Highlights

• Eddie Murphy's early success in comedy and his ability to showcase his talent at a young age helped him amass his wealth and kickstart his career.
• Murphy's breakthrough on Saturday Night Live and subsequent pay raise to $30,000 per episode catapulted him to fame and solidified his status as a household name.
• Despite a string of poorly received films and a downturn in his career, Murphy's previous successes and ability to demand high salaries allowed him to continue earning millions even during this period.

Few celebrities ever reach the highs and lows that Eddie Murphy experienced over his career. Murphy is one of the most recognizable stars in Hollywood. He starred in classic movies that are still popular to this day. Murphy made a great living in showbiz and because of that, has an estimated net worth of $200 million today. Needless to say, Murphy continues to be a force in Hollywood and commands a considerable salary.

However, Murphy’s career has certainly had its ups and downs. Just as quickly as Murphy's career became red-hot, it appeared to fizzle. But Murphy was never one to be counted out. As such, while he had some of the worst-received films hit the theaters in the late 1980s to early 1990s, his filmography before this period and after reflect why he has become one of the highest-grossing actors of his time.

It was because of this that Murphy got a hefty payday and was able to amass his incredible fortune, even after having gone through two divorces with hefty settlements.

How did Eddie Murphy amass his reported $200 million net worth?

Updated December 2023: Eddie Murphy was back with a vengeance in 2023. He has released 'You People' and 'Candy Cane Lane' this year alone, both of which were the highest-streamed films the week they were released. Next up for Murphy is the release of 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' and in production is 'The Pink Panther'. Just how much more can he add to his net worth? Fans will have to wait and see.

9 Eddie Murphy Began Performing Stand Up Comedy At The Age Of 15

Eddie Murphy's Audiences As A Teen Comic Were His Classmates

• Murphy worked for very little when he was starting out in the comedy world

Eddie Murphy started his career very young, which gave him a lot of time to amass his wealth. The first audience that Murphy had to showcase his talent to were his classmates when he was just 15 years old. As a result of the success he had with his improv shows at school, Murphy decided to give comedy a real shot. He decided to start showcasing his work to larger audiences at comedy clubs as a teenager and Murphy's talent was quickly noticed.

In the early 1980s, Murphy was becoming a regular on the New York comedy circuit. He was a rising star and quickly gained a lot of attention.

It was during this time that Murphy heard that a spot opened on Saturday Night Live. However, after he got in touch with writer, Neil Levy, Murphy learned the spot had already been filled. This did not deter Murphy. And that spirit to not give up eventually paid off.

8 Eddie Murphy Gets Cast On Saturday Night Live

Salary On Saturday Night Live: $30,000 Per Episode

• Murphy's starting salary was $4,300 per episode

Murphy heard that a featured performer had left Saturday Night Live. Murphy thought the show would be perfect for him and knew that if he was just given the opportunity to audition, he would be hired. As it turns out, Murphy was right. The writers loved him. But the cast had already been set and there was not enough money in the budget to hire Murphy full-time. As such, he became a featured performer instead.

The pay Murphy received when he first started in SNL in 1981 was $4,500 per episode, according to Celebrity Net Worth. That number increased dramatically the next season when Murphy saved the show from running short with an impressive monologue.

"I remembered Eddie's from his audition, like, three months earlier," Levy explained. "So I said, 'Why don't you see if Eddie can do the monologue that he did for his audition? And I ran up and I found Eddie, and I asked him. And his face lit up like he'd been waiting for this moment his whole life."

The monologue was a hit with audiences. Because of this, Murphy went from being a featured player to a full-time cast member. His pay also bumped up to $30,000 per episode the following season. It was clear that the studio audience and the audiences at home loved the sketches that Murphy was performing.

All of the screentime led to the beginning of Murphy becoming a household name. But when he auditioned and landed his first leading film role, that was when Murphy's career really began to take off.

7 Eddie Murphy's Successful Transition Into Film

Eddie Murphy Was Signed To A 6-Picture, $25 Million Deal With Paramount Pictures

• Murphy's first starring role made him $450,000

At the peak of his fame on Saturday Night Live, Murphy moved into a film career while still a cast member. In 1982, Murphy co-starred in the incredibly successful film 48 Hours along with Nick Nolte. The film was such as success, in part because Murphy "convinced director Walter Hill to adjust some of the dialogue to more genuinely depict a Black speaker."

In 1983, Murphy starred in Trading Places along with Dan Akroyd. Murphy became an even bigger star than he already was.

During this time, Murphy was still starring on Saturday Night Live. He did not know how well his film career would do and having a steady income was important.

However, after Trading Places, Murphy was signed by Paramount Pictures to a six-movie deal. That deal, according to Biography was worth $25 million. That was enough to make Murphy realize his upward trajectory in the entertainment industry and after three years on SNL, he said goodbye.

Studio executives were smart in signing Murphy to a multi-picture deal. This is because in 1984, the critically and commercially acclaimed film Beverly Hills Cop was released with Murphy as the lead. A role that made Murphy $450,000, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

With Beverly Hills Cop, Murphy became one of the biggest movie stars in the world with the film being the highest-grossing film in 1984 and Murphy making $4 million.

His film, Coming To America was also another huge success for Murphy. That film would go on to be the third highest-grossing film of 1988 and earn Murphy $8 million in the process.

Some other films that Murphy earned a large payday for, according to Celebrity Net Worth include:

Despite the success of his film career, Murphy still had a desire to write and perform stand-up comedy. As such, Murphy released two comedy specials that are still incredibly popular, 40 years after the first one was released.

