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- Stan Lee Was An Icon, But It Wasn't All What It Seemed
When thinking of Marvel Comics, the first name that comes to mind isn't Captain America, Iron Man, or The Hulk. Indeed, there's a superhero that is more powerful than the rest, and that's Stan Lee. It's safe to say the comic book world wouldn't be the same without Lee. His influence and legacy still live on. In many ways, Lee changed comic books and superheroes forever. Lee played an essential role in the evolution of comic books.
Sadly, Stan Lee passed away on November 12, 2018, at the age of 95. His death made major headlines all over the world. Comic book fans mourned the passing of one of the greats. However, just before he passed, news broke that Lee was worth around $50 million. Fans and the media were shocked to hear he was only worth that much.
The media and fans assumed Lee's net worth must be more than $50 million. However, they soon realized that the iconic Lee wasn't worth as much as his creations. It's time to take a closer look at Stan Lee and his fortune. Was Stan Lee really only worth $50 million when he passed away, despite all the work he did during his life?
UPDATE: 2023/07/09 14:44 EST BY LANE VASQUEZ
Stan Lee Was An Icon, But It Wasn't All What It Seemed
Stan Lee may have been an icon in the comic industry, but he wasn't worth as much as anyone might have guessed. Due to poor business deals and a lack of know-how about the industry when he got his start, Stan Lee wound up with far fewer millions at the time of his passing than he felt he was rightfully due. This article has been updated with current links to information about Stan Lee's lawsuits and the licensing of his image after his death.
13 Stan Lee Made $8 Per Week Working In Comics
In 1939, Stan Lee started working at Timely Comics as a gofer. He was still a teenager at the time and received a payment of $8 a week. Later, Timely Comics purchased Marvel Comics, and Lee found himself climbing up the ladder.
In 1941, Lee got his first writing credit on Captain America #3. Of course, Lee quickly became a creative force in Marvel and took the publication to heights they never dreamed of before. Eventually, Lee and Marvel beat D.C. Comics to become the industry leader.
12 Stan Sued Marvel Multiple Times
Stan Lee openly admitted he made some poor business decisions. Indeed, this played a part in his small fortune. In 1998, Lee signed a contract with Marvel that entitled him to a share of the profits relating to movies and TV shows featuring characters he created.
He later regretted agreeing to that deal. In 2002, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man was a massive success and broke box office records. Lee sued Marvel because he felt he didn't receive his fair share of the profits.
This wasn't unheard of, as even stars like Scarlett Johansson later sued Marvel's parent company for similar issues. It also didn't mean the relationship necessarily soured.
11 Stan Lee Received A $10 Million Settlement
As noted, Stan Lee sued Marvel Comics because he felt he didn't receive his fair share of the profits from movies and TV shows. Lee and Marvel ended up battling it out in court. Lee ended up winning the court case but may have lost in the long term.
Lee got a $10 million settlement and an annual salary of $1 million. However, the payment meant Lee was left out when Disney purchased Marvel, as he was already compensated (in theory) for the pre-Disney Marvel films.
10 Stan Admitted He Made Poor Business Decisions
Stan Lee admitted he made some bad choices when it came to business. As noted, the media and critics often compared Lee's wealth to George Lucas. Indeed, there are many similarities, but there is one huge difference. Lucas worked alone for the most part and owned everything involving Star Wars, including the rights and merchandise.
The most crucial factor is Lucas owned everything himself. Lee didn't have the foresight to see the value in maintaining the rights for his greatest character creations and merchandise.
9 Stan Didn’t Get A Share Of MCU Profits
In the late '90s, Stan Lee retired from Marvel Comics but became a public figurehead. Indeed, Lee is best known to a generation of fans for his cameos in Marvel movies and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Lee made 35 cameos in Marvel movies up until the time of his passing. Lee also received an executive producer credit for each of the films. However, Lee never shared in any of the profits involving the MCU films, which made roughly $22 billion.
