What Is Katt Williams' Net Worth and Salary?
Katt Williams is an American comedian, rapper, and actor who has a net worth of $5 million. Katt Williams gained prominence through stand-up comedy, where his performances are marked by his energetic delivery and insightful observations on various topics. Williams' comedy specials, like "Katt Williams: Live" and "It's Pimpin' Pimpin'," have been widely acclaimed. He is also known for his work on the improv show "Wild 'n Out" and for his performances in films like "Norbit" (2007), but he is probably best known for his role as the character Money Mike in the comedy "Friday After Next" (2002).
2024 Shannon Sharpe Interview
In January 2024, Katt appeared on an episode of Shannon Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay" YouTube show/podcast. On the episode, Shannon asked a couple of episodes that alluded to Katt's finances. For example, Shannon brought up how Terry Crews claimed that during the filming of "Friday After Next," Katt was apparently homeless. Katt explained that before filming began, he needed a dental surgery that was going to cost $100,000, and he didn't have the money at the time, so he chose to live in his trailer during shooting.
Katt also addressed his net worth, seemingly referring to our estimate here on CelebrityNetWorth. In the interest of full transparency, Katt claimed that once he looked up his net worth and that at the time he had more than his reported net worth on him. He also claimed that he made more from his last Netflix special than his listed net worth. He also claimed to make $100k whenever he does a standup show in a "rinky dink town," and whenever he does make that much, he gives $10k to a local charity. He also claimed to have "turned down $50 million four times" during his career to maintain his integrity, is "one of the richest men that ever lived," that he makes $10 million per Netflix special, and that Ludacris sold his soul to the Illuminati for $200 million. Here's the specific exchange where Katt references his net worth:
this Katt Williams interview an instant classic 😭😭😭
"I'm one of the richest men that ever lived, please don't look at my net worth, I saw my net worth and… I had that on me!" pic.twitter.com/4romOlHnVI
— SOUND (@itsavibe) January 3, 2024
And while it is possible that our net worth estimate is overly conservative and that Katt is very likely a very high-income individual, he has also experienced a number of legal issues and some alleged financial problems in recent years, including at one point a rumored home foreclosure on a property in Calabasas, California. From what we can ascertain today, Katt appears to live in a relatively normal home in Lawrenceville, Georgia, that he appears to have bought in 2013 for $235,000. And then there's the case of the allegedly stolen $59 million…
Allegedly Stolen $59 Million
In a June 2019 interview with Jemele Hill, Katt claimed to have lost a staggering $59 million to embezzlement at the hands of some of his now-former employees. As Williams put it, he first became aware of the extent of his problems after his finances were being looked at as part of an investigation by the US Department of Justice. Over the course of these investigations, an embezzlement scheme targeting the comedian was uncovered:
"In my search for who was the enemy that was causing all these things to repeatedly happen to me over and over again when they shouldn't, we uncovered that it was actually my people that was involved…We didn't really know that until the Department of Justice started indicting these people for the embezzlement of $59 million from Katt Williams."
Williams also said that he had to stay vague on details of the case because "[i]t's been a lot, and a lot of it you can't really talk about. It's ongoing." That explains why we know so little about what actually happened, but Williams did say that after he learned of the crimes against him, he fired the employees in question, who went on to try and squeeze even more money out of him through blackmail.
An additional detail is the fact that at one point, authorities evidently suspected Williams himself of some kind of money laundering operation:
"They thought I had found some way to sequester the funds until they actually dug in and realized 'why would I be money laundering my own money.'"
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Katt Williams was born Micah Sierra Williams on September 2, 1971, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Williams was raised in Dayton, Ohio, by politically and socially active parents. He did well in school, receiving outstanding grades and a slew of academic honors. At the age of 13, he emancipated himself from his parents and moved to Florida, where he supported himself by working as a street vendor.
He first began performing comedy in his hometown of Cincinnati, in the Avondale neighborhood. He would use the comedians' entrance to get into clubs despite being underage. In his late teens, he moved to San Francisco, where he honed his standup act at local nightclubs.
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Comedy Career
As a standup comedian in San Francisco during the late 1990s, Katt performed at some notable venues, including the Hollywood Park Casino, The Icehouse, and The Improv. As a result of his standup, he became a staple on BET standup programs such as "Comic View." As a standup comedian, he carved out an acting career riffing on subjects like Michael Jackson, middle-American evangelism, the incarceration of Martha Stewart, and a variety of ironies dealing with race in America. Over the years, he has acquired a widespread and loyal following, primarily among young African-American males.
His first comedy special, "Katt Williams Live: Let a Playa Play," aired in 2006, and his second special (his first one for HBO) also aired in 2006, titled "The Pimp Chronicles, Pt. 1." He achieved mainstream success with his standout film "American Hustle" in 2007, with its critical success and positive reception. His third comedy special—and second HBO special—"It's Pimpin' Pimpin'" was released in 2008 and marked the beginning of Williams performing material that is more political in nature. In 2008, he embarked on a comedy tour that was named the best of the year by "Billboard."
After a four-year hiatus from standup, Williams made his comeback to standup in 2012 with his third HBO comedy special, "Kattpacalypse." He embarked on his "Growth Spurt" tour in 2013 and released his fourth HBO comedy special, "Katt Williams: Priceless: Afterlife," which was directed by legendary director and producer Spike Lee. Williams released his first Netflix comedy special, "Great America," in 2018. It was filmed in Jacksonville, Florida. In 2022, "World War III" was released on Netflix.
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Film and Television Career
Williams' acting debut was in 2002 on the American police procedural drama television series "NYPD Blue." He then gained notoriety on the MTV improv series "Wild 'n Out" as part of the cast from season 1 to 4 and appeared in "Wild 'n Out" castmate Nick Cannon's music video for his song "Gigolo" in 2003. Other television projects by Williams include multiple appearances as the character Bobby Shaw on the ABC sitcom "My Wife and Kids," and he served as the roastmaster for the "Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav." He won an Emmy in 2018 for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his appearance on the show "Atlanta."
Williams enjoyed his big-screen debut in the 2002 American Christmas stoner comedy film "Friday After Next," in which he played the role of Money Mike. He also played supporting characters in films like "Ganked" (2005), "Norbit" (2007), "The Perfect Holiday" (2007), "Internet Dating" (2008), "Lonely Street" (2008) and "First Sunday" (2008). Since, he has appeared in movies such as "Scary Movie 5" (2013), "Father Figures" (2017), "2 Minutes of Fame" (2020), "The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2" (2021), and "For the Love of Money" (2021).
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Legal Issues and Incidents
Williams has a history of confrontational behavior at live performances, resulting in shows ending early. He also has been arrested several times. He was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in November 2006 after a stolen gun was found in his briefcase, eventually pleading no contest to a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed firearm. Katt was sentenced to three years' probation. He was arrested for a second time in June 2011 in connection with an alleged assault on a tractor driver and a third time in November 2012 on charges of suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly beat a man with a bottle aboard his tour bus.
Personal Life
Williams was briefly part of the Nation of Islam while living in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, he now frequently wears a cross during his standup shows as a symbol of his Christian faith. He is the father of 10 children. His son Micah Stephen Williams is an actor best known for his role on the Disney Channel show "Good Luck Charlie."
