How Neil deGrasse Tyson Achieved a Net Worth of $5 Million

As an astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, Neil deGrasse Tyson is a man who wears a number of hats. Thanks to all of the hard work that he has put in, Neil deGrasse Tyson net worth has now reached a total of $5 million. Let’s take a closer look at the current positions that he holds and how he managed to get to this point.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Current Pursuits

At the moment, Tyson has his hands in a number of different projects, initiatives and companies. For starters, he serves as the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space. This is a position that he has held for 27 years now. In 1997, he was responsible for the founding of the American Museum of Natural History’s Department of Astrophysics.

After working as a PBS host on the show Nova ScienceNow from 2006 to 2011, he then made his transition into the world of podcasts. The StarTalk podcast provides listeners with a brilliant mixture of knowledge and comedy, receiving all sorts of accolades since its inception in 2009. In fact, Rolling Stone included the podcast on their “20 Best Comedy Podcasts Right Now” list in 2014.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Early Life

Tyson was born in 1958, in Manhattan, New York. Sunchita, his mother, was a gerontologist for the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Cyril, his father, worked as a sociologist, human resource commissioner, and Director of Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited. His childhood was split between Riverdale and Tyson Hill.

He grew up alongside two siblings, Stephen and Lynn. It was not long before Tyson’s interest in astronomy revealed. By the time he was 9 years old, he was already showing signs of becoming the astrophysicist that we know today. He spent lots of time at Hayden Planetarium, which only served to stoke the flames of his interest even more.

After attending a series of Bronx public schools, he would eventually enroll at The Bronx High School of Science. He captained the high school’s wrestling team and served as the editor in chief of the Physical Science Journal before graduating in 1976. By the time he turned 15, he was already giving lectures on astronomy.

Neil deGrasse Tyson College Years

At this time, Carl Sagan, who is also known to many as a famous astronomer, did everything in his power to steer Neil to Cornell. He elected to attend Harvard instead. In 1980, he graduated with a physics degree but his studies were not done there. From there, he enrolled at University of Texas at Austin, where he would eventually earn a master’s degree in astronomy.

Tyson lectured at the University of Maryland in 1986-1987 and furthered his education at Columbia University. In 1989, he received his MPhil degree in astrophysics. In 1991, he obtained his PhD (also in astrophysics).

How Neil deGrasse Tyson Net Worth Was Amassed

After all of that schooling, it is no surprise that Tyson went on to have such an illustrious career. Building on his childhood experiences, he began to work at the Hayden Planetarium. In 1994, he became a staff scientist and within two years, he rose through the ranks and became a director. Natural History magazine hired Tyson to write a monthly column for them during this time period as well.

A number of scientific journals also contacted Tyson to tap into his considerable expertise. During his presidency, George W. Bush selected Tyson to serve on the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry. Neil was even given the chance to work on the President’s Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy during the 2000s.

PBS hired Tyson to host their Origins miniseries in 2004 and the Planetary Society tapped him to serve as their president, vice president, and chairman of the board at various points. He began hosting Nova ScienceNow in 2006 and followed this up with “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” in 2014. The aforementioned StarTalk podcast was eventually turned into a late night talk show by the National Geographic channel.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Pop Culture Impact

There is no understating the impact that Tyson has had on pop culture as a whole. He has made appearances in a wide range of television shows and films. The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time, Lazer Team, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Zoolander 2 are a few of the films that he has received roles in.

The Big Bang Theory, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Stargate: Atlantis and Brooklyn Nine-Nine have also enlisted Tyson for television appearances. In addition to these opportunities, he has been given the chance to do a sizable amount of voice over work. His voice has been heard in The Simpsons, Family Guy, BoJack Horseman and Ice Age: Collision Course.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Writing Career

With all of these gigs and titles, it is hard to imagine Tyson making time to write but he’s published a number of books over the course of his career. In 1989, he had already published his first book, Merlin’s Tour of the Universe. His second book, Universe Down to Earth, was published five years later. Just Visiting This Planet came out in 1998 but he was not done there.

One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos was released in 2000, followed by The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist in 2004. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, Letters from an Astrophysicist and a number of other books have also been released. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is his most successful of recent years, selling over one million copies and spending time on the New York Times bestsellers’ list.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Awards and Accolades

Tyson is a happily married man with two children who has received no shortage of awards and accolades. Due to his everlasting commitment to getting the general public more excited about scientific discussions, he was given the Public Welfare Medal from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

The American Humanist Association gave him the 2009 Isaac Asimov Award, while he also was the proud recipient of the 2001 Medal of Excellence from Columbia University, a 2004 NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal and a 2005 Science Writing Award.

Discover Magazine included him on their 2008 10 Most Influential People in Science list and Time referred to him as one of the world’s most influential people in 2007. Many colleges have provided him with honorary doctorates, including Mount Holyoke College and Yale. Thanks to his tireless work and boundless passion for science, Neil deGrasse Tyson net worth will only continue to rise during the years to come.