Ricky Gervais earned a staggering 1.41 million pounds (Dh6.43 million) from a single stand-up performance, making history as the world’s highest-grossing single gig by a British stand-up comedian.
After taking to the stage in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl on May 6 as part of his 'Armageddon' tour, the British comedian joked that he would “retire” after how much money he made at the packed-out show, reports mirror.co.uk.
Needless to say, Gervais could actually retire if he wanted to, as he has seen a hugely successful career in the world of comedy, acting, writing and directing that has raked him in a whopping net worth of $160 million (Dh587.57 million).
Gervais’ primary source of money has come from ‘The Office’ which he wrote, created and starred in from 2001 to 2003. The beloved series saw massive success and was adapted into the hugely popular American version starring Steve Carell and Mindy Kaling, which ran for nine seasons.
He has also generated a massive income from roles in the shows ‘Derek’, ‘Extras’, ‘After Life’ and more. He also receives royalties from the sale of merchandise related to all his film and television projects.
Gervais’ collective wealth has come from five multinational stand-up comedy tours, including ‘Fame’, ‘Science’ and ‘Humanity’.
He is currently on his Armageddon tour, which has him performing on dates across the US, UK and Europe throughout the year, and will be released as a special on the streaming service, Netflix.
With him being comfortable on-stage, Gervais has hosted big-scale events such as the Golden Globe Awards five times.
Gervais is also quite the writer, having penned several books, including 2004’s ‘Flanimals’ and its sequel ‘More Flanimals’ in 2005.
Meanwhile, as a keen investor in real estate, Gervais is the owner of several properties around the world in locations such as London, Los Angeles and New York. They are all worth millions.
He currently lives in a sprawling 10.8 million pound (Dh49.36 million) north London mansion with his wife, Jane Fallon.
Gervais also invested in stocks and bonds to earn passive income over the years.
His million-dollar endorsement deals throughout his career have been with major companies such as Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinects, Audi and Pepsi.
All of this makes Gervais one of the richest comedians in the world. He was sure to express his gratitude at his recent history-making performance at the Hollywood Bowl, which he dubbed “one of the most surreal nights of my life.”
He added: “I can’t even imagine what my mum would think about me playing the Hollywood Bowl. I hope she would be horrified by the language, tell me I looked fat, and be secretly proud.”
