Lorne Michaels‘ net worth is thanks to his creating Saturday Night Live, which in turn created the bulk of stars you see in TV and film comedies today. SNL has made a lot of people quite rich, and though Michaels’ role is behind the scenes, he’s still become a fixture and a celebrity in his own right—sometimes to his chagrin.
One thing he doesn’t shy away from? Working, in the form mostly of producing TV and movies. Find out Lorne Michaels’ net worth in 2023 and how he made it.
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How did Lorne Michaels become famous?
Michaels was born Lorne David Lipowitz in 1944 Palestine before his family immigrated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he grew up. He graduated from University College, Toronto, in 1966 with an English degree, then began working as a writer and broadcaster for Canada’s CBC Radio.
After about two years of radio work, Michaels moved to Los Angeles in 1968, where he served as a writer for Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show. He soon went back to his Canadian roots with a series of specials on CBC that he starred in with friend and collaborator Hart Pomerantz called The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour.
In 1975, Michaels, NBC staffer Dick Ebersol and then-NBC president Herb Schlosser teamed up to create NBC’s Saturday Night, which changed its title to Saturday Night Live in 1977. Of course, SNL has been a stalwart of NBC for generations by now, sending the careers of the likes of Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, John Belushi, Phil Hartman, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Will Ferrell, Molly Shannon, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Tracy Morgan, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Cecily Strong, Pete Davidson and more skyrocketing.
He’s also the founder of the production company Broadway Video, which has produced a slew of TV shows, including (but not limited to by any means):
- Saturday Night Live
- Late Night With Seth Meyers
- Late Night With Conan O’Brien
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
- Documentary Now!
- Kids In the Hall
- 30 Rock
- A.P. Bio
- Mulaney
- Up All Night
- The Maya Rudolph Show
- The Colin Quinn Show
- Portlandia
- The Awesomes
- Man Seeking Woman
- Detroiters
- Schmigadoon!
- Miracle Workers
- The Other Two
- Los Espookys
- MacGruber
Broadway Video and Michaels have also produced movies, most famously including:
- Three Amigos
- Coneheads
- Wayne’s World
- Wayne’s World 2
- Lassie (1994)
- Tommy Boy
- Black Sheep
- Kids In the Hall: Brain Candy
- A Night at the Roxbury
- Superstar
- The Ladies Man
- Mean Girls
- Baby Mama
- MacGruber
- The Guilt Trip
- Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
Broadway Video also had the rights to the bulk of the Rankin-Bass library (think Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the rest of your favorite classic holiday animated specials) for years before selling them in 1998. That is lucrative!
What is Lorne Michaels’ net worth in 2023?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Lorne Michaels’ net worth in 2023 is estimated at a whopping $500 million. Of course, there’s little actual data to substantiate that figure, but given his nearly five decades as a producer, it’s quite safe to say that the man is very comfortable.
Is Lorne Michaels leaving SNL?
Not anytime soon. In September 2022, Michaels told The New York Times, “I have no plans to retire. I’m not a big person for celebrating. Even the 40th [anniversary show], in the end, the only way I got through it was because I knew I was doing a show, and at a certain point, the credits would roll and we’d be off the air. The 50th will be a big event. We’ll bring everyone back from all 50 years and hosts and all of that. It will be a very emotional and very strong thing.”
SNL will see its 50th season start in 2024.
What is Lorne Michaels’ salary?
Celebrity Net Worth pegs Michaels’ salary at $30 million to $40 million annually, but there isn’t any actual reporting to substantiate that figure.
Who will replace Lorne Michaels?
Several SNL alums have been floated as potential replacements for Michaels once he retires, including Tina Fey and Seth Meyers. Fey hasn’t commented on the rumors, while Meyers told Deadline that while he was flattered by the speculation, “It is not a job for me. I really think everybody underestimates the idea that Lorne Michaels might just be irreplaceable.”
How much does Lorne Michaels make per year?
Celebrity Net Worth claims that Michaels makes roughly $30 million to $40 million per year, but there’s no real indication as to where that figure actually came from, so take it with a grain of very expensive salt.
