How much is Theo Von worth?
| Net Worth: | $500 Thousand |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Comedian |
| Date of Birth: | March 19, 1980 (age 42) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.82 m) |
About Theo Von
Theo Von is part stand up comedian, part Youtube podcaster, part actor, and some even call him part philosopher and poet. Born in 1980 in Covington, Louisiana, Theo was the second of four children. His father was seventy years old when he was born, a fact that Von has infused into his onstage comedy regularly. His early life experience gave him a unique perspective on daily life and the ability to relate to other people’s odd and outlying life situations. His humor is observational and introspective, as it relates to human behavior, and incorporates political themes as well as human sexuality and differences in gender.
Von’s childhood and upbringing were unique to say the least. He’s spoken often about the quirk of having an elderly father, and his poor and fundamental religious household. At fourteen, his home life was such that his mother petitioned a court to legally emancipate him from the family. Upon his high school graduation, Von spent short stints at five different colleges, including LSU, and Loyola University/New Orleans as well as the University of Arizona and Santa Monica College. By nineteen, while at LSU, he was recruited for a part in the MTV reality show called “Road Rules-Maximum Velocity Tour.” This would be his first foray into the world of show business.
Over the course of the next four years, Theo participated as a contestant on the MTV reality game show “The Challenge”, which was a spinoff of Road Rules. In four seasons, he won first place twice. On the heels of his work with MTV, in 2006, Von entered an online contest for the comedy reality show “Last Comic Standing” and won the competition. It was at this point that Theo decided try his luck in the world of standup comedy.
Von took his resume and headed for Los Angeles in an attempt at a career in standup. Like most who dream of stardom, he understood he would need to get a foot in the door by seeking out any and all types of work in show business. And like most dreamers, he found that it wasn’t an easy road. Even with an extensive work record at MTV, Von realized quickly the scrutiny he would face, as casting directors and agents didn’t believe his experience in reality shows would translate to other mediums.
The ever resourceful kid from the Bayou understood that in order to shed the stereotype of reality tv, he would need to put his head down and plug away until his naysayers were proven wrong. Von was a quick study and undeterred by rejection. He parlayed his game show chops to land a host position in the Howie Mandel produced hidden camera show “Deal With It” and stayed on for three years. He found work in cameos with fellow comedians like Hannibal Buress and Amy Schumer.. He began to build a following and reputation in comedy circles. Von also ventured into the world of podcasting. He had been a presence on YouTube for a few years already, and in the same spirit as friends and colleagues like Joe Rogan and Bill Burr, he rightly guessed that he could build a following by using all these mediums to his advantage.
It is estimated that Von earns in the neighborhood of $100,000/year from his comedy appearances and specials. His extensive work in podcasting over the years of gaining fans now brings in the same amount.
Von is a complex case study all unto himself. From humble beginnings and an uncommon childhood, Theo managed to take what by many accounts could be described as a dysfunctional early life and make it work for him, rather than against him. Those who have followed his career arc from early on often cite his down to earth personality and ability to keep things real as his best assets. Von’s offbeat comedy has endeared him to some of the best comics in the industry as well as his loyal fanbase. His charm and introspection has a way of making some of the least palatable or raunchy content not just tolerable but outright hilarious. One bit that exemplifies his style is the story of struggling to make it to an early morning radio talk show in New York City, where he would share the mic with baseball slugger Darryl Strawberry, and how his escapades the night before threatened to sabotage the entire radio spot. Well worth listening to if you get the chance!
Beyond the standup work Von has done, he has been savvy enough to gain further exposure on his podcasts and Youtube presence. The latest of his podcasts, a collaboration with Brendan Schaub called “The King and the Sting”, reached #1 in the US on Itunes upon its debut. He’s become a regular on the podcast circuit in addition to returning the favor for any number of fellow comedians and entertainers to guest on his show. As of this date, Von’s Youtube channel boasts an impressive 1.27 million subscribers.
Summing-Up
If there ever was an example of self-made, Theo Von is it. Despite an early life that seemingly left him doomed to fail, he has built a career in show biz by simply being himself. As casting directors doubted he could be anything other than a reality star, he persevered. His curiosity in learning about others a well as himself has secured a spot in people’s hearts. His “every man” approach is honest and relatable…what you see is what you get. There are no airs to Von, and he.is one to never spare himself from ridicule or mockery in his shows, and it’s that genuine nature, that insistence that he never place himself above the rest of us, that always shines through in his work. That should not be mistaken for lack of dreams and ambition. Always the common man who thinks philosophically, we will close with his own words:
“When I see somebody in a Prius, sure, you drive a Prius and you get good gas mileage, but you probably feel like you drive a Prius.”
