Mr. T Net Worth

What is Mr. T's Net Worth and Salary?

Mr. T is an American actor, wrestler, and television personality who has a net worth of $1 million. If you were expecting Mr. T's net worth to be higher, unfortunately, he has experienced some financial problems over the years, which we detail in the next section below.

Mr. T is best known for his tough-guy persona, distinctive mohawk, gold chains, and gravelly voice. Born Laurence Tureaud in Chicago, he rose to fame in the early 1980s after working as a nightclub bouncer and bodyguard for celebrities like Muhammad Ali and Michael Jackson. His big break came when he was cast as Clubber Lang, the formidable antagonist in "Rocky III" (1982), opposite Sylvester Stallone. That role launched him into stardom and led to his most iconic part as B.A. Baracus on the hit NBC series "The A-Team," which ran from 1983 to 1987.

Mr. T became a pop culture phenomenon, known for his catchphrase "I pity the fool!" and his image as a symbol of strength and moral values, particularly for children. He later starred in the educational series "Mister T," voiced himself in cartoons, and was featured in countless commercials, public service announcements, and even a breakfast cereal.

Beyond acting, Mr. T also dabbled in professional wrestling and motivational speaking. Despite a decline in mainstream visibility by the 1990s, he has remained an enduring figure through cameos, reality TV, and his unmistakable presence in American pop culture.

Financial Problems and Philanthropy

Despite being one of the most famous actors in the 1980s, by the late 1990s, Mr. T's career had largely gone cold, and he found himself under extreme financial pressure. In 1998, in the midst of cancer treatment, he famously revealed his bank account had less than $200. At the time, he told Entertainment Tonight:

"I'm probably broke. I've probably got $200 in the bank. I gave [my jewelry] to my family for them to sell, make money, whatever they want to do. Material stuff… You can only take it to the grave, not past the grave."

Thanks to endorsements with companies like Snickers, Fuze Ice Tea, and a mildly resurgent career, Mr. T's finances have recovered from their late-1990s lows.

(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Chicago Mansion Tree Massacre

In 1910, a wealthy Chicago family constructed a 10,000-square-foot English Tudor mansion set on 7.4 acres in Lake Forest, Illinois. The estate, which was named "Two Gables," featured over a hundred mature oak, maple, and elm trees on the sprawling grounds. Two Gables was owned by a meatpacking magnate named Laurance Armour for several decades until 1986, when it was acquired by a different Laurance… actually Lawrence. Lawrence Tureaud. Better known as Mr. T. Actually, by this point his legal name was Mr. T and the deed of sale referred to him as "T., Mr".

Mr. T bought Two Gables in 1986, at the height of his fame, for $1.7 million (around $5 million in today's dollars). Very soon after buying the mansion, T got into a scuffle with his neighbors after he erected a large white fence around the property, against local zoning codes. He was admonished by the city council and forced to sandblast the fence. His plan to erect a giant "T" sign at the entrance was kiboshed.

A year later, after a bout of terrible allergies (as he would later claim), Mr. T proceeded to cut down over one hundred mature oak trees on the property. The community was outraged. Locals would later refer to the incident as "The Lake Forest Chain Saw Massacre." As it turns out, prior to the massacre, Lake Forest had been recognized as "Tree City U.S.A." for seven straight years by the National Arbor Day Foundation due to the local passion for trees (where citizens are outnumbered by trees roughly four-to-one).

Technically speaking, it wasn't illegal for Mr. T to chop down all of those trees. At the time, there was a prohibition on removing trees on newly developed land, but there were no protections for trees on existing estates. The incident propelled the town to pass a tree preservation ordinance that protected all trees in the area.

In 1993, T deeded the property to his girlfriend Phyllis Clark. Phyllis sold the estate in 1999 for $2.4 million. Two Gables was listed for sale for $12 million in 2006. It didn't sell and was lost to foreclosure amid the financial crisis. It sold in 2021 for $5 million. Here's a video tour:

Early Life

Mr. T was born Lawrence Tureaud on May 21, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois. He is the youngest son of twelve children. Growing up, the family lived in a three-bedroom apartment. His father, Nathaniel Tureaud, was a minister. However, he left the family when Mr. T was just five years old. After that, Mr. T shortened his name to Lawrence Tero, and later, in 1970, he legally changed his last name to T.

Mr. T attended Dunbar Vocational High School, where he played football, wrestling, and practiced martial arts. He earned a football scholarship to attend Prairie View A&M University and was planning to earn a degree in mathematics, but he was expelled from the school after only a year. Subsequently, he enlisted in the United States Army, where he served in the Military Police Corps. After being discharged, he tried out for the Green Bay Packers, but failed to make the cut.

