What Is Jo Koy's Net Worth?
Jo Koy is an American-Filipino stand-up comedian and podcaster who has a net worth of $15 million. Jo Koy is one of the most popular comedians in the world. In November 2022, Jo sold out the 14,000-seat T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas. He is the first comedian to sell out the stadium.
Jo Koy's career began in Las Vegas during the early 1990s, when he performed at local comedy clubs and gradually built a following. He gained national recognition in 2005 when he made his first appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." This led to multiple appearances on "Chelsea Lately," cementing his status as a top-tier comedic talent. Koy's honest and hilariously relatable storytelling often centers around his family, specifically his Filipino mother and growing up in a mixed-race household. Jo Koy's comedy specials have been successful both critically and popularly. His first Netflix special, 2017's "Jo Koy: Live from Seattle," was a hit and was followed by "Jo Koy: Comin' In Hot" in 2019, "Jo Koy: In His Elements" in 2020, and "Live from the LA Forum" in 2022. These specials have broadened his international appeal, especially within the Filipino community.
Beyond his comedy specials, Jo also hosts the podcast "The Koy Pond." He was honored as Stand-Up Comedian of the Year at the 2018 Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal.
Early Life
Jo Koy was born Joseph Glenn Herbert on June 2, 1971, in Tacoma, Washington. His American father was stationed in the United States Air Force in the Philippines when he married Koy's Filipino mother, who worked as a manager for a Filipino rock band. The couple got divorced when Jo was 13, and after that, his mother raised all her children on her own. The family moved to Tacoma, Washington, and then to Los Vegas soon after Jo finished high school in Tacoma. The family moved to Los Vegas to be near Jo's ailing grandmother. His stage name comes from a nickname that his family gave him growing up. Koy credits his mother for his acting and comedic talents, frequently telling stories about her during his comedy shows. His mother encouraged him to participate in school talent shows and to hold impromptu shows for his family and friends.
Jo began college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. However, he chose to leave the school in order to focus on a career in comedy full-time.
(Photo by Rich Polk/Golden Globes via Getty Images)
Career
Koy began performing stand-up in the mid-90s in Las Vegas and started to gain notice when he became a regular performer in the show, "Catch a Rising Star" at the MGM Grand. This inspired him to move to Los Angeles. After he performed at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Jo rented the Huntridge Theater and went door to door to sell tickets to his own comedy shows. He was then invited to appear on BET's "Comic View." From there, he went on to win a number of comedy awards and to perform as part of multiple high-profile tours and programs. He has appeared on two seasons of "Comic View." The comedian went on to star in other TV stand-up specials like "Jamie Foxx Presents: Laffapalooza!". Jo has won the Showtime at the Apollo and has appeared on various episodes of the VH1 shows "I Love the '70s," "I Love the '80s," and "I Love the '90s."
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Jo was a regular guest commentator on "Chelsea Lately," appearing on over 100 episodes as a season regular roundtable guest. Koy was one of only a handful of comedians to receive a standing ovation after performing on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Koy has been a frequent guest on "The Adam Carolla Show." He hosts his own podcast, "The Koy Pond," on PodcastOne. He also appeared on the Tru TV show "World's Dumbest" and "New Millenium." Koy received a second invite to the Montreal comedy festival "Just for Laughs," where he received the prestigious Canadian Gemini Award. Koy has also appeared on Carlos Mencia's "Punisher Tour," performing stand-up in front of fans filling 10,000-seat arenas and stadiums across the country. Jo started a podcast with comedian and TV host Michael Yo in 2012 called "The Michael Yo and Jo Koy Show." The comedian still tours around the US and can be heard as a weekly guest on the podcast "The Adam Carolla Show."
Koy has done two highly rated and successful comedy specials for Comedy Central: "Don't Make Him Angry" and "Lights Out." His third comedy special, "Jo Koy: Life from Seattle," is a Netflix Original, released worldwide on March 28, 2017. In June 2019, Koy released another Netflix special titled "Joy Koy: Comin' In Hot." In February 2019, Koy performed two shows on stage at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado, for the closing night of the famed Aspen Laugh Festival. On June 12, 2020, Jo, along with Netflix, released another comedy special called "Jo Koy: In His Elements." The special featured Filipino American comedians, DJs, and the B-Boys. In 2022, Jo Koy released the stand-up special "Live from the LA Forum" and the film "Easter Sunday." In 2023, he lent his voice to the Netflix animated films "The Monkey King" and "Leo."
Personal Life
Jo and his now-ex-wife Angie King welcomed a son, Joseph Herbert Jr., in 2003. Koy has stated in interviews that the divorce did not affect their ability to co-parent and they have done so amicably and remained close friends throughout the years. Jo has described having a very close bond with his son. Since his divorce, Koy has been very private about his personal life. He was rumored to be engaged to Amy Bray in 2018 and, more recently, has been linked to actress and singer Tia Carrere.
In September 2021, Koy and Chelsea Handler made their relationship official on Instagram. In July 2022, the couple broke up.
Jo Koy is widely recognized for his charity work. He hosted his first philanthropic event through The Jo Koy Foundation on August 4, 2009. It was a charity stand-up comedy show featuring Koy along with several surprise comedic guests called "Hilarity for Charity." The show took place at the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club in the heart of Citywalk, University City, California. All the proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to The Children's Hospital of Orange County.
In 2022, Koy and film producer Dan Lin appeared in the Rise for Comedy festival and raised $75,000 for the nonprofit Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA).
Real Estate
In 2013, Jo paid $2.1 million for a sprawling estate high up in the hills of Studio City, California. The half-acre property features a number of structures, a pool, and Jo's podcast recording studio. Between 2013 and 2021, to access his mansion, Koy would drive down a winding driveway that traversed a modest 1,000-square-foot 2-bedroom property. In July 2021, he paid $1.4 million for that modest property to expand his compound even further.
In July 2023, Jo paid $10 million for an 8,000-square-foot mansion in Summerlin, Nevada. Located within a gated golf community, Koy's mansion, built in 2011, has 4 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. Around that same time, he sold his mansion in Ascaya in Henderson for $20.5 million.
