What was Morgan Spurlock's Net Worth?
Morgan Spurlock was an American documentary filmmaker, humorist, television producer, screenwriter, and political activist who had a net worth of $5 million. Morgan Spurlock was best known for his Academy Award-nominated 2004 film "Super Size Me." The film, which followed Morgan as he ate nothing but McDonald's for 30 days, grossed $22 million on a budget of just $65,000. Other documentaries he directed include "Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?," "POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold," and the concert film "One Direction: This is Us." Additionally, Spurlock was the star of the reality TV show "30 Days" and hosted "Morgan Spurlock Inside Man" on CNN. Unfortunately, Morgan died on May 23, 2024, at the age of 53.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Morgan Valentine Spurlock was born in 1970 in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and raised in Beckley by his Methodist parents. He is of English and Scots-Irish descent. In Beckley, he attended Woodrow Wilson High School and then moved to New York to enroll at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, from which he graduated in 1993.
In the 1990s, Spurlock worked as a playwright; among his works was "The Phoenix," which won awards at the New York International Fringe Festival and the Route 66 Playwriting Competition. In the early 2000s, he created the MTV webcast "I Bet You Will," which comprised five-minute episodes featuring regular people performing stunts for cash. A huge success online, MTV later purchased and broadcast the show with Spurlock as host.
"Super Size Me" and Major Fame
Spurlock rose to mainstream fame in 2004 when he directed and starred in the documentary "Super Size Me." In the film, Spurlock conducts an experiment to see what would happen if he ate nothing but three McDonald's meals every day for a month. Above average in health and fitness before the film, Spurlock ended up gaining 25 pounds and began suffering from depression and liver dysfunction by the end of the project. It took Spurlock 14 months to return to his normal weight. Ultimately, the film was a huge commercial success, grossing $22 million on a budget of $65,000. Moreover, it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature and won Spurlock the inaugural Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay.
After "Super Size Me," Spurlock served as executive producer on a number of documentaries, including "The Future of Food," "Czech Dream," and "The Third Wave." In 2007, he produced "What Would Jesus Buy?," about a satirical performance group known as Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping.
Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images
Later Documentaries
In 2008, Spurlock released his second documentary feature, "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?," which had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The film, which focused on the fight against terrorism and the possible location of the then-at-large Osama Bin Laden, could not match the runaway success of Spurlock's first feature. Later, in 2010, he wrote and directed a segment of the documentary "Freakonomics," which was based on the popular 2005 non-fiction book.
Spurlock returned in 2011 as the writer and director of "POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold," a documentary about marketing and product placement. The film, which included appearances from Noam Chomsky, J. J. Abrams, Ralph Nader, and a myriad of corporate figures, was a moderate critical and commercial success. Also in 2011, Spurlock directed, wrote, and produced "Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope," which followed the adventures of five attendees at the San Diego Comic-Con International. Subsequent works directed by Spurlock include 2012's "Mansome," a comedic look at male grooming; "One Direction: This is Us," a 3D concert doc revolving around the titular British boy band; and "Rats," which chronicles rat infestations in various major world cities. In 2017, Spurlock premiered a sequel to his earlier doc called "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!," in which he explored growing healthy trends in the fast food industry.
"30 Days" and Television Career
In 2005, Spurlock created the FX reality television series "30 Days," which he also hosted. In each episode, either Spurlock or another subject would spend 30 days immersing themselves in a lifestyle markedly different from their own, with running social commentary from Spurlock offered along the way. The series ran until 2008.
Later, in 2012, Spurlock began hosting "Morgan Spurlock's New Britannia," a British comedy series focused on the cultural differences between the UK and the US. In 2013, he began producing and hosting the investigative CNN series "Morgan Spurlock Inside Man," which ran until 2016. Other television credits have included "Losing It with John Stamos," "7 Deadly Sins," and "The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!," which he directed.
Other Work
The year after "Super Size Me," Spurlock wrote a follow-up book called "Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America." Later, he penned a foreword for Martin Lindstrom's 2011 book "Brandwashed" and contributed a chapter to Tim Ferriss' 2016 self-help book "Tools of Titans." Spurlock also created a half-hour documentary series for Hulu called "A Day in the Life," which followed successful figures such as Richard Branson and Misty Copeland.
Personal Life
In 2006, Spurlock married Alex Jamieson, with whom he had a son, Laken. They lived in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn in a two-bedroom, three-bathroom brownstone garden apartment. In 2011, the pair divorced. Spurlock subsequently wed Sara Bernstein in 2016 and had another son, Kallen.
In 2017, Spurlock penned a blog post admitting to a history of sexual misconduct. As a result, he stepped down from his position with his company, Warrior Poets.
Death
Morgan died on May 23, 2024, at the age of 53.
