just under $9 million as of 2020, we don't think that number adds up. Given his lucrative and varied career, the number has got to be worth something in the vicinity of $30 million.
So, let's dig into the life, career, and true net worth of this"Cheeky Monkey" and "awkward pause" lover.
Craig's Complicated Life In Scotland
Before moving to America and making it big in stand-up comedy, acting, and hosting various shows, Craig grew up in a lower-middle-class family in the Cumbernauld area of Scotland. Anyone who reads his fantastic auto-biography "American On Purpose" knows just how troubled some of his childhood experiences were.
What set him on the road to a very serious battle with drugs and alcohol was when he dropped out of high school at the age of 16. In "American On Purpose" Craigs described how he would get his hands on just about every kind of drug he could. Due to the bad highs, he'd often find himself waking up in strange places and even hallucinating that a bunch of ducks was trying to kill him.
In a touching monologue from his time on The Late Late Show, Craig explained how on Christmas eve he had gotten so drunk that he woke up on Christmas morning at an all-time low. In fact, he decided that he was going to end things. He had a plan and he was about to execute it... but booze stopped him... Quite literally because he lived above a bar and had to go through it to leave his apartment. And as he was leaving, the barman offered him a drink... Craig took it and got so drunk that he forgot to do what he set out to do.
That's irony. But it's also a loop that Craig found himself stuck in.
Craig also found solace in his punk rock band, "The Bastards From Hell", which also featured Peter Capaldi, of Doctor Who, The Thick Of It, and now The Suicide Squad fame.
But Craig also was doing stand-up comedy gigs. He was even getting pretty good, playing clubs and festivals all over the UK. His most famous bit was a character was called Bing Hitler... who was a cross between Bing Crosby and... you guessed it... On top of all of this, the industry in the UK was noticing him for his acting and producing talents and offered him various television gigs.
However, Craig was held back by the demons he struggled with. Luckily, he decided to get some help for his addictions and found a completely in life in America.
Craig Goes After Hollywood
In 1994, Craig Ferguson had moved to America in pursuit of a career in comedy and acting. His accomplishments in the UK afforded him the luxury to move to New York and then Los Angeles. A gig in the UK was also the place where he met his future agent, the man who set Craig up with his breakthrough role on The Drew Carey Show.
Craig starred as Drew's hilarious boss from 1996 - 2003. Since he was a main cast member and it was a network show, Craig probably made some half-decent and consistent money from the gig.
During that time Craig also wrote a couple of acclaimed screenplays for films that he took roles in; Saving Grace, The Big Tease, and I'll Be There, which won him various awards at significant film festivals.
Not only was he becoming successful on TV and in the indie film community, but his stand-up career was taking off... and this led him to land the gig on The Late Late Show, after The Late Show With David Letterman.
Over the course of Craig Ferguson's 10-year-run on CBS' Late Late Show, he was pulling an $8 million salary, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Although it was substantially lower than that of David Letterman or car collector Jay Leno, it was still pretty high. And by the time his contract was set to expire, Craig was allegedly offered a massive parting gift. This was so that Craig would not pursue David Letterman's show, who was also leaving. According to The NY Daily News, CBS had to pay Craig somewhere between $5 -$15 million. While on Andy Cohen's show, Craig seemed to admit that this was true by not admitting it. Regardless of what the number was, it's clear that it bumped up his net worth substantially.
Although, it should be said that Craig made some notable money due to taking part in major movies during his time on TV. Most notable was all of his voice-over work in Winnie The Pooh, Brave, and the How To Train Your Dragon Trilogy.
Life After Late Night
It's fair to say that Craig hasn't quite found a mainstream avenue for his talents after The Late Late Show, aside from stand-up comedy. While Craig still sells out major arenas for his stand-up shows, his various game shows and radio programs haven't quite worked.
After Late Night, Craig hosted the Celebrity Name Game for three seasons (which he won an Emmy for), a short-lived history show, and a satellite radio show on SiriusXM.
Craig has, however, continued to write some pretty successful novels including another auto-biography called "Riding the Elephant: A Memoir of Altercations, Humiliations, Hallucinations, and Observations".
Craig Ferguson has made a lot of money from his varied and adventurous career. Because of his authenticity, talent, and quick-wit, the man has earned a very dedicated fanbase who will no doubt follow him as his career continues to unfold.
Now, do you want an awkward pause, a mouth organ, or the big cash prize?
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