Eddie Murphy's Net Worth—and the Shocking Sum He Made from 'Shrek'

Eddie Murphy's paydays make 'The Golden Child' look more like bronze.

Eddie Murphy’s net worth, like his career, has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The comedian is one of the most famous names to graduate from Saturday Night Live to the big screen. As one of the most popular comedians of the ‘80s, he’s spent a good amount of the past decades trying to reclaim his past glory.

From edgy stand-up comedian to big screen star and even hit singer (who could forget “Party All the Time”?), Murphy has had one of the most varied careers in Hollywood. Now that the actor is capitalizing on his old hit films with new sequels like 2021’s Coming 2 America and the upcoming Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley, we have to wonder—how much has he earned over the years?

Here is all you need to know about Eddie Murphy’s net worth — and how he earned it!

Related: Kids, Kids, Kids! Get to Know Eddie Murphy's 10 Children and Their Mothers

How did Eddie Murphy become famous?

Eddie Murphy has been performing as a stand-up comedian since he was only 15 years old. By the time the comedian was just 19, he landed the gig that would make him a household name: as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Murphy was by far the breakout performer of his group of Not Ready for Primetime Players, remaining with the show from 1980 until 1984.

During his time on SNL, Murphy was able to use his newfound notoriety to launch a successful film career. His debut movie, 1982’s 48 Hours, was a hit, leading to the start of a highly successful big-screen career, with an especially strong run in the 1980s including 1983’s Trading Places, 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop and 1987’s Beverly Hills Cop II. At the same time, Murphy found continued success in stand-up comedy with specials like 1983’s Eddie Murphy: Delirious and 1987’s Eddie Murphy Raw. He also released two hit songs as a solo artist off his 1985 debut musical album How Could It Be, “Party All the Time” and “Put Your Mouth on Me.” In short, Murphy found a number of ways to achieve both success and fame.

Related: Does Eddie Murphy Have an SNL Grudge?

What is Eddie Murphy's net worth in 2023?

According to Celebrity Net Worth, in 2023 Eddie Murphy has a net worth of $200 million. He has earned this fortune through his work as an actor, comedian, singer, screenwriter, producer, director, voice actor and stand-up comedian. He is one of the highest-grossing actors of all time, with his films grossing almost $7 billion worldwide as of this writing.

Is Eddie Murphy a billionaire?

At this time, Eddie Murphy is not a billionaire as he has a reported net worth of $200 million. However, he is the sixth-highest-grossing American actor at the worldwide box office with his films grossing almost $7 billion globally.

How much does Eddie Murphy make per movie?

As his career has seen its ebbs and flows, so has Eddie Murphy’s salary per movie. At one point, Murphy was one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, earning around $20 million per movie. The amount Murphy currently makes per film depends on his role in the project and its respective budget. He can make anywhere from $4 million to $20 million, oftentimes with points on the backend entitling him to a percentage of the film’s profits included.

He also signed a deal with Netflix in 2019 to record a series of comedy specials that reportedly included a payout of $70 million.

Related: Adam Sandler's Staggering Net Worth Revealed

How much was Eddie Murphy paid for 48 Hours?

For his debut film role in 1982’s 48 Hours, Eddie Murphy was reportedly paid $450,000. However, Murphy himself has said he was paid $200,000. By comparison, his co-star Nick Nolte is said to have earned $1 million. However, for the sequel, 1990’s Another 48 Hours, Murphy reportedly received a pay bump to $7 million while Nolte was only offered $3 million.

How much did Eddie Murphy make for Trading Places?

Eddie Murphy has said he was paid $350,000 for his role in 1983’s Trading Places. However, it has been reported he was paid $1 million for the role, with Paramount also agreeing to subsidize his production company, all based on the rushes from 48 Hours.

Related: How Jerry Seinfeld Got So Rich

How much did Eddie Murphy make for Beverly Hills Cop?

It is not clear exactly how much Eddie Murphy was paid upfront to star in 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop. As he had been paid $1 million for his appearance in Best Defense that same year, we can imagine his upfront payment was in that same range. However, we do know Murphy was able to renegotiate his contract for the film to receive a percentage of the movie’s profits. As it was a highly successful film, Murphy was reportedly able to earn $14.5 million from Beverly Hills Cop when all was said and done.

How much did Eddie Murphy get paid for Beverly Hills Cop II?

To reprise his role of Axel Foley in 1987’s Beverly Hills Cop II, Eddie Murphy reportedly received $8 million. It is not clear if he also received a percentage of the film’s profits, but that is likely as he did from the first movie.

To reprise his role a third time in 1994’s Beverly Hills Cop III, Murphy reportedly netted $15 million. He may have had a percentage of the film’s profits negotiated into his contract as well, however, the film was a critical and box office disappointment, only taking in $41.5 million, compared to the $235 million the second film earned.

How much did Eddie Murphy make for The Nutty Professor?

For 1996’s The Nutty Professor, Eddie Murphy is said to have been paid $16 million. For its sequel, 2000’s Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, Murphy was paid $20 million, plus 20% of the film’s gross receipts, which brought his total amount earned from the film to over $60 million.

Related: Hercules, Hercules, Hercules! Here Are 10 of Eddie Murphy's Best Roles

How much did Eddie Murphy make for Mulan?

It has been speculated that Eddie Murphy was paid $14 million for his voiceover role in 1998’s Mulan. Because the exact amount he was paid is not public knowledge, it has also been estimated he may have earned anywhere from $15 million to $20 million for the role, but these numbers are unconfirmed.

How much did Eddie Murphy make for Shrek?

Eddie Murphy was reportedly paid $3 million to voice Donkey in 2001’s Shrek. That’s a lot of money to befriend an ogre!

How much did Eddie Murphy make from the Shrek movies?

Eddie Murphy was paid $3 million for the first Shrek movie, 2001’s Shrek. When the movie proved to be a hit, he was offered $10 million to reprise the role in 2004’s Shrek 2. It is not known how much he was paid for the third installment in the franchise, 2007’s Shrek the Third, but we can imagine it was in the $10 million to $12 million range. For the fourth and last theatrical film in the Shrek franchise, it has been reported Murphy was paid $4 million upfront, plus points on the backend, which may have netted him as much as $12 million in total. This means that in all, just from the theatrical movies in the franchise, Murphy has been able to make as much as $35 million, give or take a million or so, from his voiceover work in the four Shrek films.

Related: Eddie Murphy Piles on to the Will Smith Jokes During 2023 Golden Globes Acceptance Speech

How much did Eddie Murphy make for The Haunted Mansion?

It is not known how much Eddie Murphy was paid to star in 2003’s The Haunted Mansion. Considering he was paid $20 million each to appear in 2001’s Doctor Dolittle 2 and 2002’s The Adventures of Pluto Nash, we can imagine he was paid in the $15 million to $20 million range.

How much did Eddie Murphy make for Coming to America 2?

It is not known how much Eddie Murphy was paid for 2021’s Coming 2 America, however it does appear that it wasn’t about the money when Murphy signed on to do the film, but more his enthusiasm for the project.

For the first film, 1988’s Coming to America, Murphy reportedly earned $8 million—a royal payday indeed!

Next, find out Kevin Hart's net worth and how he earned it.