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. He stands as one of the highest-grossing actors in the history of cinema, with his films generating nearly $7 billion globally at the box office, making him the sixth highest-grossing American actor to date. Throughout the late 80s, 90s, and 2000s, Eddie consistently ranked among the highest-paid actors worldwide, often receiving $20 million for each film. To date, his career earnings from salaries and backend royalties have surpassed $300 million. Notably, in 2019, Netflix compensated Eddie with $70 million for a series of comedy specials. Overall, considering the deals we know about, Eddie’s career earnings have reached a minimum of $420 million.

In the early 1980s, Saturday Night Live provided Murphy with a platform that catapulted him to stardom, allowing him to create unforgettable characters for the iconic sketch comedy show, among them Buckwheat, Mister Robinson, and Gumby.

Murphy’s passion for comedy sparked in his teenage years after listening to a Richard Pryor comedy album. Upon joining SNL in 1980, the show was in turmoil; Lorne Michaels had departed, and the original cast was gone. Murphy is credited with revitalizing the show.

During his stint on SNL from 1980 to 1984, Murphy participated in 65 episodes, joining the NBC program at just 19 years of age. His performances often addressed racial issues in provocative ways, with sketches like “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood” and “White Like Me” achieving classic status. This show was pivotal in launching his career into superstardom. In a 2015 ranking of the greatest SNL cast members, Murphy secured the second spot, just behind John Belushi.

While still a cast member on SNL, Murphy kicked off his film career with the 1982 release of 48 Hours. He subsequently starred in a series of blockbuster hits like Trading Places, the Beverly Hills Cop series, Coming to America, Harlem Nights, and Another 48 Hrs. Although his box office appeal wavered in the 1990s, it regained momentum with the release of several family-oriented films, including Mulan, the Shrek franchise, Dreamgirls, and the Nutty Professor series. In 2006, he earned an Academy Award nomination and won a Golden Globe for his performance in Dreamgirls. Most recently, Eddie starred in the 2021 sequel, Coming 2 America.

Early Life

Eddie Murphy was born

Brooklyn, NY, saw the birth of Eddie Murphy on April 3, 1961. His upbringing took place in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. His mother worked as a telephone operator, and his father served as a transit cop and was an amateur comedian. Unfortunately, Eddie’s father passed away when he was just eight years old. During a period when their mother fell ill temporarily, he and his older brother, Charlie Murphy, experienced life in foster care. However, his mother eventually recovered and remarried.

During his teenage years, Eddie developed an intense fascination with comedy after listening to a Richard Pryor comedy album. He was significantly influenced by Bill Cosby as well. At the young age of 19, in 1980, Eddie became a member of the cast of Saturday Night Live. At that time, the show faced considerable challenges in ratings following the departure of its original stars. Eddie emerged as a sensation and propelled the show to new heights, remaining with SNL until 1984.

Film Career

While still part of SNL, Eddie made his cinematic debut in 1982 with 48 Hrs. This was followed by a string of blockbuster successes, such as Trading Places, the Beverly Hills Cop series, Coming to America, Harlem Nights, and Another 48 Hrs. Although Murphy’s box-office appeal experienced a slight decline in the 1990s, it rebounded through a series of family-oriented films, including Mulan, the Shrek franchise, Dreamgirls, and the Nutty Professor films.

In 2006, Murphy received an Academy Award nomination and won a Golden Globe for his performance in Dreamgirls. Additionally, he has produced numerous films, including Vampire in Brooklyn, Life, and Harlem Nights, the last of which he also directed. In 2017, it was announced that he would reprise his role in the Beverly Hills Cop series, with Beverly Hills Cop 4 slated for release in the future. In 2021, Eddie featured in the sequel to Coming to America, titled Coming 2 America.

Personal Life

Eddie Murphy tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend Nicole Mitchell in 1993, but the couple divorced in 2006, with reports indicating that Eddie paid a settlement of $15 million to Nicole. From 2006 to 2007, he dated Spice Girl Mel B, followed by a relationship with businesswoman Tracey Edmonds in 2008. Since 2012, he has been in a relationship with model Paige Butcher, and they became engaged in September 2018. Eddie is a father to ten children from various relationships.

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

Eddie Murphy Salary Highlights

In 1981, Murphy earned only $4,500 for each episode of Saturday Night Live, but the following year his pay increased to $30,000 per episode. He received $450,000 for his role in 48 Hours in 1982. By 1990, he was paid $7 million for the sequel, Another 48 Hours. His first significant paycheck of $1 million came from the film Best Defense in 1984. Over the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s, Eddie amassed at least $250 million in film salaries and backend points, with his total career earnings in film likely exceeding $300 million.

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

• InIn 1987, he received $8 million for Beverly Hills Cop II, which translates to about $18 million today after considering inflation.
• The following year, he made another $8 million for Coming to America.
• In 1994, his earnings for Beverly Hills Cop III were $15 million, equivalent to roughly $25 million in current dollars.
• For The Nutty Professor in 1996, he earned $16 million.
• $17.5 million was his payout for Doctor Dolittle in 1998.
• He earned $20 million for Nutty Professor II in 2000.
• In addition to his fee for Nutty Professor II, he also secured 20% of the gross receipts, totaling over $60 million from that film.
• For Shrek in 2001, he received $3 million.
• He earned $20 million for Doctor Dolittle 2 in 2001.
• His compensation for The Adventures of Pluto Nash in 2002 was also $20 million.
• For Shrek 2 in 2004, he made $10 million.
• He received $4 million for Shrek Forever, which could increase to as much as $12 million with backend points.
• Finally, he earned $7.5 million from Tower Heist in 2011.

Netflix Project

Reports in July 2019 indicated that Eddie was negotiating a $70 million deal to create a series of comedy specials for Netflix. This amount exceeds the $60 million that Dave Chappelle earned for his three-special arrangement. Chris Rock earned $40 million for two specials.

Eddie Murphy Quote on Money

“Every bad decision I’ve made has been based on money. Growing up in the projects, turning down money wasn’t an option. You take it because of uncertainty in the future. I accepted $15 million to make Beverly Hills Cop III; that amount made it worthwhile to endure Roger Ebert’s critique.“

Real Estate

Throughout the years, Eddie has been the owner of several remarkable mansions. In the 1990s, he resided in Granite Bay, California, within a lavish custom-built mansion nestled in a posh gated community. After selling the Granite Bay residence, he invested $10 million in a 3.7-acre undeveloped parcel located in the ultra-exclusive Beverly Park neighborhood of Beverly Hills, which house various celebrities such as Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, Rod Stewart, and Sylvester Stallone, along with numerous billionaires.

After acquiring the lot for $10 million in 2001, Eddie invested countless millions into the construction of a lavish new 40,000 square-foot mansion, featuring 32 rooms, including nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms. The estate boasts amenities like a large pool, a tennis court, a library, and a bowling alley. If it were on the market, the property could easily command over $30-40 million. A previous Beverly Hills residence owned by Eddie in the 1980s was listed by a subsequent owner for $85 million in 2016.

In 2007, he purchased a 15-acre private island in the Bahamas named Rooster Cay for $15 million. Previously, he had ownership of another private island called Pearl Island.

In 2012, after listing his New Jersey residence seven years earlier for $30 million, Eddie ultimately sold it for $12 million.