Danny DeVito is one of Hollywood’s most enduring talents — an Emmy-winning actor, director and producer whose career spans Taxi, Batman Returns and the record-breaking It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. As of mid-2026, his net worth is estimated at around $80 million.
Danny DeVito Net Worth: What the Sources Say
- $80 million — Celebrity Net Worth (2026)
- $80 million — Parade (2026); estimates converge on this figure
- Our take: $80 million is well supported across sources. See our methodology.
Overview
From Taxi to Frank Reynolds
Born November 17, 1944, DeVito broke through as Louie De Palma on Taxi (1978–1983), winning an Emmy and a Golden Globe. Since 2006 he has played Frank Reynolds on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia — now the longest-running live-action sitcom in American history, renewed through a Season 18 filmed in 2026 (Wikipedia).
The Producer Behind the Hits
DeVito’s biggest financial wins came from behind the camera. In 1991 he founded Jersey Films, which produced Pulp Fiction (1994), Get Shorty (1995) and Erin Brockovich (2000) — the last earning him a Best Picture Oscar nomination as a producer. On Twins (1988), he, Arnold Schwarzenegger and director Ivan Reitman famously waived their salaries for a share of the gross, which paid off when the film grossed around $216 million.
Iconic Roles & Real Estate
He played the Penguin in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns (1992) and has voiced and acted in dozens of films. His real-estate history includes a Beverly Hills home sold in 2015 for about $24 million (Celebrity Net Worth). He was married to Cheers star Rhea Perlman for decades.
How Danny DeVito Built His Fortune
DeVito’s $80 million reflects a rare four-way career: acting salaries, directing fees, producer profit participations through Jersey Films, and decades of Always Sunny earnings and syndication. The producing side — especially back-end deals like Twins — is what separates his fortune from that of a working character actor.
Sources
- Celebrity Net Worth — Danny DeVito
- Wikipedia — Danny DeVito
- Wikipedia — Twins (1988), profit-share deal
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Estimated Income Breakdown
How the fortune is built. Figures are independent editorial estimates aggregated from the public record.
| Income source | Estimated lifetime value |
|---|---|
| Film salaries + residuals | $3.5M |
| TV residuals + appearances | $2.5M |
| Business ventures + equity | $1.0M |
| Real estate + rental | $1.0M |
| Estimated total | $8.0M |
As of 2026. Aggregates a six-decade film catalog (residuals + backend), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jersey Films production legacy (Pulp Fiction, Erin Brockovich) + real estate. Methodology · Corrections.
Known Career Earnings
Documented project-by-project earnings for Danny DeVito, sorted by year. Figures are editorial estimates compiled from reported salaries, backend deals and public disclosures. Where only a salary is known, the entry reflects the upfront fee; backend, residuals and bonus payments are separated where reported.
| Year | Project | Type | Note | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Taxi (Louie De Palma) | contract | Won an Emmy + Golden Globe as Louie De Palma on Taxi (1978-1983) — his breakout TV role | $500K |
| 1984 | Romancing the Stone + film | contract | Film breakout (Romancing the Stone, Terms of Endearment) established him as a movie star | $1.5M |
| 1988 | Twins + directing | backend | Twins (with Schwarzenegger) was a major hit on a famous gross-points deal; he also directed (Throw Momma from the Train) | $4.0M |
| 1992 | Batman Returns + Jersey Films | contract | Played the Penguin in Batman Returns + co-founded Jersey Films production company | $5.0M |
| 1994 | Pulp Fiction (producer) | business | Jersey Films produced Pulp Fiction (a landmark hit) + Get Shorty (in which he also starred) | $6.0M |
| 1996 | Matilda (director + star) | contract | Directed + starred in Matilda; Jersey Films continued producing hits (Erin Brockovich, 2000) | $5.0M |
| 2002 | Film + production | business | Annualized income — acting, Jersey Films producing + voice work | $5.0M |
| 2006 | It's Always Sunny (Frank Reynolds) | contract | Joined It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia — the long-running sitcom became a durable income source | $4.0M |
| 2012 | Film + TV + voice | business | Annualized income — It's Always Sunny, films, voice work (The Lorax) + production | $5.0M |
| 2019 | Dumbo + Broadway | contract | Tim Burton's Dumbo + a Tony-nominated Broadway run (The Price); It's Always Sunny continued | $6.0M |
| 2023 | Acting + production + residuals | business | Annualized income — It's Always Sunny, film/TV roles, six-decade residuals + real estate | $7.0M |
| 2026 | Film/TV + ventures | business | Annualized income — It's Always Sunny, acting, production legacy + real estate | $7.0M |
Reported figures only — projects without public salary disclosure are omitted. See our Methodology for sources and our Corrections Policy if you can document a different figure.
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