Mel Brooks' Net Worth From ‘Young Frankenstein’ to ‘History of the World Part 2'
It's good to be the king (of satire).
Mel Brooks’ net worth is definitely nothing to laugh at. The 96-year-old member of the exclusive EGOT club is one of the biggest names in comedy history. He has influenced multiple generations of the greatest comedians out there.
Brooks has also been behind some of the biggest comedy classic films. He has had hits spanning multiple decades, with a truly prolific career. We need to know — just how much is Mel Brooks worth nowadays?
Here is everything you need to know about Mel Brooks’ net worth — and how he earned it.
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How did Mel Brooks become famous?
Considering Mel Brooks has had a career that spans seven decades, it can be hard to imagine there was a time before he was famous. The iconic funnyman got his start as a comic and writer for Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows from 1950 to 1954, alongside the likes of Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart and the now-controversial Woody Allen.
While working on the variety show, Brooks and Carl Reiner created the comic character “The 2000 Year Old Man” and would go on to release several comedy albums together. Along with Buck Henry, he co-created and wrote the classic TV series Get Smart from 1965 until 1970.
Despite already making a name for himself in the comedy world with his work in television, it was as a filmmaker that Brooks would truly find fame. He is one of the most successful film directors of the 1970s, earning his comedy icon status for directing and writing (or co-writing) many of the most acclaimed and beloved comedy films of the era (and of all time). His films include: 1967’s The Producers (his first collaboration with friend Gene Wilder), 1970’s The Twelve Chairs, 1974’s Blazing Saddles, 1974’s Young Frankenstein, 1976’s Silent Movie, 1977’s High Anxiety, 1981’a History of the World: Part I, 1987’s Spaceballs and 1993’s Robin Hood: Men in Tights— just to name a few.
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What is Mel Brooks' net worth in 2023?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Mel Brooks has a net worth in 2023 of $100 million. Brooks has built these riches through his major success as a comedy film director, producer and screenwriter, but also through his work as an actor and voice actor, comedian, composer, lyricist, and theatrical and television producer. Considering he has been working for seven decades, it’s no surprise he’s built quite the nest aid for himself!
Related: Read Mel Brooks's Touching Tribute to Gene Wilder
How many Oscars does Mel Brooks have?
Despite having three Oscar nominations to his name, Mel Brooks only has one Oscar win. He was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1975 for the comedy classic Young Frankenstein alongside Gene Wilder and for Best Music, Original Song also in 1975 for “Blazing Saddles” from Blazing Saddles. He won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1969 for The Producers.
Brooks is an EGOT winner, having won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony.
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How many movies did Mel Brooks make?
Mel Brooks has directed 11 movies: The Producers, The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World: Part I, Spaceballs, Life Stinks, Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Dracula: Dead and Loving It.
He has produced 24 projects spanning film and TV and written 47, also spanning both film and TV. In addition, his films have been turned into Broadway musicals, including The Producers and Young Frankenstein.
In addition, Brooks is also an executive producer and writer on the Hulu sequel series 2023’s History of the World: Part II.
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How much does Mel Brooks make per movie?
The amount of money that Mel Brooks has made per movie has varied greatly over the years, especially considering he directed his first film in 1967.
When he was working on the variety series, Your Show of Shows, he was making $5,000 a week. He made $35,000 for The Producers and $50,000 for Twelve Chairs.
Warner Bros./ Getty Images
As an upfront fee for both Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, he reportedly received a few hundred thousand dollars. For Blazing Saddles, Brooks has said this about his earnings, “[I]t was my first megahit. I had 12 or 15 percent of the net profits. They couldn't hide the money. It spilled over.''
Brooks estimates his share of net profits by the late nineties had only come to around $5 million each for Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein.
However, he feels he deserved a bigger upfront payment for the films. “'When I saw how much money Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein made — let's say they made $150 million between them. It was my child. Don't you think they would give me $5 million? Nope. I didn't make $1 million… The artists risk their reputations. The studios risk their money. When they have a big surprise, like Young Frankenstein, you would think there would be a thank you.''
For History of the World: Part I, Brooks was given $10 million to make the film but also negotiated all the foreign rights. As the movie grossed $35 million abroad, Brooks ended up with $7 million of profit.
Brooks has likely earned in the millions for the projects he made in the decades that followed, the 80s and 90s, as well as nowadays.
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How much does Mel Brooks make per year?
It has been estimated that Mel Brooks earns $16.5 million per year. However, that amount likely is dependent on the number of projects he is involved in that year, their budgets and their relative success.