Eddie Murphy Net Worth

What is Eddie Murphy's net worth and salary?

Eddie Murphy is an American actor, comedian, producer, and director who has a net worth of $200 million. Eddie Murphy is one of the highest-grossing actors in film history. As of this writing, his movies have grossed nearly $7 billion at the worldwide box office. That makes him the sixth highest-grossing American actor at the box office. In the late 80s, 90s, and 2000s, Eddie was consistently one of the highest-paid actors in the world, routinely earning $20 million per movie. During his career to date, Eddie has easily earned over $300 million in salaries and backend royalties. In 2019 Netflix paid Eddie $70 million to deliver a series of comedy specials. When you total it all up, of the deals we KNOW about, Eddie has earned at least $420 million during his career to date.

Eddie Murphy gained national attention when he joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1980. He was just 19 years old when he landed on the show. When Eddie joined SNL, the show was struggling. Lorne Michaels and all the original stars had left. Eddie became an instant breakout star thanks to sketches like "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood," "Gumby," "Gumby," "Velvet Jones," "James Brown's Celebrity Hot Tub Party," and "White Like Me." He is widely credited with saving the show from cancellation. He appeared on 65 episodes between 1980 and 1984.

At just 21, Murphy transitioned to film with the blockbuster success of "48 Hrs." (1982), followed by hits like "Trading Places" (1983) and the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise, which cemented him as a bona fide movie star.

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Murphy became one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, known for combining action, comedy, and streetwise charm. He expanded his range with films like "Coming to America" (1988), where he played multiple characters, and "The Nutty Professor" (1996), showcasing his talent for physical comedy and prosthetic transformations. In the 2000s, Murphy introduced himself to a new generation as the voice of Donkey in the "Shrek" series, one of the most successful animated franchises of all time.

Murphy's dramatic turn in "Dreamgirls" (2006) earned him an Academy Award nomination, and he later received acclaim for his comeback performance in "Dolemite Is My Name" (2019). He was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes in 2023.

Early Life & SNL

Eddie Murphy was born on April 3, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York. He was raised in the Bushwick neighborhood alongside his older brother, Charlie Murphy. His mother, Lillian, worked as a telephone operator. His father, Charles Edward Murphy, was a New York City transit police officer who dabbled in stand-up comedy. When Eddie was just eight years old, his father was tragically killed, and his mother became seriously ill shortly afterward. The Murphy brothers spent a year in foster care before their mother recovered and remarried.

From an early age, Eddie showed an uncanny ability to imitate voices and characters. After discovering a Richard Pryor comedy album in his teens, he became obsessed with stand-up comedy and began performing at local clubs by age 15. He was also heavily influenced by Bill Cosby, often studying his albums and routines to hone his craft.

In 1980, at just 19 years old, Murphy joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live." At the time, SNL was on the brink of collapse after losing its original cast. Within weeks, Murphy emerged as the breakout star. His electric energy and unforgettable characters such as Mr. Robinson, Gumby, Buckwheat, and Velvet Jones breathed life back into the show and transformed him into a national sensation. By the time he left SNL in 1984, Eddie Murphy had become a bona fide star and one of the most important figures in American comedy.

Film Career

Murphy made his film debut while still on SNL, starring opposite Nick Nolte in the 1982 action-comedy "48 Hrs." The film was a major critical and commercial success and made it clear that Murphy had true box-office power. He followed up with a string of hits that turned him into one of the biggest movie stars of the 1980s. "Trading Places" (1983), "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984), and "Coming to America" (1988) were all massive blockbusters, cementing his place as a top-earning actor and worldwide phenomenon. In 1989, he directed and starred in "Harlem Nights," which featured an ensemble cast including Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx.

By the early 1990s, Murphy's box-office dominance slowed somewhat, but he successfully reinvented himself in family-friendly roles. He starred in the hit remake of "The Nutty Professor" in 1996, followed by "Dr. Dolittle," and voiced the fast-talking Donkey in the hugely successful "Shrek" franchise. He also voiced the dragon Mushu in Disney's "Mulan," further endearing him to a new generation of fans.

In 2006, Murphy received some of the best reviews of his career for his dramatic turn as soul singer James "Thunder" Early in "Dreamgirls." The performance earned him a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Over the years, Murphy has continued to produce and star in his own films, including "Vampire in Brooklyn," "Life," and the long-awaited sequel "Coming 2 America," which was released in 2021. In 2019, he made a triumphant return to prestige cinema with "Dolemite Is My Name," a biopic about underground comic and filmmaker Rudy Ray Moore. The film was met with widespread acclaim and reminded audiences of Murphy's dramatic range and charisma.

