Chris Rock has a net worth of $60 million as an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director. His net worth could be much higher, but he reportedly lost tens of millions of dollars in a divorce settlement with his wife of 20 years, Malaak Compton. After 20 years of marriage, they divorced in 2016.
Chris rose to prominence in the early 1990s as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” but he is also well-known for his work as an actor in films such as “The Longest Yard” (2005), the “Madagascar” film series (2005-2012), and “Grown Ups” (2010). He also created and produced “Everybody Hates Chris,” a semi-autobiographical sitcom that aired 88 episodes between 2005 and 2009. In a Comedy Central poll, he was voted the fifth best stand-up comedian.
Earnings
Chris is consistently one of the highest-paid comedians in the world when he is on tour. For example, Chris Rock earned approximately $60 million between June 2016 and June 2017. Chris earned $30 million between June 2017 and June 2018.
Early Life and Career
Christopher Julius Rock was born on February 7, 1965, in Andrews, South Carolina. Rock and his parents relocated to Brooklyn, New York, shortly after, eventually settling in Bedford-Stuyvesant after a second relocation. Growing up, he was bused to schools in mostly white Brooklyn neighborhoods, where he was bullied and harassed by white students. As the bullying became more severe, he dropped out of high school and obtained his GED while working in fast-food restaurants.
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Rock began performing stand-up comedy in 1984 at the New York City club Catch a Rising Star. As he performed, he gradually gained recognition, even landing roles in TV shows such as “Miami Vice.” Eddie Murphy saw Rock performing at a nightclub and befriended him, mentoring him, and even giving Rock his first film role in “Beverly Hills Cop II” during these early years (1987).
Saturday Night Live and Comedy Success
In 1990, Rock joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (SNL). They became known as the Bad Boys of SNL, along with fellow new cast members Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. “Born Suspect,” his first comedy album, was released in 1991. The same year, he was praised for his performance as an addict in the film “New Jack City.”
Rock left SNL two years later to appear on its prime-time rival, the predominantly African-American sketch show “In Living Color.” He was only in six episodes, however, because the show was cancelled a month after he joined. Following that, Rock wrote and starred in the comedy “CB4”, which cost only $6 million to produce but grossed $18 million.
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Rock’s first HBO special, “Big Ass Jokes,” aired in 1994, but it was the 1996 follow-up “Bring the Pain” that earned him two Emmy Awards and established him as one of America’s best comedians. He rose to prominence as a commentator for Comedy Central’s “Politically Incorrect” during the 1996 United States Presidential Elections, for which he received another Emmy nomination.
His HBO comedy specials “Bigger & Blacker” (1999) and “Never Scared” (2004) earned him the title “funniest man in America” from Time and Entertainment Weekly. HBO also aired “The Chris Rock Show,” his own talk show in which he interviewed celebrities and politicians and won an Emmy for writing. His other Grammy-winning projects from this time period include the comedy albums “Roll with the New,” “Bigger & Blacker,” and “Never Scared.” In September 2008, Rock’s fifth HBO special, “Kill the Messenger,” was released, earning him another Emmy for outstanding writing for a variety or music program.
Film Career
Rock was able to secure leading roles in films such as “Down to Earth” (2001), “Bad Company” (2002), “The Longest Yard” (2005), “Death at a Funeral” (2010), “Grown Ups” (2010), and “2 Days in New York” with the recognition from his comedy career (2012). He also provided Marty the zebra’s voice in three films in the “Madagascar” animated film franchise.
Rock, in addition to acting in front of the camera, has also worked as a writer and director. He wrote, directed, and starred in the films “Head of State” (2003), “I Think I Love My Wife” (2007), and “Top Five” (2014). In 2009, he also released “Good Hair,” a documentary about the perceptions and history of American American women’s hairstyles.
Other Projects and Businesses
Rock has not only written and directed films, but he has also worked as a television producer. He was the executive producer and narrator of UPN’s comedy series “Everybody Hates Chris,” which premiered in 2005. The show was later moved to the CW, where it completed its final season in 2009. The show’s content was largely based on Rock’s own teenage experiences, and it received nominations for a 2006 Golden Globe for Best TV Series (Musical or Comedy), a 2006 People’s Choice Award for Favorite New Television Comedy, and two 2006 Emmy Awards for costuming and cinematography. “Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell” was also produced by Rock (2012).
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Rock hosted the 77th Academy Awards in 2005 and the 88th Academy Awards in 2016, drawing on his years of comedy performance experience. Rock, a “dedicated cannabis consumer,” invested in Lowell Herb Co., a California cannabis brand, in August 2019.
Personal Life
On November 23, 1996, Rock married Malaak Compton-Rock, and the couple lived in New Jersey with their two daughters (born in 2002 and 2004). In December 2014, Rock filed for divorce, admitting to infidelity as well as a porn addiction. In 2016, their divorce was finalized.
Chris was reportedly forced to pay his ex-wife $40 million in real estate and liquid assets.
Real Estate
Chris purchased a home in Brooklyn, New York in 1994 while working on SNL. He spent two years there before moving to the suburbs with his new wife Malaak. He continued to rent the Brooklyn property for $8,000 per month until 2017, when he listed it for $3.25 million. Malaak continued to live in the family’s 13,000 square-foot Alpine, New Jersey mansion, which they purchased in 2001 for $3 million.
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