How Carrot Top Achieved a Net Worth of $75 Million

Carrot Top is a comedian who has embraced his red hair…and it’s how he came up with his stage name. He has been on the stand-up comedy circuit for decades, which is why he’s among one of the wealthiest stand-up comedians out there. He is known for a variety of comedic stunts and has had several TV appearances as well as long-running gigs in major venues across the United States and the globe.

It has been estimated that Carrot Top’s net worth sits at about $75 million as of 2024. The question is, how Carrot Top achieved a net worth of $75 million. This certainly wasn’t done overnight, so it’s important to look at the path that he took to get to where he is now.

Whether you’ve been to a show, seen him on TV, or simply heard of him in conversation, you likely know who he is. After all, no one has a mop of red hair quite like this comedian. It’s also why he’s been able to jump into comedy and stay in for as many years as he has.

Who is Carrot Top?

Born Scott Thompson on February 25, 1965, Carrot Top has been creating comedy since the early 1980s. Carrot Top is among the best comedians of his generation. Carrot Top was born in Rockledge, Florida, and grew up in Cocoa Beach.

Florida. His father was Larry Thompson, who was an engineer at NASA and was his primary parental figure. His father worked on important missions such as the Gemini and Apollo. Carrot Top attended Cocoa High School, where he graduated in 1983.

While in school, he played drums in the concert and marching bands. The name Carrot Top came about after a local swimming coach called him that, referring to his significantly red hair. Unknown to him, the name and the red locks would become his trademark later on in life. Scott worked for a mortgage company in the late 80s as a courier until he finally made his big break into comedy. He was always known for his quick wit.

He enrolled at the Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton after he finished high school. While a freshman at the university, he appeared in his first-ever standup comedy routine.

Carrot Top isn’t married, nor does he have kids. There’s not much available about his personal life, and that’s the way that he likes to keep it. He has been dating long-time girlfriend Amanda Hogan since 2014. She’s an event planner and owns her own business called Any Thyme Catering.

She also sells handmade wear on Etsy. All of this plays into his net worth simply because he isn’t sharing his wealth with anyone unless he were to suddenly marry. And the likelihood of having kids at the age of 58 is unlikely (but certainly not completely out of the question).

His Career Life

Carrot Top was able to get into comedy as a result of various opportunities. He performed on Comic Strip Live in 1991 and also performed on Star Search.

To make his act unforgettable and memorable, Carrot Top decided to incorporate the use of props to his routine to be able to stand out from other comedians. He even used his red hair as a prop in his acts. Some of his most notable accessories for prop comedy include paper cups, heels with training wheels, string telephones, and so on.

By 1992, Carrot Top had risen to fame, and his popularity grew so much that he earned a spot at the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The show was significant in widening his audience and exposing him to a broader fan base.

In 1993, he became the first person to be voted for both Comedian Of The Year and Performer Of The Year simultaneously by The National Association Of Campus Activities.

He also appeared in quite a few shows and movies, including:

Gene Simmons Family Jewels
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Larry the Cable Guy’s Christmas Spectacular
Criss Angel Mindfreak
Scrubs
Chairman of the Board
George Lopez
Reno 911!

According to Wikipedia, Carrot Top was the announcer for the Cartoon Network from 1995 to 1999, for which he also starred in and produced an early morning show titled Carrot Top’s AM Mayhem.

Carrot Top has also been in the business long enough that’s worked with some of the greats – and he’s even reminisced about watching Robin Williams prepare for a comedy gig once. He has been friends with a number of comedians and actors, including George Carlin, Nicolas Cage, Tracy Lawrence, Vince Neil, and more.

Carrot Top’s TV Time

In 2006, Carrot Top landed a role on the comedy show Reno 911. He played his usual self but an angry version who tore apart his hotel room and stole a police car. Carrot also played himself on the ‘Man Up’ episode in the crime show CSI. He has had regular appearances in comedy programs and talk shows such as Comedy Central’s Roast of Gene Simmons and Flavor Flav.

On the second season of the TV show ‘Mind Freak,’ he made a cameo as a guest star and has since then been a regular guest on the show. Carrot Top appeared in the live-action Cartoon Network show called ‘The Space Ghost Coast To Coast’ in 1996. He made an appearance on The Jay Leno Show in 2010, where he had Leno and Emma Roberts throw pies at him.

His music video cameos have also been impressive over the years. He was a special guest in Selena Gomez’s tribute video by Tosh O called ‘Good For You.’ In addition to that, he was also in the music video for country artist Toby Keith’s ‘Red Solo Cup’ where he appeared alongside the star.

Additionally, he appeared alongside Keith in his entourage at the 2011 ACM Awards. On October 2011, Carrot Top became a first-time guest panelist on the show ‘Red Eye W/Greg Gutfield’. He also appeared on @midnight as a panelist on April 13, 2016.

