Many of you will ask, who is Bobby Lee? What does he do? In this article, you will learn everything about the life and wealth of comedy genius Bobby Lee, including Bobby Lee net worth.
People sometimes need the inspiration to be able to pursue their dreams in life. Bobby Lee’s success story will influence people that perseverance and hard work will pay off. Learn and be motivated as we come across the life of Bobby Lee.
We will get to know who Bobby Lee is, how he makes his money, and the secrets to a successful career and life.
About Bobby Lee
Most well-known for being a regular cast member on the comedy show MADtv from 2001 to 2009, Robert Young Lee Jr., better known as Bobby Lee, is an American comedian, YouTuber, actor, and podcaster.
Determined to work for a local comedy store, Bobby decided to perform at one of their amateur nights, not knowing that it would be the start of his lifelong career. Bobby Lee’s net worth shot up from there. Whenever someone names the best comedians, greatest performers, or funniest comedians, Bobby Lee’s name is sure to be on that list.
He is currently co-hosting one of the most well-known podcasts on the internet, Tigerbelly, along with his girlfriend. He is also a co-host of another popular podcast called Bad Friends. So Bobby Lee is very popular in the podcast industry.
He is also famous for his roles in Harold and Kumar’s Go to White Castle, The Dictator, and The Pineapple Express.
How Did Bobby Lee Make His Money?
According to Forbes, Bobby Lee’s net worth comes out to a total of $1.5 million. You must be wondering how he made his fortune with his career choice of being a comedian.
At first, Bobby’s parents were hesitant about their son’s career. But Lee worked hard and has been determined to make a name for himself. This is why Bobby Lee’s net worth cannot be credited to a single source of income but rather to Lee’s determination and hard work as a stand-up comedian, YouTube podcast, and actor.
Bobby Lee Started As A Stand Up Comedian
Not many people know this, but Lee started his career in stand-up comedy shows with a Comedy Store called ‘The La Jolla’ back in 1994. Sketch comedy is his forte. His satire got him a lucrative following among the poorest, middle-class, and rich people alike. That is how much Bobby Lee has an effect on all Americans.
A good chunk of Bobby Lee’s net worth is due to his career as a stand-up comedian. His total wealth is a combination of his multiple endeavors across the different platforms he has used throughout his career.
It took not more than a year for his career to take off. Popularity came knocking with his first big gig, an opening for Pauly Shore, also known as The Weasel, and Carlos Mencia. Gigs at comedy clubs helped develop his repertoire and skills in sketches that paved the way for other opportunities. Afterward, a lot of comedy TV shows would like to have Lee as a regular performer.
As his career continued to develop because of his comedic and improv acts, many opportunities opened up for Bobby Lee. While working at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles, a comedy club run by Pauly Shore’s mother, an acting opportunity presented itself during one of his regular Comedy series skits. Lee expanded his source of income into acting with this opportunity.
Bobby Lee Has A Long-Lived Career In Acting
This may come off as a surprise, but Lee has had more than 70 movies completed under his belt throughout his career from 2001 to 2016. Starting from The Unreal TV back in 2001, Lee has been part of some of the most successful comedy movies of all time, such as Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, The League, The Dictator, Hand Breakers, Laid In America, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
But that’s not the extent of Lee’s acting career, as he is also in one of Eminem’s music videos for the song, ‘We Made You’. If that isn’t living the dream, we don’t know what it is.
As an actor, Lee also became a part of a very accomplished comedy show with his fellow cast members Steve Byme and Kevin Shea back in 2005 called the Kims Of Comedy. The show became one of the most successful comedy shows and gave Lee the idea of branching off into podcasting and making the most out of a new platform provided to him: YouTube.
Although his career as an actor didn’t last multiple decades, being part of more than 70 movies and various shows and operas resulted in acting, contributing heavily to Bobby Lee’s net worth of $1.5 million.
The King Of Podcasts, Bobby Lee!
Regardless of a fantastic career as an actor and a very successful career as a stand-up comic, most of the wealth of Bobby Lee comes from his podcast success. With the start of his podcast, the Tigerbelly, alongside his significant other Khalyla Khun, the comedic duo puts on an almost satirical twist by making jokes on major social issues such as sexuality, politics, ethnicity, and racism.
With total accumulated views of more than 100 million and a total of 565,000 subscribers on the channel, you may be able to guess the reason behind Bobby Lee’s net worth. According to SocialBlade, he’s earning a monthly income of more than 10 thousand dollars and yearly revenue of 130 thousand dollars.
At the same time, he was also part of another podcast, the infamous Bad Friends with Andrew Santino. Besides podcasting, Lee earns a fair share through advertisements on YouTube and makes home videos with many views.
Why Is Bobby Lee So Famous?
Bobby Lee is most famously known for his role in the sketch-based sitcom MADtv from 2001 to 2009. The most notable thing about his appearance in the show was that he was the only Asian on it, which contributed to his rise to fame. He portrayed various characters and impressions in the said sitcom.
Additionally, Lee’s younger brother Steve Lee is a musician who runs his own podcast, called the Steebee Weebee Podcast, which has also helped raise Bobby Lee’s popularity. Steve made a few guest appearances on MADtv, especially during Bobby’s Kim Jong Il and Tank roles.
