Steven Hirsch Net Worth

What is Steven Hirsch's Net Worth and Salary?

Steven Hirsch is an American businessman who has a net worth of $150 million. Steven Hirsch is a pioneering American adult entertainment executive and co-founder of Vivid Entertainment, one of the most prominent and influential pornographic film studios of the modern era. Known for his polished business style, savvy marketing instincts, and ability to merge adult content with mainstream celebrity culture, Hirsch helped reshape the porn industry starting in the 1980s.

He is widely credited with introducing a "Hollywood studio" approach to adult film production, emphasizing high production values, exclusive talent contracts, and brand-driven distribution. Under his leadership, Vivid popularized the concept of the "Vivid Girl," signed major licensing deals, and capitalized on the celebrity sex tape phenomenon to dominate headlines and revenue charts.

Though he's long been the public face of Vivid, Hirsch shares ownership with two longtime partners, and together they built a brand synonymous with glamorized, commercially successful adult media. Through Vivid, Hirsch became a multimillionaire entrepreneur whose name is as well-known as the stars he helped create.

Early Life

Steven Hirsch was born on May 25, 1961, in Lyndhurst, Ohio. He was exposed to the adult film business early through his father Fred Hirsch, a former stockbroker who became a distributor for Reuben Sturman, one of the biggest porn magnates of the 20th century. In 1975, the Hirsch family moved to Los Angeles, where Fred started Adult Video Corporation. As a teenager, Steven learned the ropes by working in his father's duplication and sales business, feeding VHS machines and making cold calls to adult video retailers. After brief stints at CSU Northridge and UCLA studying journalism and business, he left college to pursue full-time work in the industry, landing a job as a national sales rep at CalVista, a major adult video distributor. It was there that he met David James, the man who would later become his business partner.

Vivid Entertainment

In 1984, Hirsch and James co-founded Vivid Entertainment with around $38,000 in startup capital. Their first film, "Ginger," starring newcomer Ginger Lynn, became a breakout hit, grossing approximately $700,000 and setting the tone for Vivid's upscale, couple-friendly approach to adult filmmaking. Hirsch was determined to elevate the production standards and marketing of porn, modeling Vivid after Hollywood studios with glossy packaging, story-driven scripts, and professional branding. The company distinguished itself early on by signing exclusive contracts with top actresses, creating the now-famous "Vivid Girls" roster. This strategy led to a stable of high-profile stars and consistent blockbuster sales throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

By the early 2000s, Vivid was generating around $80 million in annual revenue. Hirsch expanded into softcore programming through licensing deals with Playboy, and in 2001, Vivid sold three of its cable channels to Playboy for $70 million. Hirsch also launched spinoff ventures like erotic comic books, novels, and even a Sirius satellite radio station. His efforts to position Vivid as a mainstream brand led to greater visibility in pop culture, including billboards in Times Square and regular media coverage. In 2012, he received the first-ever Visionary Award from Adult Video News for his contributions to the industry.

Ownership and Operations

Despite being the founder and CEO, Hirsch does not own Vivid outright. The company is co-owned by Hirsch, co-founder David James, and businessman Bill Asher, who joined Vivid in 1999 and became a co-chairman. All three men have managed the company in partnership, and while Hirsch remains the public face and primary decision-maker, he is one of three equal stakeholders in the business.

According to a 2002 LA Times profile of Steven, in 2001, VIVID generated $80 million in revenue. That same year, Steven and his two partners received $70 million after selling three television networks to Playboy.

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Personal Life

Hirsch was previously married to Laurie Hirsch, a former industry sales rep, and they have two children together. His sister, Marci Hirsch, has also worked at Vivid as a vice president, further cementing the family's ongoing ties to the company. He has been known for an extravagant lifestyle, maintaining a $300,000-per-year suite at the Staples Center dubbed the "porn box." Hirsch is also an avid collector of historical artifacts, including a lock of George Washington's hair and a death mask of Abraham Lincoln.

Chatsworth Estate

In 1999, Steven paid $1.56 million for a large estate located in a gated community in Chatsworth, California. Set on 12.35 acres, the estate features an 8,000-square-foot mansion, tennis court, theme-park-style pool, and much more. This property is likely worth around $10 million today

Notable Vivid Girls

Hirsch's strategy of building a star system around contract actresses became one of Vivid's most powerful marketing tools. Notable Vivid Girls have included:

• Ginger Lynn – the original Vivid Girl and the studio's first breakout star
• Janine Lindemulder – 1990s icon and tattooed pin-up legend
• Jenna Jameson – one of the most recognizable porn stars of all time, who collaborated on several Vivid titles
• Tera Patrick – a top-selling performer during the DVD boom
• Savanna Samson – a multiple AVN award-winner who crossed over into wine-making and media
• Sunny Leone – who later transitioned into Bollywood stardom after her run with Vivid

The Vivid Girl label became a mark of prestige in the adult industry and helped cement Vivid's reputation for working with elite performers.

Celebrity Sex Tapes

In addition to traditional adult films, Vivid became synonymous with the celebrity sex tape phenomenon. Hirsch oversaw the release of some of the most notorious tapes in pop culture history, including:

• "Kim Kardashian, Superstar" – Kim's 2007 release became one of the best-selling celebrity sex tapes ever
• Kendra Wilkinson – whose private tape was released by Vivid in 2010
• Farrah Abraham – whose staged but widely publicized tape "Backdoor Teen Mom" sold millions of copies
• Chyna – the late WWE wrestler who starred in multiple Vivid productions
• Mindy McCready – whose explicit home video was released under the title "Baseball Mistress"

Though many of these tapes were accompanied by legal disputes or public backlash, they also brought massive media attention and revenue, making celebrity content a profitable niche for Vivid and a hallmark of Hirsch's marketing genius.

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