Dax Shepard Net Worth

What is Dax Shepard's Net Worth and Salary?

Dax Shepard is an American actor, comedian, writer, podcaster, and director who has a net worth of $80 million. That is a combined net worth with Kristen Bell, his wife since 2013. He and Kristen appear in many commercials together, and they co-founded a baby product company called Hello Bello, which unfortunately filed for bankruptcy in October 2023.

Dax Shepard built a multifaceted career that spans comedy, acting, writing, directing, podcasting, and hosting, developing into one of the more versatile figures in modern entertainment. He spent a decade auditioning before landing his breakout role on MTV's hidden-camera series "Punk'd," where his improvisational skill and dry comic timing made him one of the show's standout performers. That early visibility opened the door to a steady stream of film work throughout the 2000s, including roles in "Without a Paddle," "Zathura: A Space Adventure," "Employee of the Month," "Idiocracy," and his first leading role in "Let's Go to Prison." Shepard continued building momentum with a major turn on NBC's family drama "Parenthood," where he earned acclaim for his portrayal of Crosby Braverman, and he later expanded into filmmaking with the 2012 action-comedy "Hit and Run," which he wrote, co-directed, and starred in alongside Bradley Cooper and Kristen Bell.

He moved further behind the camera with the 2017 feature adaptation of "CHiPs," writing, directing, and starring in the film while showcasing his longtime passion for cars and stunt driving. Throughout the 2010s and 2020s, Shepard also remained a steady presence in television with work on "Bless This Mess," "Spin the Wheel," and "Family Game Fight!" and he took on hosting duties for the 2021 reboot of "Top Gear America." His film credits continued with appearances in projects like "Buddy Games" and the animated hit "PAW Patrol: The Movie."

In recent years, Dax has become known for his highly successful podcast, "Armchair Expert." In July 2024, Dax signed an $80 million exclusive deal with Amazon for "Armchair Expert." The deal will shift the podcast from Spotify to Wondery and will give Dax two additional podcasts.

Early Life

Dax Randall Shepard was born on January 2nd, 1975, in a suburb of Detroit. His parents divorced when he was just two, leaving his mother to raise him as a single parent. However, Shepard's mother rose to the challenge, becoming a successful entrepreneur by the time Dax was in high school. She eventually worked in public relations for General Motors, and her work frequently involved heading to racetracks. As a teen, Dax would work for his mother and join her at the racetracks. At one point, his stepfather was an engineer for the Corvette. Dax has had three stepfathers, and his mother has been married four times.

Although Dax moved around a lot as a child, he graduated from high school in Detroit in 1993. Dax has stated that he was the class clown while in school and that he was initially more interested in doing stand-up than acting. Eventually, he struck a deal with his mother: if she paid his rent, he would go to college. After attending a comedy sketch school, he attended UCLA, where he graduated with a degree in anthropology. Moving to Los Angeles gave him the push he needed to try stand-up comedy for the first time, as he was too scared to give it a shot in Detroit.

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Career

Dax Shepard spent five years training and performing as a comedian in Los Angeles before finally securing his first professional break in 2003 with MTV's hidden-camera series "Punk'd." He had been auditioning for a decade with no success, and the booking changed the trajectory of his career almost overnight. Ashton Kutcher quickly recognized Shepard's talent for improvisation and deadpan misdirection, helping him secure an agent and paving the way for future work. Shepard returned for the show's 2012 reboot, reprising the role that first put him on the map.

Following his "Punk'd" success, Shepard transitioned into film with a steady string of comedic and adventure-driven roles. He co-starred in "Without a Paddle," appeared in Jon Favreau's sci-fi fantasy "Zathura: A Space Adventure," and teamed with Jessica Simpson and Dane Cook in "Employee of the Month." Around this time, he also appeared in the Mike Judge satire "Idiocracy," which later became a cult classic. His first true leading role arrived in 2006 with the comedy "Let's Go to Prison."

Throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, Shepard continued building a diverse résumé across film and television. He reunited with future wife Kristen Bell in the 2010 romantic comedy "When in Rome" and co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in the 2012 action-comedy "Hit and Run," appearing onscreen with close friend Bradley Cooper. In television, Shepard became widely recognized for his major role on the NBC family drama "Parenthood," where his performance as Crosby Braverman earned praise for blending humor with emotional depth.

Shepard later wrote, directed, and starred in the 2017 feature adaptation of the classic series "CHiPs," which showcased his interest in action-comedy, car culture, and stunt driving. Additional work included voice acting in animated projects, national commercials, and a viral 2014 Samsung Galaxy campaign with Kristen Bell that garnered tens of millions of views.

Shepard remained active across the industry through the 2020s. He starred in and executive produced the ABC sitcom "Bless This Mess" from 2019 to 2020, hosted the game show "Spin the Wheel," and appeared in the ensemble comedy "Buddy Games." In 2019, he was announced as one of the hosts of the revived "Top Gear America" for MotorTrend, and the show premiered in 2021 with Shepard as one of its three on-air hosts. He also expanded into family entertainment, contributing voice work to the animated feature "PAW Patrol: The Movie" in 2021.

From 2021 to 2022, Shepard co-hosted the NBC competition series "Family Game Fight!" alongside Kristen Bell, further blending his comedic style with game-show hosting. He continued to balance film, TV, and voice roles throughout the early 2020s while focusing increasingly on writing, producing, and entrepreneurial projects. By the mid-2020s, he had built one of the broadest cross-platform careers in entertainment, moving seamlessly between acting, directing, podcasting, hosting, and business ventures.

Armchair Expert

In 2018, Shepard launched the interview podcast "Armchair Expert," a project that evolved into one of the most influential and commercially successful podcasts in the world. The show pairs Shepard's curiosity, honesty, and self-deprecating humor with long-form conversations featuring actors, musicians, athletes, scientists, politicians, and everyday experts. Episodes often explore personal growth, vulnerability, addiction, relationships, mental health, and creativity, with Shepard drawing from his own experiences in recovery to frame candid discussions.

"Armchair Expert" quickly built a massive audience thanks to its conversational depth and Shepard's ability to disarm guests. The show became a top-ranked fixture on podcast charts, secured major sponsorship deals, and expanded into multiple spin-offs, including "Armchaired & Dangerous" and the fact-checking companion series "Fact Check" co-hosted with Monica Padman. At its peak, the podcast reportedly generated revenue in the multi-million-dollar range and led to a licensing deal with Spotify, which significantly broadened its global reach.

Over time, "Armchair Expert" developed into a wider podcast network and creative platform, solidifying Shepard's reputation not only as an actor and filmmaker but also as a skilled interviewer and cultural commentator. The show continues to anchor his professional life, giving him a consistent space for storytelling, personal reflection, and ongoing creative experimentation.

$80 Million Amazon Deal

In July 2024, it was revealed that Dax had signed an $80 million deal with Amazon to bring "Armchair Expert" to the company's Wondery platform. With the deal, Dax will create at least two additional podcasts and Amazon will have the exclusive first right to sell ads that appear with his content.

Hello Bello

In 2019, Dax and Kristen founded a baby product company called Hello Bello. They soon landed a deal to make their products exclusively available at Walmart. Unfortunately, in October 2023, Hello Bello filed for bankruptcy, listing $100 million in liabilities, of which $22 million was owed to a single creditor, a paper supplier.

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Real Estate

Kristen and Dax own at least two residential apartment buildings in Los Angeles through a holding company called Pringus Property LLC. This came to light in March 2020 during the coronavirus crisis when the Shepard-Bells alerted their tenants that they would not be accepting rent checks in April 2020 to help alleviate their financial stress. Dax's sister manages the buildings.

As for their own private real estate investments, in August 2017, Kristen and Dax paid $4.3 million for a 4,400-square-foot home in Los Angeles' Los Feliz neighborhood. Today, this home is worth $6-8 million.

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