Lin-Manuel Miranda is most recognized for playing the titular role of founding father Alexander Hamilton in the record-breaking musical “Hamilton” — which he also wrote, composed and won the Pulitzer prize for — but the American composer, rapper and actor is also a multi-award-winning performer with an extensive list of Broadway and film credits to his name. That list of credits includes “In the Heights,” a musical which Miranda wrote the music and lyrics for (and starred in, too). It’s no surprise, then, that the 41-year-old has amassed a net worth of $80 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Here’s a look at the multi-hyphenate’s background and how he made his money before the premiere of the 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards.
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Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Background
Raised in New York City to parents of Puerto Rican heritage, Miranda started writing musicals in high school, and never abandoned his love for music and the stage. He wrote the earliest draft of “In the Heights” as a sophomore at Wesleyan University. The play later became a hit Broadway musical, earning 13 Tony nominations and winning four awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
By far, Miranda’s largest paycheck has come from “Hamilton: An American Musical.” As one of the original cast members, not to mention the writer, composer and lyricist for the show, Miranda earned $6.4 million annually while starring as Alexander Hamilton on Broadway. This includes the profits he made from royalties as well as his salary as an actor. And Miranda will continue seeing 7.5% of the show’s revenue for as long as it runs. In February of 2020, Disney purchased the film rights to a live performance of “Hamilton” for $75 million.
“Hamilton” and “In the Heights” aren’t the only sources of Miranda’s massive wealth. In 2011, he co-wrote the music and lyrics for “Bring It On: The Musical,” and later went on to write songs for Disney’s “Moana.” Later in 2021, he’ll make his film directorial debut with an adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s “tick, tick…BOOM!”
Outside of writing and composing, Miranda has appeared on a wide array of television shows, including “The Sopranos,” “House,” “Sesame Street” and “His Dark Materials.” He was also featured as Jack the lamplighter in 2018’s “Mary Poppins Returns.” He also earned $625,000 over five years as a MacArthur Foundation fellow.
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Little is known about how Miranda spends his earnings, but he co-owns the Drama Book Shop in New York City, an independent bookstore where Miranda first penned In the Heights. He also purchased and sold property in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
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Last updated: Sept. 14, 2021