David Blaine Net Worth

What Is David Blaine's Net Worth and Salary?

David Blaine is an American illusionist and endurance artist who has a net worth of $50 million. David Blaine is renowned for redefining modern magic through his fusion of street performance and extreme physical feats. He gained national attention with his 1997 television special "David Blaine: Street Magic," which introduced a minimalist, close-up style that emphasized raw reactions from everyday people.

Blaine's career is marked by a series of high-risk endurance stunts that test human limits. Notable feats include being buried alive for seven days in 1999, encased in a block of ice for over 61 hours in 2000, standing atop a 100-foot pillar for 35 hours in 2002, and surviving 44 days without food in a suspended glass box over the River Thames in 2003. In 2008, he set a world record by holding his breath for 17 minutes and 4 seconds on live television.

In recent years, Blaine has continued to push boundaries. His 2020 stunt "Ascension" saw him float nearly 25,000 feet above the Arizona desert using helium balloons. In 2025, he premiered the National Geographic series "David Blaine: Do Not Attempt," where he travels globally to learn and perform daring feats alongside local thrill-seekers.

He also published the book "Mysterious Stranger" in 2002, blending autobiography with magic history and tutorials.

David Blaine Earnings

In a typical non-touring year, David can easily make $5 million performing shows in Las Vegas and private parties. When he does tour, his earnings can increase to as much as $15 million in a year. In 2017, he earned a total of $4.5 million. In 2018, he earned a total of $13.5 million, which made him the fourth highest-paid magician in the world that year.

Early Life

David Blaine was born David Blaine White on April 4, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York. The son of Patrice Maureen White, a teacher, and William Perez, a Vietnam War veteran, Blaine was four years old when he first witnessed a magician performing magic on the subway. This sight sparked a lifelong interest in magic for him. His father was never in the picture, and when he was 10, his mother married John Bukalo, and the family moved to Little Falls, New Jersey, where Blaine attended Passaic Valley Regional High School. He moved to Manhattan shortly after he graduated. His first TV special, "David Blaine: Street Magic," aired on ABC on May 19, 1997. He spent the next two years traveling across the country, entertaining unsuspecting pedestrians in cities like Dallas, New York, and San Francisco, recorded by a small crew with handheld cameras.

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Famous Live Stunts

David gained notoriety in 1999 with his "Buried Alive" stunt, when he was entombed in a plastic box underneath a 3-ton water-filled tank for seven days in New York City, across from Trump Place. During the stunt, he did not eat, and he subsisted on only 2-3 tablespoons of water per day. An estimated 75,000 people visited the site when he was underground, including Harry Houdini's niece, Marie Blood. On the final day of the stunt, hundreds of news and media teams were stationed at the site for the coffin-opening. A team of construction workers removed the gravel surrounding the 6-foot-deep coffin before a crane lifted the water tank out. Blaine emerged, and the BBC News stated that the 26-year-old magician had outdone his hero, Harry Houdini, who had planned a similar stunt but had died in 1926 before he could perform it.

The following year, David attempted but failed to stand on a large block of ice located in Times Square for 72 hours. It was covered on a TV special, "Frozen in Time." He was lightly dressed and shivered even before the blocks of ice were placed around him. A tube supplied him with air and water, and he was encased in the box of ice for 63 hours, 52 minutes, and 15 seconds before he was removed with chainsaws. He was immediately taken to a hospital due to fears he might be going into shock. It took him a full month to recover.

In May 2002, Blaine performed another stunt, "Vertigo." He was lifted via crane onto a 100-foot-high pillar in Bryant Park, New York City. He was not harnessed to the pillar, although he did have two handles on either side of him to grasp in the event of harsh weather. He stood on the pillar for 35 hours. He suffered a mild concussion when he jumped down onto a landing platform made of cardboard boxes. He reported suffering severe hallucinations in the final hours of this stunt.

In 2003, Blaine performed another endurance stunt, "Above the Below," in which he was sealed into a transparent Plexiglas case and was suspended in the air next to Potters Fields Park near Tower Bridge on the south bank of the River Thames in London. The box measured 7 x 3 feet and was barely big enough for him to stand up or lie down in. In true British fashion, David was taunted mercilessly by observers, with spectators throwing eggs, golf balls, and other objects at the box. As a taunt, a cheeseburger was flown up to the box by a remote-controlled helicopter. Blaine emerged from the box 44 days later, gaunt and 60 pounds lighter, exhibiting signs of starvation, and was immediately hospitalized.

Blaine's next stunt was "Drowned Alive" on May 1, 2006, for which he was submerged handcuffed into an 8-foot water-filled sphere for seven days. After this stunt, he was monitored by researchers at Yale to study the human physiological reaction to prolonged submersion. In 2012, David performed a 72-hour endurance stunt called "Electrified: One Million Volts Always On" in NYC. Streamed live on YouTube, Blaine stood on a pillar surrounded by seven Tesla coils producing an electric surge of one million volts.

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Specials and Television Projects

David Blaine has built a legacy not only through live stunts, but also through a series of high-profile television specials that showcase his close-up magic, endurance feats, and celebrity interactions.

In November 2013, Blaine starred in the 90-minute ABC special "David Blaine: Real or Magic," directed by Matthew Akers. The special featured Blaine performing jaw-dropping illusions for celebrities including Kanye West, Will Smith, Bryan Cranston, and Harrison Ford.

He followed it up in November 2016 with "David Blaine: Beyond Magic," a 42-minute ABC special that featured more intimate magic and physical endurance stunts. One of its most talked-about moments involved Blaine appearing to catch a .22 caliber bullet in a small metal cup in his mouth—a trick that required months of preparation and raised serious safety concerns.

On April 1, 2020, he returned with "David Blaine: The Magic Way," another ABC special adapted for the COVID-19 era. It included virtual card tricks, street magic, and a guest appearance by his daughter, Dessa.

In 2025, Blaine premiered a new six-part series on National Geographic titled "David Blaine: Do Not Attempt." Each episode is set in a different country and explores extreme stunts and cultural rituals, including being set on fire, covered in bees, and kissing a king cobra. The show also reveals a more personal and philosophical side of Blaine, as he interacts with local thrill-seekers and reflects on the mental and physical toll of his work.

Over the years, Blaine has also performed for three U.S. Presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama—demonstrating his unique ability to bridge high art, spectacle, and political diplomacy through magic.Personal Life

Blaine was engaged to French model Alizee Guinochet from 2009 until they separated in 2014. They have a daughter together, Dessa, born in 2011.

Real Estate

David owns homes in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Paris.

In 1998, David bought a 1,000-square-foot apartment in New York City for an undisclosed amount. He listed the apartment for sale in 2016 for $2.3 million. In 2005, he paid $1.675 million for a duplex apartment in NYC's Tribeca neighborhood.

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