Career

After his failed bid to join the NFL, Mr. T began working as a club bouncer in Chicago. Using lost jewelry found in the club, he began to wear gold neck chains and develop his Mr. T persona. He transitioned into working as a bodyguard and did this for almost ten years. As he grew his reputation as a bodyguard, he began receiving contracts for higher-profile clients, such as designers, models, judges, politicians, athletes, and millionaires. Some of these high-profile clients he has guarded include Muhammad Ali, Steve McQueen, Michael Jackson, Leon Spinks, Joe Frazier, and Diana Ross, charging anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 per day. One day, after spotting an unusual hairstyle on a Mandinka warrior in a "National Geographic" magazine, Mr. T decided to adopt the style as a statement about his African origins. It was incorporated into the persona of Mr. T.

His first appearance on television was when he was in his late twenties, on the NBC tough-man competition "Sunday Games" as part of the "America's Toughest Bouncer" segment. He ended up winning the competition. He then competed for a second time, this time in the renamed competition "Games People Play," also on NBC. It was his appearance on "Games People Play" in 1980 that reportedly inspired Sylvester Stallone to write the famous line "I don't hate him but… I pity the fool" for the movie "Rocky III" (1982). Stallone also cast him as the main antagonist, Clubber Lang, in the film as well.

Subsequently, following his appearance in "Rocky III," Mr. T enjoyed many other movie and television appearances, including the film "Penitentiary 2" (1982), the Canadian sketch comedy series "Bizarre," and an episode of "Silver Spoons." He also accepted the role of Sergeant Bosco "B.A." Baracus on the television show "The A-Team," co-starring George Peppard, Dirk Benedict, and Dwight Schultz, among others. "The A-Team" aired for four seasons, from 1983 to 1987. He is reported to have earned as much as $80,000 a week for his role on "The A-Team." Also released in 1983 was the comedy film "DC Cab," which also starred the likes of Paul Rodriguez, Marsha Warfield, and Irene Cara. The film performed modestly well at the box office, grossing $16 million against its $12 million budget.

In 1988, Mr. T began starring in the Canadian television series "T. and T.", which featured a total of three seasons. It aired until 1990. Other films Mr. T has appeared in include "Freaked" (1993), "The Terrible Thunderlizards" (1993), "Spy Hard" (1996), "Inspector Gadget" (1999), "Not Another Teen Movie" (2001), "Judgment" (2001), and "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" (2009). He has appeared in shows like "Straight Line," "Out of This World," "Blossom," "Martin," "Malcolm & Eddie," "Disney's House of Mouse," "Johnny Bravo," "The Simpsons," "I Pity the Fool," "Dancing with the Stars," and "Saturday Night Live," among others.

In addition to his acting career, Mr. T also took part in professional wrestling. He entered professional wrestling in 1985 and was Hulk Hogan's tag-team partner at the World Wrestling Federation's "WrestleMania I." He would continue to appear in various events for the World Wrestling Federation, World Class Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling, often with Hulk Hogan. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame's celebrity wing in April 2014.

Mr. T is known for his encouraging and positive material targeted toward younger audiences and children. For example, in 1984, he recorded a motivational video, "Be Somebody… or Be Somebody's Fool!" in which he can be found giving advice to children, as well as singing and rapping. His 1983 NBC cartoon show "Mister T" was also targeted towards children. He has released two albums, "Mr. T's Commandments" (1984) and "Be Somebody… or Be Somebody's Fool" (1984), that use the same tone as his 1984 educational video and encourage children to say no to drugs and stay in school.

From 2011 to 2013, he hosted the BBC Three series "World's Craziest Fools," which introduced him to a new generation of fans. In 2014, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame's celebrity wing for his pioneering role in wrestling's crossover with entertainment, especially as Hulk Hogan's tag team partner at the first WrestleMania in 1985.

On April 5, 2014, Mr. T was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. In 2017, he competed on season 24 of "Dancing with the Stars."

Mr. T remains a beloved pop culture icon. Though he has largely stepped away from acting, he continues to make occasional appearances, lend his voice to animated projects, and engage with fans online, often sharing motivational messages and humorous takes in his signature style.

Toby Canham/Getty Images

Personal Life

Mr. T married Phyllis Clark in 1971, and they have three children together: two daughters and a son. Mr. T and Clark have since divorced. In 1995, he was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma.

He stopped wearing all jewelry and gold chains in the wake of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster, saying:

"As a Christian, when I saw other people lose their lives and lose their land and property, I felt it would be a sin before God for me to continue wearing my gold. I felt it would be insensitive and disrespectful to the people who lost everything, so I stopped wearing my gold."

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