How much is John Holmes worth?
| Net Worth: | $6 Thousand |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Adult Entertainer |
| Date of Birth: | August 8, 1944 (aged 43) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
About John Holmes
One of the most prolific adult films performers, John Holmes was the real Dirk Diggler. In his early life Holmes was the youngest of four children and grew up with an abusive alcoholic stepfather and a religious fanatic mother. He dropped out of bible study at 16 and enlisted in the US Army and was soon stationed in West Germany for three years. In 1965, he married Sharon Gebenini and worked odd jobs that he could find including as a postal clerk and a forklift driver.
After struggling to make ends meet and living a life that he felt did not properly portray his full character, he began to have advances made on him to become a possible adult film actor. He was told that he could earn good money from his performances as Holmes was known for his sexual prowess. In 1969, he began to appear in pornography and it didn’t take long for his tall slim build, and light mustache and blue eyes to become instantly recognizable to audiences. Even more so, it is considered that he was known and renowned for his large penis which paid him well earning a peak salary of an inflation-adjusted $3-4,000 per day.
Holmes appeared in many adult films, including multiple appearances as perhaps his most famous role of Johnny Wadd. Wadd was a private detective who Holmes appeared as in Tell Them Johnny Wadd Is Here (1976), The Jade Pussycat (1977), China Cat (1978), Liquid Lips (1976) and Blonde Fire (1978). While things went well for Holmes financially, the porno scene and lifestyle was a dangerous one and he soon became addicted to hard drugs, including freebasing cocaine.
His habit caused him to drop out of performing and soon he dropped out of the adult film industry altogether. Despite his earnings, by the late 1980s, he was worth nothing at all having spent all of his earnings and more on drugs. Allegedly he began to rob houses and steal cars, as well as work in drug related rackets run by local gangsters.
On July 1, 1981, Holmes was implicated in four drug-related murders. While he was not the one to have caused the victims physical damage, he was accused of being present while the four were tortured to death. Despite pressure put on him by police, Holmes would not cooperate and while he was eventually acquitted he remained in jail on previous charges relating to robberies and being found to be in contempt of court.
After he was released from prison, Holmes managed to kick his cocaine habit and began appearing in adult films once more. While the money was not what it used to be, he tried to make up for it by working longer and appearing in as many flicks as he could find. In total, it is reported that Holmes appeared in at least 573 films. However, with a raging HIV epidemic and more adult work than ever before, in 1985, Holmes was diagnosed with AIDS.
Keeping his condition to himself he continued to co-star in films until, by 1986, his physicaly appearance raised suspicion and he was later banned from working in the porno industry. Three years later, in 1988, at the age of 43, John Holmes died at the Veterans Administration Hospital at Sepulveda, California, with a net worth estimated at around $6,000 or an inflation-adjusted $16,000 in 2022.
The 1997 movie Boogie Nights, was based on his life and it has been claimed that Holmes may have had sex with as many as 14,000 women which is indeed, difficult to imagine.
Summing-Up
John Holmes earned a peak salary of $3-4,000 per day for his adult film acting work. To many, he had it all. Pretty women flocking around him, money galore and fame as well. However, after developing a nasty addition to cocaine before long all of his money was gone and Holmes felt the need to turn to the street to feed his habit. After being connected to the torture and murder of four people, he landed himself in prison and although acquitted of the original charges he stayed there on crimes relating to robberies and after having been found to be in contempt of court. Upon his release, he rejoined the adult industry but was soon after diagnosed with AIDS. Deciding to conceal his status to his producers and co-stars he continued to perform. Fortunately, his condition was later revealed but just three years later, with his wife, former pornstar Misty Dawn by his side, John Holmes died in a small room in a hospital bed.
