They're amongst the most famous a loved peopleon the planet - having dedicated their lives to making us chuckle.
And the leading lights of the comedy industry can earn millions of dollars from huge standup tours, chat shows, television programmes and movies.
Add in advertising and sponsorship deals, and shrewd investments, and these funny people can become seriously wealthy.
For this list we're only including people who have made the majority of their cash from comedy, rather than those who have a looser connection with the industry - so, for example, Byron Allen ($1 billion) doesn't make the list as he is primarily a television producer. Meanwhile we’ve left out South Park creators Matt Stone ($1 billion) and Trey Parker ($1 billion) as they are predominantly writers rather than performers.
That being said, here are the 15 richest comedians in the world in 2026, according to CelebrityNetWorth.
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1. Jerry Seinfeld - $900 million
Seinfeld is one of the most popular sitcoms of all time - with nine seasons of the so-called 'show about nothing' following the adventures of Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer. It's the main reason that Jerry Seinfeld is the richest comedian on the planet - with an estimated fortune of $900 million. | Getty Images for Bob Woodruff Fo
2. Ellen DeGeneres - $500 million
Winner of a remarkable 33 Daytime Emmy Awards for her self-titled chat show, Ellen DeGeneres also starred in her own sitcom as well as acting, performing comedy, writing books and presenting. It's earned her around $500 million. | Getty Images for Live Nation
3. Jay Leno - $450 million
Third on our list is former standup comedian Jay Leno, who became king of the chat shows as host of NBC's The Tonight Show from 1992-2009, swiftly followed by primetime talk show The Jay Leno Show. His huge popularity has built him a fortune of approximately $450 million. | Getty Images
4. Adam Sandler - $440 million
First finding fame as part of Saturday Night Live, Adam Sandler has become one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, with a string of hit comedy films. It's earned him an estimated $440 million. | Getty Images