Dan Aykroyd Net Worth: Daniel Edward Aykroyd was a writer, producer, comedian, actor, and musician. He was one of the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” on Saturday Night Live.
On Saturday Night Live, he and his friend John Belushi co-starred in the musical comedy The Blues Brothers, which was eventually turned into a real band and appeared in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers.
Aykroyd also came up with the idea for the 1984 movie Ghostbusters and played Dr. Raymond Stantz. The movie led to a sequel and eventually a full-fledged media empire. We shall examine Dan Aykroyd’s net worth in this article.
Who Is Dan Aykroyd?
On July 1, 1952, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Daniel Edward Aykroyd was born, becoming Dan Aykroyd. His father, Samuel (who went by his middle name, “Peter”), was a writer and civil engineer who served as Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s policy advisor. His mother, Lorraine, was a secretary.
Aykroyd has a younger brother, Peter, who grew up as an actor and writer. Dan was born with webbed feet and was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and Tourette’s syndrome at ages 12 and 8. He was brought up in a Catholic home and intended to become a priest, but at 17, he changed his mind.
Aykroyd graduated from St. Pius X High School and St. Patrick’s High School before enrolling at Carleton University to study sociology and criminology. He left school early and didn’t complete his degree. He ran the speakeasy Club 505 and did stand-up comedy in Canadian nightclubs. In 1973, he joined the Second City, comedy team.
What Is Dan Aykroyd’s Net Worth?
A 250 million dollar fortune is held by Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, and businessman Dan Aykroyd. Aykroyd is best known for his roles as Ray Stantz in the “Ghostbusters” film series and as one of the founding cast members of “Saturday Night Live.”
He is a part of The Blues Brothers, a group that started as a “Saturday Night Live” spoof starring Dan and John Belushi and later became a touring act. Their 1978 album “Briefcase Full of Blues” achieved double platinum status after selling 3.5 million copies.
Aykroyd developed Crystal Head Vodka with $600,000 in 2007 and co-founded the House of Blues concert venue/restaurant complex in 1992. The vodka is packaged in crystal skull-shaped bottles, and the business’s turnover surpassed $80 million in 2018.
When Did Dan Aykroyd Start His Career?
The Canadian sketch comedy series “The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour,” which aired from 1970 to 1971 and starred Hart Pomerantz and Lorne Michaels, gave Aykroyd his television debut when he was 17 years old. Michaels eventually hired Dan as a writer and performer for “Saturday Night Live.”
From 1975 until 1979, Aykroyd appeared on the show as well-known characters like Yortuk Festrunk, Beldar Conehead, and Elwood Blues. The Blues Brothers had their movie in 1980, and in the 1998 follow-up, “Blues Brothers 2000,” John Goodman took the place of the late John Belushi.
Dan had intended to co-star with Belushi in “Ghostbusters” (which Aykroyd began writing in the early 1980s), but after he passed away in 1982 from a drug overdose, Dan rewrote the part of Peter Venkman for Bill Murray. Dan also co-starred with Belushi in the films “1941” (1979) and “Neighbors” (1981).
Aykroyd appeared as a cab driver in the 2016 revival, inspired by the 1984 movie that earned $295.7 million worldwide and spawned a 1989 sequel and an animated series (“The Real Ghostbusters,” which ran from 1986 to 1991). In “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” slated for release in 2021, he played the same part again.
Dan co-starred in “Trading Places” with Eddie Murphy in 1983. He subsequently authored and appeared in “Spies Like Us” (1987) and “Dragnet” (1988). (1987). Then he made appearances in the films “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989), “Nothing But Trouble” (1991), “Coneheads” (1993), and “Tommy Boy” (1995).
Ghostbusters Salary
Columbia Pictures agreed to some very generous wage terms negotiated by Michael Ovitz, the lead partner at talent agency CAA, to win the rights to the much desired “Ghostbusters” script. 30% of the film’s gross receipts from ticket sales, home video sales, and network license deals would be divided among the three main actors (Aykroyd, Murray, and Ramis) and the director, Ivan Reitman.
In the end, $300 million was divided among the four parties. The cost per individual is $75 million. Inflation-adjusted, that amounts to $200 million for each individual.
The four main characters received an even better deal for the sequel. They split 35% of the revenue after receiving upfront salaries of $6 million apiece. “Ghostbusters II” had a marginally lower box office haul, bringing in about $215 million. It is reasonable to infer that each four made $50 million off the sequel between pay and backend points. That is equivalent to $110 million after inflation.
Thus, Dan Aykroyd made almost $125 million on the first two Ghostbusters without accounting for inflation. After taking inflation into account, he made $310 million today. Dan made millions more as the film’s inventor and screenwriter thanks to future sequels, merchandise, comic books, and other projects.
Dan Aykroyd’s Personal Life
In 1980, Dan was engaged to Carrie Fisher, his co-star in “The Blues Brothers,” but she walked out on him in favor of an earlier relationship with Paul Simon.
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On April 29, 1983, Aykroyd wed actress Donna Dixon; the couple had three daughters: Danielle (born in November 1989), Belle (born in June 1993), and Stella (born in April 1998). Dan was deeply saddened by the passing of John Belushi, whom he referred to as a brother and a kindred soul. Keep yourself updated with all the latest news from our website Newswatchlist.com and get all the recent updates.
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