Zak Bagans Net Worth

How much is Zak Bagans worth?

“After dealing with so much dark energy and investigating violent people for my job, I value creatures with pure souls – animals, especially dogs. I believe a higher power/god created these creatures to give us balance from people who can be truly evil. I am an active voice and supporter against animal cruelty.” Zak Bagans

About Zak Bagans

Zak Bagans, whose full name is Zachary Alexander Bagans, is an American actor, author, television personality, paranormal investigator, museum operator, and film director, and producer. He first gained national popularity in 2004 with the creation of the documentary film “Ghost Adventures”.

Throughout the 2010s, he continued to not only act but produce and create television projects such as “Paranormal Challenge”, “Ghost Adventures: The Aftershocks”, and “Deadly Possessions”.

“I believe if you believe in something or, let’s take for instance you go into a demonic location and you have a lot of fear: that fear within your body, within your mind, is like chum in water attracting a shark. They feed off our emotions. These demons also will influence and inflict malice into a living person because that’s how they feed.” Zak Bagans

Breaking Down Zak Bagans’ Net Worth

Working as a paranormal investigator and using that profession for television projects has helped Zak Bagans become very rich. In the early 2000s, he met and befriended Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin who offered him to use his paranormal abilities and create his own project. Zak agreed and decided to produce an independent documentary film with the three that can follow them and paranormal activity in Nevada.

At first, the show was an independent film, however, it was later picked by SciFi Channel in 2007. One year later, Travel Channel picked the right for the film, and thanks to its success, it was transitioned into a television series. Since then, there have been over 19 seasons and 225 episodes watched by millions in many countries around the world such as Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands. At first, Zak was able to earn just an estimated of just $20,000 per year. Today, he is worth $22 million.

“I’ve had Ferraris; I’ve had Aston Martins. I’ve had all kinds of cars, but the thing I love about Lamborghini is that they’re all-wheel drive, and when you step on the pedal, you stick to the road. You’re not fishtailing all over the place.” Zak Bagans

Since June 2011, he’s also been hosting a competitive reality show titled “Paranormal Challenge”. Besides all of these, since 2016, he’s been sporadically making appearances on another paranormal project – “Deadly Possessions”. Besides his work as a ghost hunter, Bagans is also known for his time in the museum and for his books.

“I’ve been on investigations where a spirit is channeling through me, and I have extreme changes in my emotions – anger, sadness, confusion. Then I begin seeing visions that are not mine. They are theirs. There is no trace of time. My body goes stiff, numb, cold. Then, when the spirit leaves, I can barely stand and speak.” Zak Bagans

In April 2016, he opened a museum based on the show “Deadly Possessions”, which includes many of his collected haunted items. Among some of the biggest attractions in the museum is Bella Lugo’s “mirror”, Jack Kevorkian’s “Death Van”, the “Peggy Doll”, and the “Dybbuk box”. In 2011, he released his very first book with Kelly Crigger. The son was titled “The Dark World” and it became a New York Times best-seller. Most recently, besides writing for the “Skeptical Inquirer” magazine, Zak published his second book title “Ghost Hunting for Dummies”.

“I’ve had some very close encounters with the other side. They chose me to do this – I was doing this all before a TV show. They chose me to communicate with them; they chose my path as a paranormal.” Zak Bagans

Concurrently with starring, producing, and running all 19 seasons of “Ghost Adventures”, in the 2010s, Bagans also starred and played an important role in the creations of spin-offs and other similar shows such as “Ghost Adventures: “Serial Killer Spirits”, “Screaming Room”, and the most recent, “Quarantine”.

Bagans’ Net Worth

Zak Bagans has earned a tremendous amount in the last few years from his appearances in TV series, “The Haunted Museum”, “HELP! My House Is Haunted” and “Ghost Adventures”. It is likely that he has been being paid as much as $250,000 per episode since 2018. However he is paid far more in total because he is also producing, as well. When taking into account all of his appearances, as himself, as a producer, writer and a director. It is estimated that he has earned revenues of some $35 million.

