What is Kathy Griffin’s net worth?
COMEDIAN Kathy Griffin may consider herself a perpetual D-lister, but with multiple Emmys and a Grammy, the celebrity has no problem making headlines for her career and personal life.
Kathy Griffin has never shied away from going to great lengths for a joke, but her massive net worth is no laughing matter.
What is Kathy Griffin's net worth?
According to , Griffin's net worth is around $40 million.
The comedian amassed the majority of her wealth thanks in part to her stand-up specials.
She's starred in over 20 television specials, three comedy albums, and one concert film since her comedic debut in 1996.
Known for her unique voice and fiery red hair, Griffin has also made her mark in Hollywood, beginning with small acting roles in the sitcom Suddenly Susan and a brief stint on Seinfeld.
In 2005, she got her own show on Bravo, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, which won her two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Reality Program.
Griffin is also the author of two books, including 2009's Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin and 2016's Kathy Griffin's Celebrity Run-Ins: My A-Z Index.
With an often insulting sense of humor, the comedian has definitely ruffled some feathers, claiming to be banned from multiple daytime and late-night talk shows and comedy clubs.
Still, Griffin proves there's no such thing as bad publicity, as each headline has only garnered her more fans, opportunities, and cash.
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On December 29, 2023, that Griffin filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences as the cause of the split from her husband of nearly four years, Randy Bick.
Griffin requested that the court enforce the couple's prenup, which would prohibit both Griffin and her estranged husband, Bick, from being awarded financial support from one another.
According to , Bick, a marketing executive, has a net worth of around $10.5 million.
While that still makes him a multi-millionaire, it's also significantly less than Griffin's net worth.
There's no word yet on whether the court will enforce the prenup, but if they don't, Bick may try to go after a portion of Griffin's hard-earned cash.
What has Kathy Griffin said about her finances?
In a , Kathy Griffin estimated her net worth at around $35 million.
The comedic star revealed that since her stint on Suddenly Susan in 1996, she's "consistently made between $3-and-10 million a year."
By 2019, Griffin was charging anywhere from $50,000 to $250,000 for a stand-up comedy performance.
While that number may seem high for most people, Griffin quipped "Let me tell you something: David Spade's rate is double that, and they throw in a private jet."
The multi-millionaire also credits herself for staying on top of her finances.
Griffin reported that she does not have a "business manager" like most Hollywood stars, telling The Cut: "A lot of these crooks take 5 percent of what you make."
"Well, over my dead body. My CPA has a monthly flat rate, the same with my lawyer," she added.
The comedy legend even went as far as comparing her level of financial security to the one-and-only Oprah Winfrey.
"My credit score is ridiculous. When I say Oprah level, I mean I have zero debt," Griffin said.
She added: "I bought my house for $10.5 million cash outright, because as Suze Orman taught me, if you can’t afford to buy a house in cash, you can’t afford it."
As always, Griffin had to add her own comedic flair to her house-hunting moment, saying: "Sometimes I just walk around this big house going, “F*** you, Hollywood, I fucking love this house!"
Griffin also says she's very careful with her investments.
"I don’t make investments that are risky. I make conservative, steadfast investments."
"My only stocks pay dividends, and diversity is everything: I diversify my money between stocks, bonds, cash, and real estate."
Griffin also shared a piece of advice for would-be investors, saying: "In my opinion, don’t invest in f***ing new s**t if you don’t know what it is."
Despite her frugality, Griffin admitted that she still loves to splurge on one thing – travel.
The comedian said: "I fly private quite a bit."
"It’s definitely a splurge, and the day I have to stop flying private, I will," she added.
What has Kathy Griffin said about Hollywood's gender pay gap?
Kathy Griffin is one of the most successful comedians of our time, but she still acknowledges there's a lot of work to be done before female comics can achieve the same level of wealth as their male counterparts.
Griffin opened up about pay inequality in the comedy world to The Cut, calling comedy "one of the most male-dominated industries there is."
She said: "Now, as a woman in stand-up, I make 10 cents on the dollar of a man. I’m not kidding."
"My joke is, all these b*tches are complaining that they’re making 80 cents on the dollar? Where do I f***ing sign?"
Griffin also called out the comedy – and business – worlds for having different expectations for women.
"When I walk into a meeting, I’m not like the dudes who can go in in jeans, hungover from the night before."
"I go into a meeting and I have full hair and makeup that I paid for, I’m in a designer dress and designer shoes, and I arrive in my Maserati Quattroporte — which I own, that is fully paid off."
"Because I know how men who sign checks in this industry think," she added.
Still, the comedian hopes the industry will change one day, for the better.
"I’m looking for a future where women in my position do not have to do that stupid superficial shit."
Back in 2015, the comedian also echoed similar sentiments in an .
Griffin said: "I can't even remember a time when I wasn't in a situation where my male counterparts didn't make more money than I did."
She added: "I’ve never been paid what the guys get," saying that even in her 50s, the pay inequality is "not getting better."
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Griffin credits her wealth to her work ethic, saying: "Luckily, I have a work ethic that’s bordering on unhealthy."
"I just keep grinding away and working my a** off one laugh at a time," she added.