What is Ben Stein's Net Worth?
Ben Stein is an American lawyer, comedian, actor, and writer who has a net worth of $25 million. Ben Stein built his career as a political and economic commentator and then transitioned into acting and comedy. Ben Stein first rose to prominence as a speechwriter for Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Later on, Stein decided to enter the entertainment world where he became an actor, comedian, and Emmy Award-winning game show host of Comedy Central's "Win Ben Stein's Money." He is probably most famous for his cameo in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
Personal Life
Stein was born on November 25, 1944 in Washington, D.C. His mother, Mildred, was a homemaker, and his father, Hubert, was a writer, economist, and presidential advisor. He grew up in a Jewish household in the Woodside Forest neighborhood of Silver Spring, Maryland. He attended Montgomery Blair High School and graduated in 1962. He then enrolled at Columbia University, where he graduated with honors and a degree in economics. He then attended Yale Law School and graduated as valedictorian in June 1970.
Law and Political Career
Stein worked as a lawyer in New Haven, Connecticut, before becoming a trial lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. He also began teaching while living in D.C. at American University. He initially taught courses in the political and social content of mass culture. He later taught classes at the University of California, Santa Cruz, on political and civil rights in the U.S. Constitution and at Pepperdine University on libel law. From 1990 to 1997, he worked as a law professor at Pepperdine.
Stein also got involved in politics early on in his career. He began working as a speechwriter and lawyer for President Richard Nixon and then President Gerald Ford. Some even speculated that Stein was actually Deep Throat, the pseudonym given to the secret informant who provided information that led to the Watergate scandal during the Nixon administration. However, Stein denied these allegations and later revealed that Mark Felt was the source.
Stein has also experienced success as a writer, primarily writing as a political commentator. He writes conservative columns for The American Spectator and Newsmax. He has also written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Barron's Magazine. He wrote a column for Yahoo! Finance until 2009. He was also fired from his position as a columnist at The New York Times in 2009 due to a conflict of interest, as he had recently become a spokesman for Freescore.com, a credit information company. The Times has stated it would not be appropriate for Stein to continue writing a business and finance-related column for them while he worked with Freescore, but Stein has stated that the thought the termination was actually motivated by his criticism of President Obama and budget cuts at the Times.
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In addition to columns, Stein has also written several finance and investing-related books, some of which became bestsellers. Some of his most successful books include "Yes, You Can Retire Comfortably," "Can American Survive?" and "Yes, You Can Time the Market." He has also appeared on several news and political shows, including "Your World with Neil Cavuto," "Larry King Live," and "The Kudlow Report."
Stein has received some criticism for his conservative viewpoints and various times in which he has become involved in conflicts. He is opposed to legalizing abortion and was given the Pro-Life Award in 2003 by the National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund. He wrote in an editorial in 2011 defending Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the then head of the International Monetary Fund, who had been arrested for sexual assault and attempted rape. He has also made comments about the death of Michael Brown following a shooting in Ferguson. Additionally, he has denounced the scientific theory of evolution as a proponent of the theory of intelligent design. He is a staunch supporter of Israel and typically has supported the Republican presidential candidates. He initially supported Donald Trump in 2016, though then retracted his support, arguing that Mike Pence should be the candidate. However, he ended up voting for Trump in the 2016 presidential election.
Media Career
Stein began acting in the 1980s, with his first notable role as the monotone economics teacher in the 1986 film, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." He went on to play similar characters, including a recurring role on "The Wonder Years" and the role of himself on "Dave."
He has also been in several commercials, including advertisements for "Clear Eyes," "Godfather's Pizza," and "Chips Ahoy!" From 1997 until 2003, he hosted the Comedy Central game show "Win Ben Stein's Money" alongside host Jimmy Kimmel. The show was very successful and won five Daytime Emmy Awards during its run. In 1999, Stein also hosted "Turn Ben Stein On, " a talk show on Comedy Central.
His acting career has stayed busy over the years, and he has made several film and television appearances. Some of the films and shows he has appeared in include "Charles in Charge," "Seinfeld," "Full House," The Mask," Star Search," "MacGyver," and "Trains and Automobiles," among many others. He has also lent his voice to several shows, including "The Fairly Odd Parents," "Bruno the Kid," The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius," "Rugrats, and "Animaniacs."
Personal Life
In 1968, Stein married entertainment lawyer Alexandra Denman, though they divorced in 1974. However, they later reconciled and remarried in 1977. In 1987, they welcomed a son, Torn. Stein has homes in Beverly Hills, Malibu, and Sandpoint, Idaho. He also owns an apartment in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., which he inherited from his parents.
