Eddie Murphy Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Eddie Murphy’s net worth and salary?

An American actor, comedian, producer, and director, Eddie Murphy boasts a net worth of $200 million. Among the highest-grossing actors in film history, his films have made nearly $7 billion globally up to now, ranking him as the sixth highest-grossing American actor at the box office. During the late 80s, 90s, and 2000s, he frequently ranked as one of the world’s top-paid actors, often earning around $20 million per film. To date, Eddie has easily earned over $300 million from salaries and backend royalties throughout his career. A notable deal in 2019 saw Netflix pay him $70 million for a series of comedy specials. In total, including known deals, Eddie has reportedly earned at least $420 million in his career thus far.

In the early 1980s, Saturday Night Live transformed Murphy into a national star, providing him a platform where he created memorable characters such as Buckwheat, Mister Robinson, and Gumby.

As a teenager, Murphy developed a passion for comedy after listening to Richard Pryor’s albums. When he joined SNL in 1980, the show was facing difficulties, with Lorne Michaels having left, and the original cast gone. It was Murphy who is credited with revitalizing the show.

From 1980 to 1984, Murphy was featured in 65 episodes of SNL, joining the NBC program at just 19 years old. His content often approached racial themes in provocative manners, with sketches like “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood” and “White Like Me” becoming iconic. This showmarked his leap into superstardom, and in a 2015 ranking of the best SNL cast members ever, Murphy was placed second, just behind John Belushi.

While still with SNL, Murphy kicked off his film career with the 1982 release 48 Hours. He followed this success with a string of blockbuster hits, such as Trading Places, the Beverly Hills Cop series, Coming to America, Harlem Nights, and Another 48 Hrs. Although his box-office appeal saw a slight decline in the 1990s, he regained popularity with numerous family-friendly films, including Mulan, the Shrek franchise, Dreamgirls, and The Nutty Professor films. In 2006, he received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for his performance in Dreamgirls. Eddie also appeared in the sequel Coming 2 America in 2021.

Early Life

Eddie Murphy was born

Brooklyn, NY witnessed the birth of Eddie on April 3, 1961, where he grew up in the Bushwick neighborhood. His mother worked as a telephone operator, while his father held a job as a transit cop and was also an amateur comedian. Sadly, Eddie lost his father when he was just eight years old. Along with his older brother, Charlie Murphy, he spent some time in foster care during their mother’s temporary illness. Fortunately, she recovered and eventually remarried.

It was during his teenage years that Eddie developed a passion for comedy after listening to a Richard Pryor comedy album. Bill Cosby also had a significant influence on him. At the age of 19, in 1980, Eddie joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. The show was struggling with ratings after the departure of its original stars, but Eddie’s incredible talent revitalized it, turning it into a major success. He stayed with SNL until 1984.

Film Career

While still a part of SNL in 1982, Eddie made his first appearance on the big screen in 48 Hrs. This led to a string of successful films, such as Trading Places, the Beverly Hills Cop series, Coming to America, Harlem Nights, and Another 48 Hrs. Although Murphy’s popularity at the box office waned somewhat in the 1990s, it saw a revival through a series of family-oriented films, particularly Mulan, the Shrek franchise, Dreamgirls, and the Nutty Professor franchise.

In 2006, he received an Academy Award nomination and won a Golden Globe for his performance in Dreamgirls. Additionally, he has produced several of his own films, including Vampire in Brooklyn, Life, and Harlem Nights, the latter of which he also directed. A return to the Beverly Hills Cop series was announced in 2017, with Eddie set to star in Beverly Hills Cop 4, slated for future release. In 2021, he reprised his role in the sequel Coming 2 America.

Personal Life

Eddie Murphy tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, Nicole Mitchell, in 1993, but they divorced in 2006, with Eddie reportedly settling for $15 million. He was in a relationship with Spice Girl Mel B from 2006 to 2007, and then dated businesswoman Tracey Edmonds in 2008. Since 2012, he has been in a relationship with model Paige Butcher, and the couple became engaged in September 2018. Additionally, Eddie is a father to ten children from various relationships.

Over the course of his career, Murphy has contributed to numerous causes and charities, including the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, and has donated $100,000 to the Screen Actors’ Guild strike relief fund.

Eddie Murphy Salary Highlights

In 1981, Murphy earned a modest $4,500 for each episode of Saturday Night Live. His salary witnessed a significant increase the following year, jumping to $30,000 per episode. For his work in 48 Hours in 1982, he was compensated with $450,000. Then in 1990, he earned $7 million for the sequel, Another 48 Hours. The first substantial paycheck of his career came in 1984, when he received $1 million for the film Best Defense. Throughout the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s, Eddie accumulated at least $250 million from film salaries and backend points alone, with total career film earnings likely exceeding $300 million.

Below is a highlight of notable salaries earned by Eddie Murphy throughout his career:

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• In 1987, he received $8 million for Beverly Hills Cop II, which, when adjusted for inflation, is approximately $18 million today.
• The following year, he earned another $8 million for Coming to America.
• For Beverly Hills Cop III in 1994, his earnings totaled $15 million, equivalent to around $25 million in today’s currency.
• He made $16 million from The Nutty Professor (1996).
• His earnings reached $17.5 million for Doctor Dolittle (1998).
• For Nutty Professor II (2000), he was compensated $20 million.
• Additionally, for Nutty Professor II, he earned 20% of the gross receipts, leading to a total income exceeding $60 million from the film.
• He made $3 million for Shrek (2001).
• From Doctor Dolittle 2 (2001), he took home $20 million.
• He was also paid $20 million for The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002).
• For Shrek 2 (2004), he earned $10 million.
• He received $4 million for Shrek Forever (potentially reaching up to $12 million with backend points).
• His earnings from Tower Heist (2011) amounted to $7.5 million.

Netflix Project

It was reported in July 2019 that Eddie was negotiating a deal worth $70 million to produce a series of comedy specials for Netflix. This figure is $10 million higher than the $60 million Dave Chappelle received for his three-special contract. Chris Rock earned $40 million for his two specials.

Eddie Murphy Quote on Money

“All my poor decisions have been tied to money. Growing up in the projects, you can’t afford to turn down money. You take it because you never know when it might end. I did Beverly Hills Cop III because they offered me $15 million. That $15 million was worth the trouble of having Roger Ebert criticize me.“

Real Estate

Eddie has owned several remarkable mansions over the years. During the 1990s, he resided in an opulent custom-built mansion situated in a gated community in Granite Bay, California (near Sacramento). After selling the Granite Bay property, he invested $10 million into a 3.7-acre undeveloped lot in the highly exclusive Beverly Park neighborhood of Beverly Hills. This gated community is nestled at the pinnacle of Beverly Hills’ most expensive area and houses celebrities like Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, Rod Stewart, and Sylvester Stallone, along with numerous multi-billionaires.

Following the purchase of his lot for $10 million in 2001, Eddie spent an undisclosed amount constructing a sprawling new 40,000 square-foot mansion, which includes 32 rooms – nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms. The property features a large swimming pool, tennis court, library, and bowling alley. Should it be placed on the market, the home could easily command over $30-40 million. A previous Beverly Hills residence that Eddie owned in the 1980s was later listed for $85 million in 2016 by a subsequent owner.

In 2007, Eddie acquired a private island in the Bahamas named Rooster Cay for $15 million. Prior to that, he owned another private island known as Pearl Island.

In 2012, Murphy sold his New Jersey residence for $12 million after it had been on the market for seven years, initially listed for $30 million.