How did Trevor Noah make his US$100 million net worth? After his gig at Comedy Central’s The Daily Show came Netflix stand-up comedy specials, bestselling memoir Born a Crime and a Hollywood film deal

Mar 30 , 2021

Host Trevor Noah on the red carpet at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on March 14, 2021. Photo: Los Angeles Times/TNS

He’s an Emmy award winner, Grammy host, one of the top-earning comedians in the world and probably one of the busiest people in Hollywood. Trevor Noah’s net worth has been estimated to reach up to U$100 million. But just how does the South African comedian make all of his money? The Daily Show has certainly elevated his wealth, but it’s not just all about that …

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The Daily Show

In 2015, Comedy Central announced that Noah would be replacing US TV stalwart Jon Stewart as host of The Daily Show. It was a gamble for the channel and, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com, Noah’s salary started off at between US$5 million to US$8 million. (Stewart was reportedly earning over US$25 million.) But in 2017, his contract was renegotiated after ratings skyrocketed with Noah at the helm. He now reportedly earns an annual salary of US$16 million.

Despite the millions he makes from the show, he told The Hollywood Reporter that he didn’t come to the US for the money, because he was already living the high life before the hosting gig.

Trevor Noah on The Daily Show. Photo: @trevornoah/Instagram

“People don’t understand that I came to America from a country where I was really successful. And I’m proud of South Africa because that’s where I made my fortune,” he said. “I had my homes and my cars and my nice things, and my country gave that to me. So I wasn’t escaping anything. I’m here because I want to be here.”

Stand-up comedy

Trevor Noah. Photo: @trevornoah/Instagram

Before Noah came to the US, he was famous in his home country for his stand-up comedy (and caused his fair share of controversies, too). And although he was unknown by American audiences at first, he soon achieved fame in his new home too: according to Billboard’s Boxscore, he made more than US$14 million from 2013 to 2018, and US$5 million from touring in 2018 alone.

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Born a Crime

Trevor Noah and Lupita Nyong’o. Photo: @trevornoah/Instagram

Noah’s bestselling memoir, Born a Crime, was released in 2016 – and quickly caught the eye of filmmakers. He signed a deal with Paramount Players, with actress Lupita Nyong’o being cast to play the role of his mother, Patricia. Variety reported that the book alone was a seven-figure deal. The memoir tells the story of how Noah, whose mum is black and dad is Swiss-German, grew up during South Africa’s apartheid. His parents’ romance was considered a crime under a former law that forbade mixed-race relationships.

Netflix specials

Noah continued to bring home the big bucks after he signed a deal with Netflix to air his Afraid of the Dark comedy special. According to Variety, the streaming service went on a comedy shopping spree to bolster its entertainment efforts, and artists could earn between US$10 million to US$20 million for the rights to their shows. One such recipient was Noah, and after the success of Afraid of the Dark, the comedian added Trevor Noah: The Son of Patricia to his Netflix cash cow.

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Podcast

Noah added “podcaster” to his already impressive resume with the release of On Second Thought, a podcast under the subscription service Luminary that features other big name hosts like Lena Dunham and Russell Brand.

Flipping homes

Since moving to the US, Noah has built an impressive real estate portfolio. According to TMZ, the Bel-Air home he bought in 2019 for US$20.5 million brought him a neat US$1.2 million profit when he sold it.

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Fame and celebrity

The Emmy award winner and Grammy host is now one of the highest-grossing comedians in the world … but he was already making big bucks in his home country of South Africa
Lupita Nyong’o will play his mother Patricia in the upcoming film adaptation of Born a Crime that explores his life as a mixed-race kid during apartheid