How Pete Davidson Achieved a Net Worth of $8 Million
Comedian Pete Davidson has become almost as famous for his unlikely dating history as he is for his comedy. However, this likable funnyman has made big waves in many comedy circles, including his immediate success on Saturday Night Live and he strew of comedy specials, film appearances, and even charity successes. But just how much has this young man made in his career?
Pete Davidson net worth may be surprisingly high for some people, especially considering how poorly SNL alumni historically perform on many comedy platforms. Davidson seems to overachieve and turn his everyman persona into a winning formula for comedic and financial success. Taking a deep look into his net worth may provide a little motivation for up-and-coming young comedians.
Who Is Pete Davidson?
Pete Davidson is a naturally funny guy who started his career in comedy at a young age: 16. While at the bowling alley with some buddies, he did some standup comedy on a dare and found he loved it. His act had his friends and others in the alley in stitches, so he decided to pursue comedy. Davidson even dropped out of college after just one semester to pursue comedy seriously.
His first appearances included sets on shows like Failosophy, PDA and Moms, Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out, Guy Code, and later on Gotham Comedy Live on Comedy Central. Davidson’s natural comedy skills helped him transition from standup to film work and a friendship with Bill Hader. Hader, impressed by the young Davidson, encouraged him to try out for Saturday Night Live.
Amazingly, Davidson earned a spot on the show at the age of just 19, showing that his risky act of dropping out of college worked out perfectly for him! When he joined in 2014, he was the first SNL comedian to have been born in the 1990s (1993). Davidson stayed with the show until 2022, and most of his earnings are likely from his time there, though he has earned money elsewhere.
What is Pete Davidson Worth? A Deep Examination
Celebrity Net Worth reports that Pete Davidson is worth $8 million in 2022, though it also projects that his earnings are likely to increase in the next few years. That’s a great net worth for a comedian still under 30 years old. Breaking down Pete Davidson net worth numbers will help examine in more depth where he got most of his money and where he’s likely to get more in the coming years.
A Breakdown of His Worth By Years
Wealthy Celebrity provides in-depth insight into celebrity worth, often breaking it down by years. Their article on Pete Davidson shows a smooth and consistent increase in his net worth, though there is a noticeable jump in at least a few years. The information that they display includes:
- 2017: $2 million
- 2019: $6 million
- 2020: $7 million
- 2021 and 2022: $8 million
Beyond that sudden $4 million jump in net worth between 2017 and 2019, Davidson’s net worth increases by about $2 million yearly. Why that sudden increase in 2019? Well, looking at Davidson’s IMDB page may help explain this situation.
In 2019, Davidson appeared as an actor in five different films, including as a voice actor in “The Angry Birds Movie 2.” He also produced and write “Big Time Adolescence,” a pet project of his for many years. While none of these movies was a major hit, they all made money and likely boosted his income.
He Made Good Money on Saturday Night Live
Fox Business reports that Davidson was making around $15,000 per episode on SNL but that he likely made closer to the max of $25,000 towards the end of his career on the show. That equates to about $500,000 per year, though Davidson’s net worth clearly increased by a few million a year.
A big part of this extra money was his standup tours, which were wide-ranging and well-earning. Standup comedy is a low-overhead career, meaning that he basically just has to pay for transportation, food, and lodging. Along with his several film roles over the years, Davidson padded his SNL income considerably.
Davidson Has a Few Business Ventures
Like many celebrities, Davidson also has business ventures, including the Pebble Bar. While he was dating Kim Kardashian, the two were often seen in the bar together, which brought many people to it regularly. That helped make it a popular destination for many people, where it has continually made good money.
A review on Insider states that the cocktails, while high-priced, were worth the cost. Since his breakup with Kardashian, the bar remains open, but Davidson is less frequently spotted there. That may impact its earnings if star-spotters stop attending. However, it’s likely to still draw in some visitors if its drinks are as high-quality as its reviews state.
Pete’s Television Worked Helped Him Earn Some Cash
While working on SNL, Davidson made several appearances on several television shows, such as The Jim Gaffigan Show, The Guest Book, The Real Bros of Simi Valley, The Rookie, and The Freak Brothers. Most of these were brief appearances that likely earned him good, but not overwhelming money.
Davidson also earned heft six-figure checks for his comedy specials, including Pete Davidson: SMD, and Pete Davidson: Alive From New York. However, The Things reports that Davidson is projected to earn $500,000 per episode of the upcoming series “Bupkis,” likely pushing his net worth into much higher numbers soon.
Davidson’s Acting Career Brings In Some Money
As mentioned previously, Davidson has been in many movies since 2013, though these haven’t been significant hits. His biggest appearance was likely in 2021’s “The Suicide Squad,” which is where he likely made most of his film money. However, The Numbers report on his other films isn’t great.
This site states that films with Davidson as a leading actor have made just $21,348 domestically, while films with him as a screenwriter or producer have made just $1,709,573. While these films haven’t been major successes, Davidson’s net worth hasn’t gone done or been heavily affected by these low numbers.
How Pete Davidson’s Unlikely Dating History May Have Helped
Pete Davidson was a popular comedian on Saturday Night for several years before it was reported in 2018 that he was currently dating Ariana Grande. This unlikely pairing was heavily discussed in the news, especially when the two got engaged almost immediately after their first date! Reports of heavy spending, fights, and much more led to the two breaking up in just five months.
This incident raised Davidson’s celebrity and likely helped him gain several roles in movies in 2019 and get funding for his projects. However, Grande was far from the only high-profile romantic pairing for Davidson. Davidson soon became more famous for dating amazingly beautiful women who the press dubbed were “out of his league,” much to Davidson’s bemusement.
These women included Kate Beckinsale, Kaia Gerber, Phoebe Dynevor, and Margaret Qualley. None of these relationships lasted very long, but all were heavily reported on and discussed in the media. Davidson is not a typical handsome or dashing man, such as Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt. However, his most surprising pairing was likely with Kim Kardashian shortly after her ugly divorce from Kanye West.
The change from West to Davidson was so unlikely that the press just couldn’t help but report heavily on it. Kardashian, a billionaire, had left another billionaire to date someone with far less income than her. At the time, she reported that she dated Pete (nearly 20 years her junior) because he had a “big heart” and treated her with kindness and consideration.
She claims that’s why many other highly attractive women date him. It’s certainly worked well for Davidson and has likely helped raise his celebrity profile in a way few of his marginally successful movies have done.
Davidson Has Done a Lot of Charity Work
Davidson’s career has also seen a surprisingly high level of charity work, partially inspired by some challenges he faced growing up. The New York Post reports on how Davidson opened up with Glenn Close about mental health problems, including borderline personality disorder, that affected his life. Davidson also suffers from Crohn’s disease and has used marijuana for years to help.
As a result, he has led a live table read of “It’s a Wonderful Life” with several other actors, including Mia Farrow, Ed Begley Junior, and Bill Pullman. Davidson read for George Bailey, the lead role made famous by Jimmy Stewart. Pete felt a strong connection with the character’s emotional struggles and also supported the charity, which focused on emotional support groups.
However, Davidson’s biggest charity work has likely come to support families affected by the NYC September 11 terrorist attacks. He and Jon Stewart hosted a comedy special in the city to support various charities related to this event. This highly successful event was personal for Davidson, as he lost his father, a firefighter, in the attack when he was just seven years old.
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