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Don’t ask me why I, a wicked crafty artistry hippie type, am also obsessed with numbers and money, but I am. I think not being taught and not having m/any big money role models in my direct line of vision growing up has left me feeling slightly bitter, curious (what *would* it be like to live like a Kardashian?) and optimistic/opportunistic (Shoot, if the ancestors of Elon Musk and Donald Trump can figure this out, so can I, I bet…).
I’m some weird amalgam of indignant (well, where’s my money, then, huh?) and inspired (I *can* be rich, with hard work and boot strap pulling up or what not!).
Some people (my mom?) would say, “Well, you picked the wrong career, hon. Haven’t you ever heard of starving artists?”
Yes, (mom?), but I refuse to be one.
I want to stress, I’m fine—I’m gainfully employed, I am often and regularly paid to perform my comedy and to write about comedy or write comedically, and all’s well that ends (or continues on) well. Except that money is like drugs, and people who seek it can never truly have enough.
Look at Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Total addicts.
And then I look at some of the comedians out there who are hugely rich and successful, many of whom I started out with or knew coming up (too many to count—Chelsea Peretti, Jon Mulaney, Nick Kroll, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Nikki Glazer, Eric Andre, Neil Brennan, and so, so many more), and I look at the 20 years I’ve put into this industry, and I can’t help but want a piece of the big action, and be intrigued by the possibility.
So, I keep smashing my head into the wall, hoping this time something will finally break (ideally the wall and not my head).
Because, see, there are billions with a capital B in this industry, and that’s plenty for me and you and everyone we know.
Here are some fun, fast facts:
Comedy is the most popular podcast genre, with 22% of listeners tuning in (The Hollywood Reporter)
Comedy accounts for 58% of content on streaming platforms (Socialbaker)
The market size, measured by revenue, of the Comedy Clubs industry was $366.1m in 2023 (ibisworld)
Live ticket shows in the last year brought in 909.6m (Pollstar/Bloomberg)
So, it is a hard pill to swallow that there is such a disparity of wealth across comedians. Let’s not swallow it.
Let’s crack this nut together.
What is standing in your way between averaging $60k/year (or less, as a comedian) and accessing those billions with a B, and being in that “top 5 percent” of rich comedians?
Be honest. I really want to know your thoughts.
Daily musings:
Top 20 richest comedians in the world | Legit
8 of the richest comedians in 2024 | Style
8 wealthiest African-American comedians | HowAfrica
Comedian Net Worth | The Richest
Etc.:
Comedy info galore — $70 annual subscription! | Museletter
6/8’s Poconos Underground Comedy (my show + birthday party) | EventBrite
Subscribe here for sneak peaks at my new NSFW comedy album | OnlyFans
Your ad to 8k+ comedy fans for $40/wk | jess delfino at gmail dot com
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Happy weekend, weekender.