After a long hiatus from stand-up, Murphy also announced plans to return to the stage and confirmed his involvement in "Beverly Hills Cop 4," a continuation of one of his most iconic franchises. With over four decades in the spotlight, Eddie Murphy remains a singular talent whose impact on film, television, and comedy is virtually unmatched.

Personal Life

In 1993, Eddie married his longtime girlfriend, Nicole Mitchell, who today is still known as Nicole Murphy. The two divorced in 2006. Eddie reportedly paid Nicole a $15 million divorce settlement. Eddie dated singer Melanie Brown from 2006 to 2007. He dated businesswoman Tracey Edmonds in 2008. He has been dating model Paige Butcher since 2012. In September 2018, the couple got engaged. Eddie has ten children from his various relationships.

Murphy has donated to many causes and charities over his career, including the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Martin Luther King Jr. Center, and $100,000 to the Screen Actors' Guild strike relief fund.

Martin Lawrence Connection

In May 2025, Eddie's son Eric married Martin Lawrence's daughter Jasmin, making the two comedy legends brothers-in-law.

Eddie Murphy Salary Highlights

Murphy earned just $4,500 per episode of Saturday Night Live in 1981. The following year, his salary was raised to $30,000 per episode. In 1982, he was paid $450,000 for his work in 48 Hours. In 1990, he was paid $7 million for the sequel, Another 48 Hours. His first major paycheck came in 1984 when he earned $1 million for the film Best Defense. In the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s alone, Eddie earned at least $250 million in film salaries and backend points. His career film earnings likely top $300 million.

Here is a quick hit of notable salaries earned by Eddie Murphy during his career:

• In 1987, he earned $8 million for Beverly Hills Cop II, which is the same as around $18 million today after adjusting for inflation.
• He earned another $8 million the next year for Coming to America.
• For 1994's Beverly Hills Cop III he earned $15 million, the same as roughly $25 million in today's dollars.
• $16 million for The Nutty Professor (1996)
• $17.5 million for Doctor Dolittle (1998)
• $20 million for Nutty Professor II (2000) – He also received 20% of the gross receipts, which brought his total payday to more than $60 million from the film.
• $3 million for Shrek (2001)
• $20 million from Doctor Dolittle 2 (2001)
• $20 million for The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
• $10 million for Shrek 2 (2004)
• $4 million for Shrek Forever (potentially as much as $12 million with backend points)
• $7.5 million from Tower Heist (2011)

Netflix Project

In July 2019, it was reported that Eddie was in talks to receive $70 million to record a series of comedy specials for Netflix. That's $10 million more than the $60 million Dave Chappelle earned for his 3-special deal. Chris Rock earned $40 million for two specials.

Eddie Murphy Quote on Money

"Every bad decision I've made has been based on money. I grew up in the projects, and you don't turn down money there. You take it because you never know when it's all going to end. I made Beverly Hills Cop III because they offered me $15 million. That $15 million was worth having Roger Ebert's thumb up my ass."

Real Estate

Over the years, Eddie has owned a number of extraordinary mansions. For a period in the 1990s, Eddie lived in Granite Bay, California (near Sacramento), in an opulent custom-built mansion in a luxurious gated community. After selling the Granite Bay home, Eddie spent $10 million on a 3.7-acre undeveloped lot in the extremely exclusive Beverly Hills neighborhood of Beverly Park. Beverly Park is a gated community at the top of the most expensive part of Beverly Hills. It's home to stars like Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, Rod Stewart, and Sylvester Stallone… in addition to a number of multi-billionaires.

After buying his lot for $10 million in 2001, Eddie spent untold millions constructing a brand new 40,000 square-foot mansion. The home has 32 rooms – 9 bedrooms and nine bathrooms. The property has a large pool, tennis court, library, and bowling alley. If it were to hit the market, the house would easily fetch north of $30-40 million. A previous Beverly Hills home that Eddie owned in the 1980s was listed in 2016 by a later owner for $85 million.

In 2007, Eddie paid $15 million for a 15-acre private island in the Bahamas called Rooster Cay. He previously owned a different private island called Pearl Island.

In 2012, Murphy finally sold his New Jersey home for $12 million after listing it seven years prior for $30 million.