A talented comedian may earn an adequate income by making others laugh with enough time, perseverance, and good fortune. Though it's unlikely, it can happen. A comedian may earn hundreds of millions of dollars in very rare instances. These comedians have made much money through their performances and other businesses. They are the world's wealthiest comedians.

30. Jon Stewart (Tie)

In the late 1980s, Jon Stewart started his comic career in the New York City comedy club. He made his stage debut at The Bitter End and spent two years doing the 2 a.m. slot at the Comedy Cellar.

29. Steve Martin (Tie)

Steve Martin attended California State University, Long Beach, to study philosophy before becoming a comedian. He was unlikely to have been inspired to pursue comedy by that major.

28. Ricky Gervais (Tie)

Would you believe that before attempting comedy, Ricky Gervais tried his hand at becoming a pop sensation in a new wave music group? It is true, however. A band named Seona Dancing had a comedian as their main vocalist.

27. Jeff Dunham (Tie)

Jeff Dunham topped the list of Richest Comedians in the US for a while, earning more than Jeff Foxworthy and Jerry Seinfeld combined.

26. Bill Maher (Tie)

Most of Bill Maher's income comes from his popular HBO programme "Real Time with Bill Maher." Since 2003, the political humour programme has been airing.

25. Rowan Atkinson (Tie)

Because of his roles in "Blackadder" and "Mr Bean," Rowan Atkinson is one of Britain's most adored comedy performers. He has acted in several movies, TV series, and stage performances.

24. Joan Rivers (Tie)

In reality, Joan Alexandra Molinsky, better known as Joan Rivers, died away in 2014. But given her exceptional contributions to the comedy business and her ground-breaking work as a female comedian, we believed she merited a spot on our list.

23. Conan O'Brien (Tie)

Conan O'Brien is the American host of a late-night talk show with the longest tenure. Since 1991, the string-dancing comedian has hosted several late-night talk programmes. After "Conan's" last season aired on TBS in 2021, the comedian will host another programme on HBO Max.

22. Terry Fator (Tie)

Although Terry Fator may not be well-known, he gets compensated accordingly. Fator rose to fame in 2007 after winning the second "America's Got Talent" season with his accomplished ventriloquist and singing show.

21. Stefan Raab (Tie)

German comic and chat show presenter Stefan Raab has hosted several well-liked television programmes in Germany, notably "TV Total," which has been broadcast for 16 years.

20. Sacha Baron Cohen

Sacha Baron Cohen has a unique kind of hilarious brilliance. The English comic attended a clown school in Paris and began acting in personas early.

19. Drew Carey

Drew Carey joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve and worked as a field radio operator in Ohio for six years after being expelled from Kent State University (twice).

18. Bill Murray

An actual living legend, Bill Murray. Even if he creates a poor movie, it will still be entertaining to see since he will at least have a few funny lines, which is sometimes worth the entry fee.

17. Jimmy Carrey (Tie)

Jim Carrey was in abject poverty in a Toronto suburb of Ontario, Canada, where his family resided and worked across the street from a tyre factory. At 16, he dropped out of high school and spent his free time doing standup comedy throughout the city.

16. Steve Harvey

While striving to succeed as a comic, Steve Harvey slept in his van and had bologna sandwiches. He was so desperate that he had to steal petrol to go between comedy jobs.

15. Ray Romano (Tie)

Ray Romano's career began in 1989 when he entered the Johnnie Walker Comedy competition. The New Yorker, born in Queens, had a number of jobs, including when he appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman," where he met people at CBS who helped him launch his programme, "Everybody Loves Raymond."

14. Kevin Hart (Tie)

Funnyman Before beginning to perform during amateur hours in several Philadelphia nightclubs, Kevin Hart worked as a shoe salesman. During his early career, the comedian experienced some boos off stage but persisted in honing his skill.

13. Dan Aykroyd (Tie)

Dan Aykroyd earned a sizable sum of money through "Saturday Night Live" and many films, notably "Ghostbusters," which he also wrote. Still, he also acquired a fortune from other commercial endeavours.

12. Seth MacFarlane

Fox began airing "Family Guy" by Seth McFarlane in 1999. In 2008, less than ten years later, he agreed to a $100 million contract with the network. Over a decade before, the programme had amassed $1 billion in total sales.

11. Ellen DeGeneres

Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, was Ellen DeGeneres' home town. She spent one semester at the University of New Orleans before leaving.

10. Larry David (Tie)

Before co-creating "Seinfeld," Larry David served in the National Guard in the 1970s. This was his big break. He had jobs as a chauffeur, a cab driver, and a bra salesperson during that time.

9. David Letterman (Tie)

David Letterman was the preferred late-night host among comedians and younger viewers when he presided over "The Late Show." The programme received a total of 47 Emmy nominations and won six.

8. Bill Cosby(Tie)

Bill Cosby anticipated living all the rest of his days in prison. Then, in June 2021, his sex conviction was reversed by Pennsylvania's highest court, and he was released from jail.

7. Adam Sandler

Since 1995, the former "Saturday Night Live" cast member has begun producing films. Even though Sandler's days of making wildly successful films like "Happy Gilmore" are long gone, he still maintains a sizable fan base.

6. Byron Allen (Tie)

Byron Allen began with comedy and soon had his big break. When he was just 18 years old, he made his debut on television on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show" in 1979.

5. Jay Leno (Tie)

Leno began his long career as a performer on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show" in the 1970s. He eventually started serving as a frequent guest host. He succeeded Carson as the new king of late night in 1992.

4. Trey Parker (Tie)

At the University of Colorado in Boulder, Trey Parker first met future "South Park" co-creator Matt Stone. Matt Stone is from a little town in Colorado where Trey Parker grew up. While in college, they produced several comedic films, one being "The Spirit of Christmas," a forerunner to "South Park."

3. Matt Groening (Tie)

Margaret Ruth and Homer Phillip Groening welcomed Matt Groening into the world in Portland, Oregon, in 1954. He created cartoons while in school, and at the age of 23, not long after earning his degree from Olympia, Washington's Evergreen State College.

2. Matt Stone

They both had enormous real estate holdings, and as co-creators of "South Park," "The Book of Mormon," and other films like "Team America: World Police," they both benefitted.

1. Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld was raised in Brooklyn, New York City, and received his degree from Queens College, where he studied theatre and communication. He decided to follow this route because he wanted to be a comedian.