Net Worth: $100 Million
What Is William Shatner’s Net Worth?
Jean_Nelson / depositphotos.comWilliam Shatner’s net worth is estimated to be around $100 million. While the Canadian-born actor is best known for his work as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, his fortune has been built on the back of various ventures.
Shatner is an accomplished actor, having appeared in such hits as T.J. Hooker, The Practice, and Boston Legal. He’s also a stage actor who started in the 1950s and an author who has penned many books, including fiction novels and his memoir.
Here’s how the Emmy-winning actor built an eight-figure nest egg after more than 70 years in Hollywood.
How Much Has William Shatner Made From Star Trek?
s_bukley / depositphotos.comWilliam Shatner appeared on the original Star Trek series, which aired from 1966 through 1968. The TV series had three seasons and 79 episodes in total.
Giant Freakin Robot reports that the average TV salary for starring roles at the time was about $5000 per episode. Given the size of the ensemble cast and the show’s budget of $175,000 to $190,000 per episode, it’s like Shatner earned around the industry average.
That would mean Shatner earned an estimated $395,000 for the series run or around $3.8 million when adjusted for inflation in 2024.
Keep in mind, TV shows before 1973 didn’t feature royalty deals and Shater has publicly acknowledged that he doesn’t earn money from the original series which is still showing re-runs more than 50 years after it aired.
While Shatner hasn’t earned additional money from the show’s syndication, he did appear in six Star Trek live-action films and provided his voice acting skills for Star Trek: The Animated Series. Shatner even wrote and directed Star Trek: The Final Frontier which earned $70 million at the box office.
Shatner has also secured various speaking engagements and public appearance fees related to the series, appearances that have likely added millions of dollars to William Shatner’s net worth.
William Shatner Earned Millions From $#*! My Dad Says
s_bukley / depositphotos.comRemember when a Twitter account became a real-life sitcom? “$#*! My Dad Says” only managed to etch out a single season but Shatner, co-starring at the subject of the Twitter account, earned a reported $150,000 per episode.
In total, Shatner earned an estimated $2.7 million for the full season, according to The Richest.
Once again, a single season means no royalties were paid out to Shatner, but it wasn’t a bad payday for a show that should have just stayed on social media.
How Much Does William Shatner Earn For TV Appearances?
bossmoss / depositphotos.comWhile much of the actor’s appearances on TV in recent years have been focused on voice acting, the actor’s long history in Hollywood has certainly pumped up William Shatner’s net worth.
According to TheThings, Shatner earns around $150,000 per TV episode. If we consider his 101 episodes of Boston Legal, that would be a payday of just over $15 million for a single TV series. Given the show’s success and potential royalty payments for syndication deals, that number could be much higher.
Considering that Shatner has 253 credits to his name as of March 24, 2024, it’s easy to see how his net worth has creeped to at least $100 million over the course of his career.
Shatner Has Sold Millions Of Albums, Mostly Spoken Word
s_bukley / depositphotos.comWhen we hear the name William Shatner, we don’t necessarily immediately think about albums. However, the multi-talented performer has released eight studio albums and found moderate success for what we’d consider a side gig.
Shatner first entered the music scene with the 1968 album “The Transformed Man” which features both readings from popular stage plays and several covers of hit songs, including Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” and the Lennon-McCartney song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
Industry estimates have put his total album sales into the millions, although the actor has never confirmed or denied those sales figures.
In 2018, the actor even signed a new record deal, promising to deliver his most entertaining work to date. Shater was 86 years old at the time of his new deal. In 2018, he released his holiday album, hilariously titled “Shatner Claus.”
William Shatner Is A New York Times Best-Selling Author
s_bukley / depositphotos.comWilliam Shatner’s long-standing relationship with global book publisher Simon & Schuster has resulted in the publication of 16 books.
According to the publishing company his work includes, “Nine Star Trek novels, including the New York Times bestsellers The Ashes of Eden and The Return. He is also the author of several nonfiction books, including Get a Life! and I’m Working on That.
Simon And SchusterWith millions of books sold, William Shatner’s net worth has likely grown significantly from his work as an author. It’s also nice to see the guy who helped build a sci-fi empire build at least part of his fortune off the series he helped define.
William Shatner’s Priceline Deal And Other Endorsements Added To His Fortune
William Shatner’s net worth is at least in part tied to an equity deal he worked out with Priceline. During the travel sites fledgling days, Shatner agreed to a modest and undisclosed salary along with equity in the company.
While we don’t know the exact amount earned by the actor, we do know it’s not the $600 million that was reported by many publications. The company’s Chairman and CEO Jeffery Boyd revealed to MSNBC that the actor sold his shares in the company well before its stock skyrocketed.
Still, his regular appearances as Priceline’s spokesperson and his equity deal ensured a hefty payday for the Star Trek star.
Other product endorsements from the actor include:
- Commodore VIC-20 computer
- Loblaws grocery stores (Canada)
- World of Warcraft
- Star Trek Online video game
William Shatner’s net worth is impressive, especially when considering that multiple divorces likely resulted in the actor losing a good chunk of his fortune. While the full details of his divorce deals are not publicly known, it was revealed that he paid ex-wife Elizabeth Martin a total of $2 million during their 2020 divorce. In January 2023, the Mirror reported that the couple was back together.
While William Shatner is now 93 years old, he continues to work and has an upcoming TV appearance in The Elevator and another project, Keeper of the Cup.