6 Eddie Murphy Never Forgot His Comedy Roots

Eddie Murphy's Raw Made $50 Million At The Box Office ​​​​​

• Murphy's Eddie Murphy: Comedian won him a Grammy

Murphy's idol when he was growing up was Richard Pryor. As such, his comedy was very much influenced by Pryor's style. A style that audiences were drawn to given the success of the special, Delirious that was released in 1983 and Raw, which was released in 1987.

Delirious went on to be released on Murphy's Eddie Murphy: Comedian. That album won Best Comedy Album at the 1984 Grammy Awards.

Unlike Delirious, Raw had a theatrical release. Though it was not critically acclaimed, audiences still loved it. The film grossed $50 million worldwide. Adjusted for inflation, that is more than $134 million today.

Murphy's career was white-hot. It seemed like everything he touched turned to box office gold. This is why it was so confusing to many when Murphy's career not only hit a standstill but looked like it was completely over.

5 Eddie Murphy's Acting Career Goes From White Hot To Non-Existent

Eddie Murphy Was Still Paid $15 To $20 Million Per Box Office Bomb

• Murphy won three Razzies for his poor box office performance

After Coming To America, the string of successful films that Murphy made came to a screeching halt. Not only were the films he was making being panned but he was also being nominated, and winning Razzies, the equivalent of the Academy Awards but given to the worst films of the year instead.

Putting out poorly received films became a trend that Murphy was getting to be known for. However, he was still being paid exceptionally well for these box office bombs. Case in point, for Beverly Hills Cop III, Murphy was paid $15 million, despite the film only grossing $42 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Unfortunately, Beverly Hills Cop III was just one of a string of films that received poor box office attendance. Other films that performed poorly at the box office according to Box Office Mojo include:

With the box office flops that Murphy was having year after year, many were starting to believe his box office draw may be dwindling. Despite this, Murphy was still bringing in nearly $20 million to star in movies. As such, it was no surprise that Murphy was willing to star in movies that he saw as subpar.

However, 2006 appeared to be a turn in Murphy's career that many were not anticipating. It was the year that he had a supporting role in Dreamgirls. A role that would put Murphy back on the map for fans and critics alike.

4 Eddie Murphy Makes A Comeback

Eddie Murphy Had A String Of Hits That Earned Him Tens Of Millions

• Dreamgirls put Murphy back on the map with Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Award wins

In the mid-1990s, it appeared that Murphy's career was coming to an end. However, Murphy is never one to be counted out and in 1996, Murphy made his first career comeback with The Nutty Professor. Murphy portrayed seven different characters in the movie. The success of the film brought Murphy back into the spotlight. This is how Murphy was able to negotiate huge salaries for his roles as well.

Some other movies that were box office successes that put Murphy back on the map, according to Box Office Mojo include:

Films like Shrek 2, Dr. Dolittle 2, and Daddy Day Care performed respectfully at the box office as well. However, it was when Murphy had a supporting role in Dreamgirls that not only did the box office but critics paid attention to Murphy again.

In 2007, Murphy was nominated for several awards for his portrayal of James 'Thunder' Early in Dreamgirls. Those awards, according to GoldenGlobes.com, Oscars.org, and SAGAwards.org include:

Despite this success, the next several years were up and down for Murphy when it came to his box office success. However, one role that was as successful as it was profitable was Shrek.

3 Eddie Murphy Joins The Disney Family

Eddie Murphy Earned Over $20 Million For His Work On Shrek

• Murphy got backend points for the third installment, making an undisclosed additional amount of money

While Murphy had already worked with Disney on Mulan, it was when he signed on to play Donkey in Shrek that Murphy found himself part of a franchise that he was not anticipating. And with the franchise came hefty paychecks as well.

When Shrek made nearly $500 million at the box office, Disney knew that sequels had to follow. When this happened, Murphy renegotiated his price to return as Donkey. A negotiation that worked out well. This is because for the first Shrek, Murphy made $3 million. But for the second and third installments, Murphy made $10 million.

Because Shrek was so successful, there were other spin-offs over the years that Murphy participated in and was paid for as well. Just how much that was, exactly, has not been disclosed.

2 Eddie Murphy Is On The Short List Of Highest-Grossing Actors

Eddie Murphy's Films Have Grossed Over $7 Billion Worldwide

• Murphy's films have earned over $3 billion domestically

Even though Murphy's career either runs very hot or cold, he has managed to be part of projects that have been extremely high-grossing at the box office. As such, he is in the top five-grossing actors of all time.

To date, Murphy's films have grossed $7 billion worldwide. This is why, regardless of whether a studio has a project that is not outstanding, Murphy has the ability to negotiate $15 million to $20 million to star in it, negotiate for backend points as he has since Nutty Professor II, and make money from production credits as well. This has all led to Murphy's massive $200 million fortune.

1 Eddie Murphy Is In Higher Demand Today

Eddie Murphy Signed Deal With Netflix For $70 Million

• Murphy's salaries have not been disclosed for new film projects

These days, Murphy is in demand more than ever. This started in 2019 when he came full circle and hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time since he left the show back in the 1980s. The hosting gig won Murphy an Emmy for his performance.

Then came the highly-anticipated Coming 2 America. Fans could not wait to see Murphy reprise his role as Prince Akeem. This led to it being the highest-streamed movie the week Coming 2 America was released, according to Nielsen data.

In 2019, Murphy signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to create content for the streaming platform. That deal is estimated to be worth $70 million.

In 2023, Murphy released You People and Candy Cane Lane, both of which debuted in the number-one spot for streamed films when they were released.

Currently, in production, Murphy has The Pink Panther and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F has wrapped. With the buzz around the films, it sounds like there will be box office success again for Murphy. Something that will lead to a higher net worth as a result.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, GoldenGlobes.org, Oscars.org, SAGAwards.org