David Ellefson Net Worth

What Is David Ellefson's Net Worth?

David Ellefson is an American musician and author who has a net worth of $5 million. David Ellefson is best known for being the bass player of the metal band Megadeth. He was at one time a part-owner of the band. When he re-joined in 2010, he joined as a salaried employee. Megadeth formed in 1983, and they are considered one of the pioneers of the American thrash metal scene and are one of the "big four" (along with Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax). The band has released 16 studio albums, including five that have been certified Platinum. They have sold over 50 million records worldwide and been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards.

The band went on hiatus in 2002 after Dave Mustaine suffered an arm injury. They got back together in 2004, but Ellefson did not join them as he had taken legal action against Mustaine. The two settled out of court, and David rejoined Megadeth in 2010 as a hired employee, not owner. Ellefson formed the band F5 in 2003 and released a pair of albums. He has also released albums with The Lucid, Soulfly, Avian, Temple of Brutality, Necro, Killing Machine, Tim "Ripper" Owens, and Angels of Babylon. David has published the memoirs "My Life with Deth: Discovering Meaning in a Life of Rock Roll" (2013) and "More Life with Deth" (2019) and the novel "Rock Star Hitman" (2020).

Early Life

David Ellefson was born David Warren Ellefson on November 12, 1964, in Jackson, Minnesota. He has Norwegian ancestry. During his senior year of high school, David played bass in the Killers with Greg Handevidt, Jerry Giefer, and Brett Frederickson.

Career

In 1983, former Metallica lead guitarist Dave Mustaine formed a new band called Fallen Angels. After Ellefson and Greg Handevidt joined the band, the name was changed to Megadeth. They released their debut studio album, "Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!," in 1985, and it reached #3 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums chart, #5 on the Billboard Top Tastemaker Albums chart, #14 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart, and #32 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart. Their 1986 follow-up, "Peace Sells… but Who's Buying?," reached #76 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified Platinum in the U.S. and Canada. The single "Peace Sells" went Gold in the U.S. The 1988 album "So Far, So Good… So What!" peaked at #28 on the Billboard 200 chart and like the band's previous album, it was certified Platinum in the U.S. and Canada. The album featured the singles "Mary Jane" and "Anarchy in the U.K.," which both charted in New Zealand and the U.K. Next, Megadeth released 1990's "Rust in Peace," which reached #8 on the UK Albums chart and #23 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified Platinum in the U.S. and Canada and Gold in Argentina, Japan, and the U.K. The single "Holy Wars… The Punishment Due" went Gold in the U.S. and reached #10 in Finland and #12 in Ireland.

The band's next three albums, "Countdown to Extinction" (1992), "Youthanasia" (1994), and "Cryptic Writings" (1997), made it into the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart (#2, #4, and #10, respectively). "Countdown to Extinction" was certified 3× Platinum in Canada and 2× Platinum in the U.S., while "Youthanasia" went Platinum in the U.S. and Canada. "Cryptic Writings" was certified Gold in five countries. "Symphony of Destruction" from "Countdown to Extinction" was certified Platinum in the U.S. and reached #71 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Trust" and "Almost Honest" from "Cryptic Writings" were top 10 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The 1999 album "Risk" and the 2001 album "The World Needs a Hero" both peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the singles "Crush 'Em" and "Breadline" from "Risk" reached #6 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

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Megadeth disbanded in 2002, and Ellefson formed the band F5, which released the albums "A Drug for All Seasons" (2005) and "The Reckoning" (2008). Megadeth reunited in 2004, but David didn't rejoin the band until 2010 due to a legal battle with Dave Mustaine over rights to the band's name and back catalog. He played on the band's thirteenth studio album, 2011's "Thirteen," which peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200 chart and reached #1 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart and the UK Rock & Metal Albums chart. The band's next album, 2013's "Super Collider" reached #6 on the Billboard 200 chart, and 2016's "Dystopia" reached #3 on that chart. Ellefson was fired from Megadeth in May 2021, and he subsequently formed a new band, The Lucid, which has released a 2021 self-titled album and the 2023 EP "Saddle Up and Ride."

Personal Life

David married Julie Foley in 1993, and they have welcomed two children together. Ellefson is a Christian and started a worship service in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has studied to become a minister in the Lutheran Church. In May 2021, videos of David pleasuring himself were posted on social media. The videos were recorded by a fan he had been corresponding with, and they led to accusations of child grooming until both parties said that it was consensual conduct between adults. Later that month, Dave Mustaine announced that Megadeth was parting ways with Ellefson again. Two days later, David released a statement, saying:

"Recently, a very private video was illegally posted on the internet and false allegations were made against me. The actions in the video were between two consenting adults and were recorded without my knowledge. I am working with Scottsdale Police Department in their investigation into charges regarding revenge pornography to be filed against the person who posted this video. Also, my lawyers are preparing a defamation lawsuit to be filed against this person. This person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Awards and Nominations

Megadeth has earned 13 Grammy nominations, winning for Best Metal Performance for "Dystopia" in 2017. They won Loudwire Music Awards for Metal Album of the Year for "Thirteen" and Metal Song of the Year for "Public Enemy No. 1" in 2011. The group has won four Concrete Foundations Awards: Best Thrash Band (1991), Top Radio Album for "Rust in Peace" (1991), Top Radio Cut for "Hangar 18" (1991) and Top Home Video for "Rusted Pieces" (1992). In 2022, Ellefson won awards for his work with The Lucid, including a Global Music Awards Bronze Medal for Best Song for "Maskronaut." "The Lucid: Hair" was named Best Music Video at the Dreamachine International Film Festival and The Thing in the Basement Horror Fest, Best Horror Music Video at the Horror Bowl Movie Awards, and Best Song at the Vegas Movie Awards.

Real Estate

In 1999, David paid $210,000 for a 3,034-square-foot home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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