What was Lyle Waggoner's Net Worth?
Lyle Waggoner was an American actor and former model who had a net worth of $40 million at the time of his death in 2020. Lyle Waggoner was best known for his work on The Carol Burnett Show, in which he acted from 1967 to 1974. He is also famous for his role as Steve Trevor on Wonder Woman. He played this role from 1975 to 1979. Interestingly, Lyle earned the majority of his fortune outside of acting. As we detail in a moment, Lyle was the founder of the Star Waggons company which rents trailers to film and television shows. He parlayed his Star Waggons earnings into a real estate fortune. Lyle died on March 17, 2020 at the age of 84.
He was born in Kansas City, Kansas to Myron and Marie Waggoner. He spent most of his childhood in Missouri. Before he joined the Carol Burnett Show, Lyle had attempted to land the role of the TV series Batman. He was a finalist but lost out to Adam West. He also appeared in the 1967 film, Catalina Caper. As a result of this, he also landed a guest role in The Deadliest of Species episode of television series Lost in Space.
He landed the role of Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman which ran for three seasons. In the 70s and 80s, Lyle made several appearances in television movies. Because of his looks, he was often cast to increase the 'hunk appeal' of particular shows. He made guest appearances on shows such as Charlie's Angels, The Golden Girls, Mork and Mindy, Ellen and even The War at Home. He made further appearances in Fantasy Island, Murder She Wrote and the Love Boat. In the 90s, Lyle retired from acting, but still made guest appearances on shows such as Return to Batcave and the Naked Truth.
Star Waggons
Outside of acting, Lyle was also somewhat of a real estate mogul and entrepreneur. In 1979, he founded his own company called Star Waggons. The company rents trailers that are used by film and television studios. His family still owns and operates the business.
Lyle had the idea for Star Waggons after learning that the mobile home he was assigned to use during the filming of an episode of "Wonder Woman" was simply rented from someone who lived in the neighborhood of the studio. Lyle asked the studio if they would instead rent a mobile home of his choosing, from him instead. They agreed. He soon began renting mobile homes not just to himself, but to all the other actors on the show.
A major innovation was to move away from run-down mobile homes that had a space for a driver and even a kitchen, to roomy luxurious trailers. Star Waggons – the company he launched – was soon buying $50,000 trailers. That's the same as spending around $250,000 on a trailer today. He rented the trailers to studios for $500 per week. His monthly payment on each trailer averaged $400. Strong margins.
Star Waggons eventually were the most-luxurious trailers in the industry. The typical Star Waggons trailer had a makeup area, large couches and luxurious bathrooms. Today the highest-end Star Waggons trailer can cost around $2 million and be rented for as much as $10,000 per week.
Real Estate
In 2016 Lyle paid $3.95 million for a newly-built 4,600 beachfront home in Oxnard, California on along Mandalay Beach. His estate listed this home for sale in July 2020 for $4.4 million.
He also owned homes in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Manzanillo, Mexico and Westlake Village, California.
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Early Life
Lyle Waggoner was born on April 13, 1935, in Kansas City, Kansas and grew up in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. He attended Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri. After high school, he attended Washington University in St. Louis, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. Waggoner also served in the United States Army for two years before beginning his career in entertainment.
Career
Lyle Waggoner began his career as a model, appearing in advertisements for products such as Marlboro cigarettes and General Motors. He later transitioned to acting and landed his breakthrough role as Steve Trevor on the television series "Wonder Woman" in 1975. Prior to that, he had been a regular on "The Carol Burnett Show" from 1967 to 1974. Waggoner also appeared in several films, including "Catalina Caper" and "The Naked Ape," and guest-starred on numerous television shows such as "Charlie's Angels," "The Love Boat," and "The Golden Girls." After his acting career, he went on to become a successful businessman and real estate developer.
Personal Life
Lyle Waggoner was married to his wife, Sharon Kennedy, from 1961 until his death in 2020. The couple had two sons together. Outside of his acting career, Waggoner was an avid golfer and owned a golf course in Jackson, Wyoming. He was also involved in several charitable organizations, including the Los Angeles Free Clinic and the Children's Burn Foundation. Lyle Waggoner will always be remembered for his talent, humor, and contributions to the entertainment industry.
