What is Marilyn Manson's Net Worth?
Marilyn Manson is an American singer-songwriter, musician, writer, actor, and artist who has a net worth of $2.5 million. Known as one of the most controversial musical figures of all time, Marilyn Manson backs up his reputation with nuanced, thought-provoking music. Three of his albums have gone platinum, while three have earned gold status. During the '90s, Marilyn Manson was subject to widespread media scrutiny for supposedly having a negative influence on young people.
Marilyn Manson has very much carved out a niche for himself. His striking/disturbing looks, heavy metal sound, and reportedly rather strange personal life have made him both a fascinating and polarizing figure in the music world. The Ohio-born singer, also known as Brian Hugh Warner, formed the first iteration of his band, Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, in the early 90s. Their first album was released in 1994, and they quickly gained a following. Though the line-up has changed over the years, Marilyn Manson has continued to release popular albums and to perform for sell-out crowds. He's enjoyed three Platinum selling albums and three more Gold albums, and he has a rabid cult following that has helped to chart seven of his releases. In addition to his music career, he has also appeared in a variety of films and is an accomplished visual artist.
Early Life
Marilyn Manson's real name is Brian Hugh Warner, and he was born on January 5th, 1969, in Canton, Ohio. While attending Heritage Christian School, his instructors told him what type of music was ungodly and blasphemous. Sometimes, they would play the types of music they considered "wrong." Upon hearing this type of music, the young Brian Warner fell in love with it.
After graduating from high school in 1987, Warner studied journalism in college. He later interviewed several musicians who were early influences for his own musical career, including Groovie Mann and Trent Reznor. The latter artist, who was a member of Nine Inch Nails, proved to have the most impact on Warner. Reznor later helped Manson create his debut album.
Early Musical Career
In the late '80s, Brian Warner created his first band alongside his friend Scott Putesky. The duo invented stage names for themselves that were combinations of Hollywood sex symbols and serial killers. Putesky became Daisy Berkowitz, and Brian Warner became Marilyn Manson – a combination of Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson. The band was eventually called Marilyn Manson as well.
In the early days, Marilyn Manson quickly became banned from playing at certain clubs. In response, the group was hastily renamed and took various other forms, such as "Mrs. Scabtree" and "Satan on Fire."
Breakthrough
Trent Reznor eventually took a personal interest in Marilyn Manson and produced their first studio album, Portrait of an American Family. As the band toured with Nine Inch Nails, they quickly developed a massive cult following. This following grew exponentially with the release of their first EP, Smells Like Children. This 1995 EP featured the smash hit "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," a cover of a 1980s hit by the Eurythmics. The music video was featured on MTV, and the band became a global sensation almost overnight.
With increased fame came increased media attention, and Marilyn Manson was soon shrouded in controversy. Republican politicians in America claimed that Smells Like Children contained "pre-packaged nihilism" and that the fate of all human civilization was at stake.
Antichrist Superstar was Marilyn Manson's second album, and it doubled down on accusations of satanism and perversion from various figures. It was also the group's most successful album to date, debuting at number three on the Billboard Top 200. It went on to sell more than 2 million copies in the United States and over 7 million copies worldwide.
However, Antichrist Superstar came at a cost. Heavy drug use created tensions within the band, and founding member Daisy Berkowitz abruptly quit partway through the album's recording. In addition, the group came under increased pressure from several activist groups who even went so far as to protest at the band's concerts. After a fan committed suicide, Marilyn Manson was the subject of a congressional hearing.
Mechanical Animals came next in 1998, and it took the band in a new direction. With Glam Rock influences, Marilyn Manson explored themes of femininity, celebrity culture, and excess. Although the group was without Daisy Berkowitz, the album reached platinum status and received stellar reviews. 2000's Holy Wood was not as successful commercially, but the album was still praised by critics and performed exceptionally well internationally. This album marked a return to the group's industrial metal style. During this time, Marilyn Manson was famously linked to the 1999 Columbine school shooting, although he denied having any influence on the shooters.
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With the rise of the Nu-Metal genre, Marilyn Manson sought to distance himself from the style that he now considered cliche. Because of this, The Golden Age of Grotesque was much more electronic in style compared to previous albums. A number of longtime band members left the band before, during, or after the production of this album – mostly citing creative differences. The album received mixed reviews.
2007's Eat Me, Drink Me represented a return to form for Marilyn Manson, and the album debuted at number eight on the Billboard Top 200. Although the group had fewer band members, they were able to create a distinctive sound that received top reviews. Marilyn Manson's seventh album in 2009 was The High End of Low, and it didn't perform quite as well as the previous entry. Manson was dealing with emotional turmoil as a result of his relationships with Dita Von Teese and Evan Rachel Wood, and the album received mixed reviews.
In 2012, Manson released Born Villain: a return to the basics with an extremely heavy sound. Again, critics gave the album mixed reviews. The Pale Emperor came next in 2015, and critics praised this album as the best one in decades. Not only that, but many publications called it the best album of 2015. Stylistically, the album went in a completely new direction, abandoning Manson's heavy metal origins for a blues and rock vibe. In 2017, Manson continued on this successful streak with the release of Heaven Upside Down: an album with extremely violent lyrics and a hard punk style. The non-album single, "God's Gonna Cut You Down," came out in 2019 and became Manson's highest-peaking single on Billboard's Hot Rock Songs and Rock Digital Songs. In 2020, his 10th studio album, We Are Chaos, was released.
In addition to working on his own albums, Marilyn Manson has featured on tracks by other artists such as DMX and Godhead. He also worked as a producer, most notably for the group Jack Off Jill. Manson has his own record label called Hell, Etc.
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Other Ventures
As early as the late '90s, Manson was appearing in a range of films and television series. To date, he has amassed an impressive range of credits that include roles on shows like Sons of Anarchy. He has also worked as a director in the past.
Marilyn Manson began his career as a watercolor painter in the late '90s, and his art has been exhibited in various galleries around the world. Manson also created his own brand of absinthe, which received positive reviews.
Personal Life
Marilyn Manson has been romantically connected with several women over the course of his career, including Rose McGowan, Dita Von Teese, and Evan Rachel Wood. In 2012, it was revealed that Manson was dating photographer Lindsay Usich. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Manson and Usich married in a private ceremony. In addition, Manson is friends with actor Johnny Depp and is the godfather of Depp's daughter, Lily-Rose.
In 2021, several women, including ex-partner Evan Rachel Wood, came forward and accused Marilyn Manson of psychological and sexual abuse. He denied all allegations, and in September 2022, the LACSD presented the findings of their 19-month investigation which California district attorney George Gascón concluded that more evidence was needed to file charges.
Real Estate
In 2013, Manson paid $1.1 million for a home in the Hollywood Hills. He listed this home for sale in October 2021 for a bit under $1.75 million, ultimately accepting $1.8 million after just a few weeks on the market.
In November 2022, Manson paid $2.2 million for a home in Glendale, California.