He has been active since 2004, and on average earned $1.94 million per year. However the majority of Bagans’ earnings have been made in the last five years since “HELP! My House Is Haunted”. His $35 million earnings would have been taxed at some of the highest tax rates if Bagans operated as an individual. It is far more likely considering Bagans has also been producing and so on, that he has accrued some of his earnings through a company which would result in some tax benefits. It also makes sense because he is likely reinvesting the capital, which is not considered salary but instead under Capex. I cannot find an entity in his name that fits the descriptions however he may hold one that has not been made public. Also note, the above may not be true. He may be being taxed at 37% federally and Nevada has no income tax.

All things considered, it is estimated that he has payed around 33% in taxes on his earnings in this calculation, perhaps less if he also reinvests capital under a company structure. Zak Bagans’ after tax earnings are $23.45 million, having paid $11.55 million in taxes. In 2019, he paid $1.889 million for a property in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, he sold it again two years later for $1.875 million. He has been involved in some other real estate deals also with mixed results. It is unclear if he has earned a profit from his investments in general.

Bagans has a museum. He houses collections of various haunted memorabilia and it is said by some to be quite valuable, perhaps worth $500,000. He also owns a car collection, including some classics. It has been estimated to be worth about $2 million. His investments have been purchased from his earnings from his TV series, his appearances and also his producing of hundreds of episodes. However it is unclear that Bagans is well versed in investing. It is being calculated as him breaking even on his investments.

Zak Bagans is unmarried and while he has been involved in a lawsuit or two, he doesn’t have a history of mental issues or alcohol abuse, and it is concluded that he generally has been able to hold on to his wealth. He will have had personal expenses and so on but with earnings as high as his, they are comparatively low compared to many of the other TV series stars on this site.

Overall, and all things considered, Zak Bagans has a net worth of $22 million.

Early Life

Bagans became famous after the release of his documentary film. He was born on April 5, 1977, in Washington, D.C. He spent most of his time studying history and sci-fi, which was his main hobby. Zak is of Czech, German, and Italian descent. He developed an interest in paranormal activity and supernatural creatures during his pre-teen and teen years. In January 1995, he attended the “Glenbard West High School” in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Shortly after his graduation, he enrolled at the Western Michigan University.

In the late 1990s, he decided to leave the Michigan University and enter the Motion Picture Institute from which he graduated. In February 1998, he and his sister took part in the “Wheel of Fortune for Family Week” in Las Vegas, Nevada. At that time, he was working as a DJ for weddings in various venues. Towards the new millennium, the paranormal investigator began encountering ghosts and other paranormal objects.

“I believe if you believe in something or, let’s take for instance you go into a demonic location and you have a lot of fear: that fear within your body, within your mind, is like chum in water attracting a shark. They feed off our emotions. These demons also will influence and inflict malice into a living person because that’s how they feed.” Zak Bagans

His first encounter was with a ghost of a suicidal woman that haunted his own apartment.

“I taunt and provoke, but you have to understand that I do that for a reason. I want to elicit a response. Remember that my mission is to capture on film and digital recording devices evidence of the paranormal. Many times, I can’t do that by being nice.” Zak Bagans

Summing-Up

Zak Bagans is known for so many reasons. Although he first gained national popularity with his abilities to hunt and talk to paranormal objects, now, he has transitioned into an actor, director, and author among many other professions. His name is almost always associated with mysteries, as well as paranormal activities and objects.

Ever since his first appearance on television, he quickly became memorable thanks to his unique personality. Now, he is more active than ever, and he continues to act and host his show “Ghost Adventures”, which became a world phenomenon that attracts millions of viewers.

“I have realized that when you rescue your pet from a shelter, it is the most amazing feeling in the world how this animal changes your life by giving it a better one.” Zak Bagans