Net Worth: $300 Million
What Is Seth MacFarlane’s Net Worth?
Featureflash / depositphotos.comSeth MacFarlane’s net worth is estimated at $300 million. That fortune is beyond impressive for a guy who spent six months drawing the first episode of “Family Guy” at his kitchen table.
Since the debut of his hit Fox TV series, MacFarlane has debuted several other successful animated projects, launched several live-action TV series, including The Orwell, for which he starred, debuted several blockbuster films, and even proved himself to be a formidable Las Vegas headliner.
Let’s dive into the life of this multi-talented actor, voice, actor, director, and singer, to better understand how Seth MacFarlane’s net worth has reached well into the eight-figure club.
How Much Does Seth MacFarlane Make On Family Guy?
Featureflash / depositphotos.comAs the creator of the long-running “Family Guy” series, Seth MacFarlane’s net worth was already sure to grow. Throw in the fact that he voices many of the series’ characters, including Peter Griffin, Stewie, and others, and his pay has been truly astronomical over the years.
TheRichest reports that the main voice actors on the series earn between $175,000 and $225,000 per episode. With multiple characters voiced, MacFarlane is likely closer to the $225,000 range or around $4.5 million for each season’s 20-episode run.
While MacFarlane has not been the showrunner for “Family Guy” since 2005, Business Insider reported that his salary was $20 million per year to run the show.
“Family Guy” has been on TV for so long that it’s hard to remember a time before it existed. However, it was almost a failure. The show ran from 1999 through 2003 before being canceled, however, syndication on Cartoon Network led to a 200% boost in viewer ratings. The show also sold 400,000 copies on DVD for its first and season seasons. The show, between 2005 and 2008, earned $400 million from DVD sales and syndication, helping line MacFarlane’s pockets.
If that success wasn’t enough, “Family Guy” was earning around $200 million in annual merchandise sales and around $500 million in ad revenue.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, “a single syndicated episode sells for $2 million. A single 30-second commercial on the new airings sells for $200,000.”
We don’t know MacFarlane’s cut of revenue from syndication and merch sales but it’s likely enough to add millions to his annual salary from a show he hasn’t actively managed in around 20 years.
How many shows did Seth MacFarlane create?
Fox TVSeth MacFarlane has officially created five TV shows as of March 2024. His animated shows include; Family Guy (1999), American Dad (2005), and The Cleveland Show (2009). His live-action series so far include The Orville (2017) and Ted (2024).
It has been his animated shows that have earned much of Seth MacFarlane’s net worth. For example, in 2009, he negotiated a 5-year 100 million dollar deal to continue overseeing his animation empire. It was the most expensive contract in television history up to that point. That new contract didn’t even include the previously mentioned DVD and merchandising sales that added an estimated $20 million per year to Seth MacFarlane’s fortune.
What did Seth MacFarlane make for the Ted movies?
s_bukley / depositphotos.comWhile his salary has not been disclosed, Seth MacFarlane likely made millions for his combined work on “Ted” and “Ted 2.”
The first Ted movie, released in 2012, was produced for just $50 million. The movie was a massive success, bringing in $550 million at the worldwide box office.
The second movie was released in 2015 and brought in another $200 million.
It was his screenwriting for Ted that allowed Seth MacFarlane to break away from his animation roots and secure what would become a deal worth nearly a quarter of a billion dollars.
Seth MacFarlane’s $200 Million Network Deal
Jean_Nelson / depositphotos.comIn 2020, Seth MacFarlane announced he was moving over to NBCUniversal to create content for the network in a deal worth $200 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Under the terms of the deal, MacFarlane would create content that spans cable and streaming services. The five-year, $200 million deal, also included a signing bonus and overhead.
We witnessed some of Seth MacFarlane’s ambitions for the deal come to fruition in early 2024 with the premiere of the Peacock series “Ted” which is based on the early life of his titular character’s life.
Seth MacFarlane Also Earns From His Singing Career
While we mostly associate Seth MacFarlane with the movie and TV industries, he’s also an accomplished music artist. According to Billboard, in 2010, he signed with Universal Pulbic Records to release classic songs from Broadway’s 1940s and 1950s period.
Since that time he’s released five more albums and he was even nominated for a Grammy Award.
Throw in sold-out Las Vegas shows, and Seth MacFarlane’s net worth has likely received a nice bump from his foray into the world of music.
Seth MacFarlane’s start with Fox TV was rocky but his career since that time has been nothing but exceptional. With a $200 million contract with NBCUniversal that goes through 2025, a new “Ted” series on NBC’s Peacock streaming service, and his legacy work still going strong, we expect to see Seth MacFarlane’s net worth to continue on its upward trajectory well into the future.