8 Stan And His Daughter Fought Over Money
For the last few years of his life, Stan Lee was at the center of controversy. The 95-year-old Lee signed a letter that would put his daughter J.C.'s inheritance into a trust. Lee reportedly didn't trust J.C. with the money and was trying to protect her.
He was sure that she'd blow through the money and have nothing left. A few days later, Lee reversed his decision. J.C. and her attorney took over Lee's estate. Later, those close to Lee accused J.C. and her inner circle of elder abuse.
7 Stan Lee Sold $100 Autographs Before Death
As noted, Stan Lee retired from Marvel Comics, but he remained its real star. Indeed, Lee was often the center of attention at comic book conventions. Lee was known for making appearances at comic con and made a great living.
Eventually, Lee began charging $100 for autographs. Lee's health declined as he got older, but he still made all of his appearances. In his final comic con appearance, those in attendance noted he looked tired and disoriented.
6 Stan Lee Got Nothing When Disney Bought Marvel
In 2009, Disney purchased Marvel for $4 billion. It was a massive payday for Marvel, and it changed the landscape of cinema. A few years later, Disney purchased Lucas Films for $4.5 billion. Lucas became an even richer man.
Of course, Stan Lee got nothing from the sale. Indeed, Lee worked for the publisher and didn't benefit from the sale. Lee didn't receive anything from the lucrative agreement between Disney and Marvel.
However, he did receive some perks from the sale; Stan was tapped for a Disney+ show called Stan Lee's Superhumans, which explored real-life "heroes." Stan was the show's quasi-host, while Daniel Browning Smith (the 'world's most flexible man') met the guests in the field.
Previously, Stan Lee also had a show called Who Wants To Be a Superhero? but it never went past two seasons.
5 Stan Claimed He Never Cared About Money
Stan Lee admitted that he never cared about money. Indeed, he just loved being part of the industry and was very humble about it. Lee grew up during The Great Depression and saw his parents struggle. His experience during the Depression went on to shape Lee's life.
Lee put all of his attention to his art and didn't care how much he made. Of course, Lee became one of the highest-paid writers at Marvel during the '50s and '60s.
4 Stan Never Received Royalties For His Characters
Stan Lee is responsible for creating some of the most iconic superhero characters of all time. Indeed, Lee worked alongside Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby. Lee co-created a long list of characters, including The Fantastic Four, Black Panther, X-Men, Iron Man, and Spider-Man.
However, Lee didn't receive any royalties for the characters he created. Indeed, all of his creations expanded into television, movies, and other merchandise. Of course, Lee didn't share in any of the profits.
3 Stan Lee Became Marvel President But Was Never The Owner
As noted, Stan Lee started at Timely Comics as a gofer. He eventually became the President of Marvel and a driving force in the industry. Indeed, Lee became one of the most influential figures in the comic book world.
However, Lee was never the owner of Marvel. Therefore, he didn't benefit from any sales or deals Marvel went on to make.
2 Was Stan Lee Happy With His $50 Million Net Worth?
Though Stan Lee's legacy speaks for itself, there were some hints that the altruistic comic book writer had hoped for something more for his work. Years after he sued Marvel the first time, and won $10 million, Stan pursued a $1 billion dollar lawsuit arguing that he had never given up rights to his name.
In 2018, Stan claimed that his identity and work were sold to a Chinese firm under fraudulent pretenses, alleging that he didn't know he was signing over his "name, image and likeness on a wholly exclusive basis."
1 Stan Lee Was Only Worth $50 Million When He Died
Stan's last lawsuit did not proceed, and he passed away that same year amid allegations that his daughter, or someone else, was pushing him to file the lawsuit. Ultimately, Marvel acquired the rights to Stan's likeness, seemingly going against his last wishes.
For fans, however, that means more opportunities to catch a glimpse of Stan's brilliance in future Marvel films. It appears that his estate does not benefit from the deals; Stan was worth $50 million at the time of his death, and his estate does not appear to have grown since.
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