Actor, comedian, and entertainer extraordinaire Katt Williams kicked off 2024 with a viral interview on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe. The nearly three-hour-long interview contained a host of hilarious improvised material from the comedian, exposing his name to a wide array of young audiences on social media, and reigniting interest in older fans. When the question of Katt Williams’ net worth popped up during the podcast, the acclaimed comedian humorously expressed that he has more than his reported figure of $2-$5 million on him in cash. This generated a great deal of interest from Williams’ fans, who quickly surmised that the Friday After Next actor has been paid multi-million dollar sums from single Netflix specials alone.
During the interview, Katt Williams provided no specific figures of his net worth but confirmed multiple times that his savings and assets accumulate to far more than $5 million. In fact, Williams argued that his true wealth comes from his own contentedness in life and peace of mind, stating “I’m one of the richest people that ever lived. Only in the fact that when I wake up in the morning, no matter where I am I don’t need nothing. Whatever I need is right around me, and whatever I don’t have, it’s only because I just don’t have it. It’s not because I can’t get it. All I gotta do is want it and it belongs to me.” Blavity recently reported on his net worth discrepency, but regardless of the true sum of Williams’ wealth, let’s take a look into his many income streams, and unpack his estimated worth.
Katt Williams Is Fully Self-Made
Unlike many entertainers who benefit from nepotism or external financial backing, Katt Williams truly came from nothing. Long before he launched his successful career on stage, he was a struggling artist who managed to support himself through street vending and performing with a traveling circus. The comedian, who was given the name Micah Williams at birth, became legally emancipated and left home at the age of 13, citing personal issues with his father, who was a devout Jehovah’s Witness.
As a wayward youth with no money, support, or proper education, Katt Williams had to rely on his own street smarts and his penchant for self-taught education to break into the comedy industry. After performing around the country and making a name for himself in the club circuit, Williams eventually caught the attention of Hollywood casting directors. His unabashed comedy stylings and razor-sharp wit made him a stand-out performer, earning him roles in a number of films and television shows.
Williams’ Acting Career
While he is primarily known for his work on the comedy stage, Katt Williams’ net worth has certainly been bolstered by his impressive filmography. Williams currently touts over 40 credits on his IMDb page, including stand-out performances in Epic Movie, Scary Movie V, Norbit, and several episodes of the hit adult animated series The Boondocks. The comedian is best known for his roles in Ice Cube films such as Friday After Next and First Sunday, in which Katt Williams wrote and improvised most of his own material.
Friday After Next served as a major stepping-stone in Williams’ career, as it was his first appearance in a feature film. According to a write-up in the New York Post, the film’s director, Marcus Raboy, stated “When our casting director found Katt, I think he was living in his car. He had this shock of hair, like he had put his fingers in an electric outlet, and his front teeth were missing. He was like a wild character. In many ways, he stole the show. When Katt is focused, there’s nothing quite like him.”
Very little is currently known about Katt Williams’ day-rate for film and television, though the comedian has expressed that he doesn’t make much from his collaborations with Ice Cube, as the former NWA rapper’s ventures tend to be independently funded outside of giant Hollywood studios. Terry Crews, who also has a prominent role in the film, has confirmed that he only made $4,000 for his performance. Katt Williams’ most recent screen-acting roles include bit parts in television series’ such as The Last O.G., Black-Ish, Atlanta and others. He is currently slated to appear in an upcoming crime drama titled For The Love Of Mine alongside A House Divided‘s LisaRaye McCoy.
Most Of Williams’ Wealth Comes From His Stand-Up Comedy
Despite several iconic placements in film and television projects, a vast majority of Katt Williams’ net worth stems from his prolific stand-up career. Since releasing his first full-length comedy special back in 2006, the A Pimp Named Slickback voice actor has performed droves of hour-long specials, partnering with platforms such as Comedy Central, Netflix, and HBO. Katt Williams claims that his base rate for stand-up specials is $10 million, though there is no word on when that rate became his standard. If we were to apply that figure to his entire catalogue, Katt would have accumulated more than $100 million from his hour-long specials alone.
Katt Williams claims to have repeatedly turned down stand-up deals worth over $50 million, due to his stringent rules regarding the fine details of his show. The It’s Pimpin’ Pimpin’ comedian has a hands-on attitude about all elements of his performances, including choosing the music that plays him onto the stage, the visual aesthetic of the set dressing and hand-picking a group of openers who tour with him around the country. Katt Williams is currently performing shows across the country alongside Mo’Nique and several others, as part of his Dark Matter tour. While there’s no way to calculate Katt Williams’ exact net worth, it seems clear that the reported figures of $2-$5 million cannot possibly be accurate.
