Chris Rock is arguably a comedic fixture in the entertainment industry. From a cast member role on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in the 1990s to shifting fully into acting later on with hits like New Jack City, Lethal Weapon 4 and voice roles on the Madagascar franchise, Bee Movie and Osmosis Jones; Chris Rock is a busy funny man. He’s made a name for himself by cracking jokes about real life situations in his own life, and of course made headlines in 2022 for a long-standing beef with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith that played out on the international stage. 

But with a career spanning almost four decades, you might be curious about his net worth. The comedian, turned actor, turned filmmaker, is prolific to say the least. And he’s been just as busy building an empire beyond cracking jokes. Keep reading to learn his current network and how he earned it. 

From South Carolina to International Stardom

Born in 1965 in Andrews, South Carolina, the Gen X celebrity and his family moved to Brooklyn shortly afterwards. His years growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood would later become inspirational material for his eponymous show, Everyone Hates Chris. Rock’s entertainment career formally began in 1984 when he worked as a stand-up comedian in New York City. 

While performing on the circuit, it didn’t take long for him to catch the eye of Eddie Murphy, who became his mentor. Thanks to Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock’s first role was in Beverly Hills Cop II in 1987. He continued to get small parts, with notable entries being the cult classic I’m Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988 and even a feature on the popular Miami Vice series.

In 1990, Rock joined the cast of SNL and stayed with the long-running sketch comedy show until 1993. During his stint with the series, he went on to play in New Jack City with a prominent role that set him off on an acting career. This was followed by the comedy CB4 in 1993 and several back-to-back HBO comedy specials that began in 1994. In particular, his specials Bigger and Blacker in 1999 and Never Scared in 2004 earned him the title of “funniest man in America” by critics. 

Chris Rock would continue with hosting an HBO talk show, The Chris Rock Show, in 1997 which ran for five seasons. He also released countless Grammy award winning comedy albums over the course of his career. 

Chris Rock’s Net Worth

As of the time of publication for this article, Chris Rock’s net worth is currently estimated to be $60 million. However, once upon a time, that figure was higher. According to reporting from that time, a rather expensive divorce from his ex-wife Malaak Compton in 2016 took a not insignificant chunk of the funny man’s assets. Before the divorce, Rock had a net worth of $70 million. But his ex-wife sought a major settlement which dipped into his earnings. Rumor has it that she sought $40 million through a mix of liquid and real estate assets. But this is “allegedly” since the final payout figures weren’t released to the public. 

But before you assume that Rock’s ex-wife is to blame for his financial dip, you should know that he has expensive tastes too. From buying multi-million dollar properties to fancy rides and massive bets on sporting events, Chris Rock caused a few self-inflicted wounds on his net worth. 

A Smart Rebound

Still, Chris Rock is one of the top comedians and even after his split from his wife, netted one of the best payouts for a Netflix special at the time of its release. While the streaming giant tried to remain mum on specific figures, rumors suggest Rock earned roughly $20 million per special, which is one of the highest payouts for an A-list comedian. Meanwhile, he nets a cool $100,000 for every live standup show he helms. It’s safe to say that Chris Rock isn’t exactly hurting, even if his total net worth took a temporary hit. 

According to Forbes, Rock earned $57 million just in 2017 thanks to his Netflix Special and the Total Blackout comedy tour. The following year, he snagged $40 million from touring and The Week Of payout. As a result, Forbes added Chris Rock to their list of highest paid comedians that year.