Jeff Dunham Net Worth - Pulptastic

What is Jeff Dunham’s net worth and salary?

Jeff Dunham, the American ventriloquist and comedian, has a net worth of $140 million and is consistently one of the highest-paid comedians in the world. He earns anywhere from $15 to $30 million per year.

He has appeared on several television shows, including “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Comedy Central Presents,” “The Tonight Show,” and “Sonny With a Chance.” Dunham is consistently one of the top-grossing standup acts in North America.

Dunham is credited with reviving the art of ventriloquism and has done more to promote the art form than anyone since Edgar Bergen.

Early Life and Ventriloquism

Jeff Dunham was born in Dallas, Texas on April 18, 1962. He was adopted by Howard and Joyce Dunham and raised in a Presbyterian household. Dunham started practicing ventriloquism at age 8 when he received a Mortimer Snerd dummy for Christmas. He became passionate about the art form and aimed to become the best ventriloquist ever. He attended the Vent Haven ConVENTion, an international ventriloquists’ convention, annually since sixth grade.

Dunham began performing in front of audiences as a teenager and made his television debut in 1976. He did commercials for car dealerships while in high school and graduated as “Most Likely to Succeed.” His goal was to book an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” within 10 years. While studying communications at Baylor University, he was flying around the country on weekends to do private shows and making $70,000 a year by his junior year.

Jeff Dunham’s Rise to Comedy Superstardom

In 1985, Jeff Dunham landed a part in a Broadway variety show that featured Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller, which proved to be a big break for the young comedian. After moving to Los Angeles in the late 1980s, he achieved a lifelong goal of appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1988. Throughout the 90s, he was a moderately successful touring comedian, but it was his 2003 Comedy Central special that turned Jeff into a superstar. He went on to appear in several television shows and produced his own one-hour specials, including his Christmas special that brought in the highest ratings in the history of Comedy Central.

In 2009, Dunham signed a deal with Comedy Central, allowing him to air his fourth special, tour sixty cities, gain a partnership in consumer products, and an order for the “Jeff Dunham Show” television series. Despite having the most-watched premiere in Comedy Central history, the show was canceled after only one season due to poor reviews, low ratings, and higher production costs than other Comedy Central shows.

Dunham has since released several more specials and an animated film. His characters include Achmed the Dead Terrorist, Walter, Peanut, Jose Jalapeno on a stick, Bubba J, Sweet Daddy Dee, Melvin the Superhero Guy, Little Jeff, Achmed Junior, Diane, and Seamus. He has also written two books, including his autobiography titled “All By My Selves: Walter, Peanut, Achmed and Me.”

Jeff Dunham’s Personal Life

Jeff Dunham met his first wife, Paige Brown, in 1992 at the Comedy Corner in West Palm Beach. They got married in 1994 and he adopted Paige’s daughter Bree. They had two daughters together, Ashlyn and Kenna. The constant touring put a strain on their marriage and they divorced in 2008.

In 2009, Dunham began dating Audrey Murdick, a nutritionist and personal trainer. They got engaged on Christmas Day 2011 and married in 2012. They welcomed twin sons James Jeffrey and Jack Steven in 2015.

Jeff Dunham’s Earnings

Jeff Dunham earned $20 million in 2011, $22 million in 2012, and $19 million in 2013. Between June 2017 and June 2018, he earned $17 million. He has sold over 10 million DVDs and has made tens of millions of dollars from merchandise sales.

Jeff Dunham Sells Two California Properties for Millions

Jeff Dunham sold his Mediterranean style Encino, California home for $4.1 million in December 2017. The home has five bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms and is 6,522 square feet. He originally listed it in 2015 for $5.199 million. He bought the home in 2009 for $4.25 million.

Dunham also sold a Del Mar, California beach view home in 2017. Built-in 2007, the three-story, 6,423 square foot Mediterranean style home has five bedrooms, six bathrooms, and two half baths. He listed the property in 2011 for $8.75 million. It finally sold in 2017 for $5.5 million.