Carrot Top went on the show ‘Tom Green’s House Tonight’ to discuss his career and use of props. He also appeared as himself on the episode ‘Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis on the Bradley Cooper show.

Carrot Top in Vegas

Carrot Top has a broader fan base since moving to a “permanent” venue in Vegas. The comedian knew that he was going to be among greatness because there are big names like Cher, Brittney Spears, and others who have residencies in Las Vegas.

He joined MGM properties and had the luck of being placed at the Luxor – the giant pyramid-shaped building on The Strip. Since millions visit Vegas every year, there was a stronger possibility of people wanting to see comedy – and why not from a prop comedy guy with a crazy mop of red hair?

In one interview with Desert Sun, he talks about some of the props that he has used in order to deliver his jokes:

“The props I come up with are like an invention. I do a part in my show about (reality TV series) ‘Shark Tank’ and there’s a lot of jokes I’ve come up with that are ‘Shark Tank’ kind of items if you broke them down. There’s a toilet paper roller where if you pull it one way it goes over the roll and if you flip it it goes under the roll, so you get both and people are happy. It’s funny and it’s clever.”

It’s one of the things that Carrot Top is known for. No one in the business does prop comedy like he does – and he’s known to go out of his way to find unique props.

He hasn’t always been the most popular comic. In fact, his monicker of Carrot Top has been considered a blessing at a curse by Thompson at times. When he was starting out, it was funny. However, he’s older now, and the name isn’t taken seriously in a lot of comedy circles.

In fact, comedian Bill Hicks was quoted by the New York Times by saying, “Carrot Top: For people who didn’t get Gallagher.” This was a shot at the fact that Carrot Top was finally in Vegas but the comedian known for smashing fruit onstage (and with 15 comedy specials under his belt) was the bigger comedy ticket in Vegas.

Norm Macdonald and South Park creators have taken their hits at Carrot Top over the years, too.

However, Carro Top has proven himself in Vegas, and he’s got one of the longest-running stand-up acts in the country. He’s sold out the shows for over 13 years on a consistent basis – and that means no one is making fun of him any longer.

Jason Zinoman of the New York Times even wrote, “On a recent visit, I found Carrot Top, 53, to be a far more ambitious performer than he gets credit for, an innovator in the shameless pursuit of cheap, sometimes questionable, laughs.

How Did Carrot Top Achieve A Net Worth Of $75 Million?

Carrot Top’s primary source of income is comedy. According to the New York Times, comedians can make up to $15,000 for a half-hour special that takes more than a year to develop.

He is currently a regular feature at the Luxor Hotel. Tickets for the show start at $40 and increase dramatically based on the proximity to the stage. Beyond receiving a percentage of the ticket sales, there’s also a significant amount of merchandise sold just outside of the venue. Additionally, there’s a full online store with a variety of logos for the comedian, including various cartoon graphics.

He’s been at the venue since November 22, 2005.

Carrot Top’s contract with the Luxor Hotel was extended for another five years, thus making him one of the most consistent comedians in the industry. The extension means that Carrot Top will be smiling all the way to the bank as it is one of the most lucrative deals for a comedian. Carrot Top has been the front runner of the show at the Luxor Hotel for an impressive ten years.

The ticket sales from the various shows that Carrot Top has headlined throughout his career have also amounted to his massive wealth. When he’s not headlining at the Luxor, he’s free to play at other comedy engagements.

Over the years, Carrot Top has also built his net worth based on being a brand ambassador. Between his red curly hair and his new physique that has come from bodybuilding, he’s worked with such brands as AT&T, COPD, and more.

Summary

Carrot Top is arguably one of the best comedians of his generation, and his use of various props allows him to stand out in an almost crowded field. His one-liner strategy seems to be working for him well as he has been in the industry for more than 30 years. With the extension of his contract with the Luxor Hotel, it seems the red-curly-haired man is far from done.

His skill and artistry, coupled with his dedication to earning his audience’s laughs, are what make this comedian fun to watch. This prowess continues to contribute to his ever-increasing wealth, making Carrot Top one of the wealthiest comedians.

Will it allow Carrot Top’s net worth to grow? That’s undecided. While he does have an Instagram account, it only has 150k followers, and he’s not one of the most active posters. If he ever decided to commit more time to social media, he could likely monetize the account and earn even more by being a brand ambassador. There are tons of brands that would likely pay big money for the comedian to use their products as props in his routines.

Additionally, if he were to get a stand-up comedy special for HBO or Netflix, it could easily earn him $10 million or more. However, when you look at the number of shows he’s doing every week at the Luxor, he doesn’t have the time.

It’s likely that Thompson is content with where he’s at, but the opportunity is there should he decide to reach out for more and increase his net worth.