Larry David Net Worth

What is Larry David's net worth?

Larry David is an American comedian, writer, actor, director, and television producer who has a net worth of $400 million. Larry David earned his fortune as the co-creator of "Seinfeld" and the creator/star of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Through these two shows, Larry has been producing a successful comedy show on a major network every year continuously since 1989.

Larry earned the majority of his net worth thanks to his ownership stake in the backend syndication royalties generated by "Seinfeld." By the time the show was sold into syndication, Larry and co-creator Jerry Seinfeld each owned 15% of the show's backend equity. Much more on Larry's Seinfeld syndication earnings in the next section below.

If you are wondering why Jerry Seinfeld is so much richer than Larry David, it should be noted that Larry lost a large portion of his net worth in his 2007 divorce from his ex-wife Laurie David. As he has confirmed in interviews, Larry gave Laurie half of his net worth at the time, roughly $200-300 million, in addition to a cut of future revenue generated by "Seinfeld" syndication royalties.

Larry David "Seinfeld" Syndication Earnings

As you might assume, Larry earned the vast majority of his net worth thanks to his creation of the massively successful sitcom, "Seinfeld." At the outset of the show in 1989, Larry and Jerry each owned 7.5% of the show's backend equity if it were ever to sell in syndication. At the peak of the show's success in the mid-1990s, the duo negotiated a deal with NBC that boosted their points to 15% apiece. Part of that boost also came from Larry and Jerry buying out an equity owner who was looking to cash out.

The show was first syndicated in 1998. That first deal generated $1.7 billion in revenue, giving Larry and Jerry each a $250 million pre-tax windfall.

The show continued to generate enormous licensing revenue in the decades that followed. By 2013, syndication sales had surpassed $3 billion, and by 2026, total revenue tied to the series, including international licensing, streaming deals, DVDs, and merchandise, had climbed to roughly $5 billion. Major streaming agreements have also produced large payouts, including the 2015 sale of streaming rights to Hulu for $180 million and the 2019 sale of global streaming rights to Netflix for $500 million. Because of his 15% stake, David has earned hundreds of millions of dollars from these deals. Altogether, it is estimated that Larry David has personally earned around $800 million from "Seinfeld" through salary, syndication participation, streaming deals, DVD sales, and merchandise licensing.

Larry David – $400 Million Man /Andrew Toth/Getty Images

Early Life

Larry David was born Lawrence Gene David on July 2, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York. He was raised in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn in a middle-class Jewish household. His father, Morty David, worked as a men's clothing manufacturer, while his mother, Rose David, was a homemaker.

David attended Sheepshead Bay High School before enrolling at the University of Maryland, where he studied history and graduated in 1970. After college, he briefly served in the United States Army Reserve.

Before finding success in entertainment, David worked a variety of odd jobs, including as a limousine driver, store clerk, and television repairman. During this time, he began performing stand-up comedy in New York clubs, gradually developing the acerbic comedic voice that would later define his writing and performances.

Fridays & Saturday Night Live

Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Larry David worked as a stand-up comedian while pursuing opportunities as a comedy writer. At some point, he began to shift his focus from performing to writing. In 1980, he was hired as a writer on an ABC series called "Fridays." The show, which was similar in format to "Saturday Night Live," ran until 1982. He was also a cast member, along with fellow up-and-coming comedian Michael Richards.

David also briefly worked as a writer on "Saturday Night Live" during the 1984-1985 season. His tenure on the show was famously short and relatively unsuccessful. According to David, only one of his sketches made it to air during his time there. At one point, Larry resigned out of frustration midway through the season. He actually returned to the studio as if nothing had happened a few days after resigning. This would later be used as a plot device on "Seinfeld." In later interviews, he joked that his experience on the show provided material for his later comedic work.

Despite these setbacks, David continued writing and performing. His career took a major turn in the late 1980s after he reunited with fellow comedian Jerry Seinfeld, whom he had met years earlier on the stand-up circuit. During his time writing for SNL, one of the cast members was Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Creation of Seinfeld

In 1988, Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David began developing a sitcom for NBC based on Seinfeld's stand-up comedy and the pair's observations about everyday life. The resulting show, initially titled "The Seinfeld Chronicles," debuted in 1989.

The series followed the lives of four friends in New York City and quickly became known for its unconventional approach to storytelling. Often described as "a show about nothing," "Seinfeld" focused on small, relatable annoyances and awkward social situations rather than traditional sitcom plots.

As the show's head writer and executive producer, David played a crucial role in shaping its voice and comedic structure. Many storylines were inspired by real-life experiences from David's own life. The character of George Costanza, played by Jason Alexander, was famously modeled after David himself.