Coming from a traditional Asian household where his parents disapproved of his career path, he left home and dropped out of college when he was 18 to pursue a career of his own choice. That has had a significant impact on many people. Lee dedicated his early life to making a name for himself and committed to it until he got to where he wanted to be.
At 18, Bobby moved out and started working at different coffee shops and establishments to make ends meet. During that time, he was enrolled in Palomar College but decided to drop out. As the coffee shop he used to work at shut down, he decided to look for work next door with nowhere else to go, which happened to be the La Jolla comedy store.
Why Is Bobby Lee So Successful?
Self-made millionaire, Bobby Lee, can mainly be credited to his versatile skill set and learning capabilities. At the same time, his ability to depict different characters in the same show MADtv. Bobby Lee has played more than 15 roles in MADtv, most famously known for his Bae Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Connie Chung.
The genius of Lee allowed him to show entirely different personalities to each character and made sure that every character stood out from the rest. He may not be a billionaire like Bill Gates or Grant Cardone, but he certainly impacted the world as the funniest person in the world to many.
Being part of comedy shows and some of the business’s biggest names, such as Call Your Mother, he was also featured in Forbes magazine.
Lee has also been a very successful actor, contributing to a significant part of Bobby Lee’s net worth and success. Being part of incredible movies at the beginning of his acting career gave him the push he so much needed to have a great acting career.
In addition to this, Bobby also got into podcasting. He was approaching a much wider audience here than before. His podcast TigerBelly is considered one of the most successful podcasts in the YouTube community, with almost 100 million views accumulated.
Career Highlights
- Lee worked with WGN Morning News in 1994.
- Signed up with MADtv in 1995.
- He signed up for his first feature film, “The Underground Comedy Movie,” in 1999.
- Voiced multiple characters in the famous animated show “Family Guy” in 1999.
- Got signed up for the TV sitcom “Curb your Enthusiasm” in 2000.
- Signed up for “Last Call With Carson,” another sitcom, in 2002.
- Got cast for a major role in the movie “Pauly Shore is Dead” in 2003.
- “Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle” in 2004.
- “American Dad” in 2005.
- “Undoing” 2006 is a crime thriller, one of the very few in Lee’s career.
- “Pineapple Express” in 2008.
- “NCIS Los Angeles” in 2009, another crime show.
- “Final Recipe” 2013.
- “Laid In America” 2016.
- “Splitting up together” 2018.
- “Magnum PI” 2018.
- “Extracurricular Activities” 2019.
Bobby Lee Quotes
“I guess I am handsome – in certain parts of the world. If I was, like, in Mongolia, living on a mountain and in my village, I could be the hottest guy. In L.A., I’m … average?” – Bobby Lee
“People think I am crazy because they see me doing stand-up, but I am generally not. I am very sad. I’m one of those guys that light candles and listen to Rachmaninoff.” – Bobby Lee
“It’s not that comedy has changed in terms of what’s funny. For me, it’s changed in that sometimes I don’t feel my finger is on the pulse.” – Bobby Lee Survival And Being ‘A Big, Sweaty Ball Of Flesh’”. Interview With Greg Archer.
“Generally, I am just myself, a crazy John Belushi type. But I’m not comparing myself to him. I think I am against stereotypes. Generally, Asian guys are more quiet – they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have none of those things.” – Bobby Lee On Comedy, Survival And Being ‘A Big, Sweaty Ball Of Flesh’”.
“For a while last summer, I was depressed because nothing was happening. It got to the point where people like me were getting films, so I decided to focus on stand-up. It kind of saved my life. I hate to be that dramatic, but I got a girlfriend and refocused my life on being more real and living a regular life rather than pursuing this other false goal of television and movie stardom.” – Bobby Lee
Conclusion – Bobby Lee Net Worth
A glimpse into the life and wealth of comedy genius Bobby Lee may seem like an ordinary story of success. He may not be the richest comedian in the world, but Bobby Lee’s journey and net worth are an inspiration to many.
Despite his ethnic and social background, his perseverance proved to be the key ingredient to his success. He started as a stand-up comedian, and he ventured into TV, where he became a fixture in 2001. He gradually transitioned into movies, where success followed him.
And now, to add to his long, storied career, he has become a successful podcaster. Bobby Lee explored and maximized his skills. This led him to earn more money. He loves what he does, and it has become his second nature to entertain and make people smile and laugh.
And with this, Bobby was able to laugh all the way to his bank.
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- Eddie Hall Net Worth: The World’s Strongest Man [The Beast]
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Founder of Spark Nomad, Radical FIRE, Journalist
Expertise: Personal finance and travel content
Education: Bachelor of Economics at Radboud University, Master in Finance at Radboud University, Minor in Economics at Chapman University.
Over 200 articles, essays, and short stories published across the web.
Experience: Marjolein Dilven is a journalist and founder of Radical FIRE, a personal finance platform, and Spark Nomad, a travel platform. Marjolein has a finance and economics background with a master’s in Finance. She has quit her job to travel the world, documenting her travels on Spark Nomad to help people plan their travels. Marjolein Dilven has written for publications like MSN, Associated Press, CNBC, Town News syndicate, and more.