David wrote or co-wrote 62 episodes of the series and was responsible for some of its most famous storylines. During its nine-season run from 1989 to 1998, "Seinfeld" became one of the most popular and influential sitcoms in television history.

David left the show after the seventh season in 1996 but returned to write the series finale in 1998.

Creation of Curb Your Enthusiasm

After leaving "Seinfeld," Larry David stepped away from television for several years before returning in 2000 with the HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm." The show began as a one-hour HBO special and was soon developed into a full series.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" features David playing a fictionalized version of himself navigating awkward social situations in Los Angeles. The show is known for its improvisational style, with actors working from loose outlines rather than traditional scripts.

The series has featured numerous celebrity guest appearances and storylines drawn from David's own experiences in Hollywood. Over time, it became one of HBO's longest-running and most acclaimed comedy series.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" earned widespread critical praise and numerous award nominations. David won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy for the show and received multiple Emmy nominations.

Film and Other Projects

In addition to his television work, Larry David has appeared in several films and stage productions. In 1998 he wrote and directed the film "Sour Grapes," a dark comedy about two cousins whose relationship falls apart after a gambling dispute.

David also co-wrote and starred in the HBO television film "Clear History," which premiered in 2013. The comedy followed a disgraced marketing executive who tries to hide his past after quitting a startup company that later becomes hugely successful.

In 2015, David made his Broadway debut as a playwright with the comedy "Fish in the Dark." The production opened at the Cort Theatre and became one of the highest-grossing plays in Broadway history. David initially starred in the production himself before later being replaced by actor Jason Alexander.

David has also made cameo appearances in numerous television shows and films, often playing exaggerated versions of himself.

(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Personal Life

On March 31, 1993, David married Laurie Lennard. They have two daughters, Cazzie Laurel David (born May 10, 1994) and Romy March (born March 2, 1996). Laurie met Larry while she was working as a talent coordinator on "Late Night with David Letterman." The character of "Cheryl" on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which is played by Cheryl Hines, is loosely based on Laurie David. Laurie is an environmental activist and film producer. She won an Oscar for producing the 2006 Al Gore documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."

Laurie David filed for divorce on July 13, 2007, citing irreconcilable differences and seeking joint custody of the couple's two daughters.

Larry was introduced to comedy producer Ashley Underwood at a birthday party for Sacha Baron Cohen. They married in 2020.

In the summer of 2017, PBS's "Finding Your Roots" discovered through genealogical research that David and Bernie Sanders are distantly related.  The comedian explained that Sanders is "a third cousin or something." This was quite a coincidence, considering that in 2015, David made multiple guest appearances portraying Bernie Sanders on "Saturday Night Live."

Laurie David Divorce Settlement

Unfortunately, Larry's net worth took a pretty large hit after his divorce from his ex-wife Laurie in 2007. Larry reportedly paid Laurie 50% of his net worth at the time. That resulted in a $200-300 million settlement that includes future syndication income from both "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

FTX Endorsement

In 2022, Larry appeared in what is now considered an infamous Super Bowl commercial for the fraudulent crypto company FTX. In lawsuits, it was later revealed that Larry was paid $10 million to appear in the commercial. That $10 million fee for Larry was on top of the $25 million FTX paid to produce the commercial. The commercial featured a subtle cameo from Sam Bankman-Fried's father, Joseph Bankman, who was apparently a huge Larry David fan.

Real Estate

In 1998, Laurie and David paid $1.26 million for a home in LA's Pacific Palisades neighborhood. They ultimately purchased two neighboring parcels to put together a roughly 1-acre parcel with sweeping ocean views. Laurie remained in this house after the couple separated in 2007. She listed this home for sale in September 2013 for $15 million and ultimately accepted $12 million in March 2014.

In 2014, Larry David sold a home in LA's Pacific Palisades neighborhood for $12 million. The home has seven bedrooms and ten baths, with a master bedroom that includes a deck overlooking the ocean, a grassy backyard, and a pool. The property features a large guest house, multiple fireplaces, a living room, a family room, and a dining room. He continues to own a home in the same area that he purchased around 2006 for $10.35 million. He owns at least two other homes in the Palisades.

In February 2022, Larry paid $5.7 million for a home in Montecito, California. For some reason, he sold this home less than a year later for $6.9 million. Here's a video tour of this home from September 2021:

In September 2022, Larry closed on a new Montecito mansion, this one setting him back $7.6 million. In 2004, he bought a modest but beautiful property on Martha's Vineyard. Laurie David received this property in their divorce.

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