Jeff Kinney Net Worth 2024: His Successful $500M Franchise

If you haven’t read Diary of A Wimpy Kid, go and pick up a copy now. You’ll understand why author Jeff Kinney net worth reaches over $100M.

Self-made millionaire Jeff Kinney is the author and illustrator of the best-selling series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. For years, Kinney was included on Forbes’ list of the highest-paid authors in the world alongside JK Rowling and James Patterson. 

His first book was an immediate best-seller, with over 100,000 copies sold in the US. The numbers exploded once the book reached the international market.

Jeff Kinney net worth of $100M is thanks to his creation that grew into a $500M franchise. Since the debut of his first book, the Wimpy Kid series is currently on its 16th print, but it’s still as popular as ever. Fans are always looking for updates for the next release date. The latest book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot, is scheduled for release on October 26, 2021. 

During the first years of his success as an author, Kinney described his income from royalties as “being paid silly.” He always enjoyed a modest life and wasn’t used to this kind of wealth.

Jeff Kinney Net Worth: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Franchise

It all began when a wimpy kid dreamed of becoming a cartoonist. He got involved in nerdy but cool jobs like designing video games while working on his book on the side. The juvenile protagonist in his book, Greg Heffley, was based on Kinney himself and his childhood. 

Kinney also mentioned that he didn’t intend to create a children’s book. Kinney had an older fan base in mind; his target was to give his readers a unique nostalgic experience, remembering their own awkward but fun days as kids through Greg Heffley.

According to Forbes magazine, the book made Kinney a very wealthy person. The author earns more than $20M per year. For This year, Jeff Kinney net worth is over $100M. 

To date, the books have sold over 250 million copies worldwide, amassing at least $500M in revenue. Diary of a Wimpy Kid’s first movie adaptation was in 2010. It landed a comfortable spot, right after another top-grossing film of that year, Alice in Wonderland. Three more sequels followed the film, all based on the original books.

Jeff Kinney The Writer and Illustrator

Until now, Kinney still can’t wrap his head on how his career turned out when he spent eight years dragging himself into creating the book, all the while believing it is going to be rejected. 

Jeff Kinney attended a comic book convention in 2006 and presented a portion of his draft to an editor from Abrams Books. To Jeff’s surprise, the editor took one look at his sample and said that its precisely what they were hoping to find in the convention. 

Kinney still labels his success as luck, even after releasing 15 sequels for the book and several successful movie adaptations. Jeff Kinney fondly remembers how happy he was when he received his first paycheck from his earned royalties, amounting to a few thousand dollars. According to Kinney, they prioritized the renovation of their growing children’s bedrooms, then saved the rest. It didn’t take long before the amounts he received were amounting to hundreds of thousands to millions.

Jeff Kinney’s Story

Jeff Kinney thought of his own awkward life as a kid while writing Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Still, it didn’t come as a surprise when the author started to receive comments on how readers enjoyed the story because Greg Heffley’s experiences were somewhat similar to their own.

Greg Heffley is a typical eleven-year-old boy attending middle school who has a lot to complain about in life. He has two siblings; an older brother and a little brother,  who always seem to get him, a mother who often embarrasses him, the bullies, and his nonexistent popularity in school. He tries to remedy his problems by being crafty and creative, but his antics always backfire, leaving poor Greg in a much worse situation than when he started.

Jeff Kinney Named Among the 100 Most Influential People

In 2009, Jeff Kinney was named amongst Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world amongst celebrities, politicians, and entrepreneurs. Kinney is no ordinary children’s book author. He makes surprise visits to different schools, riding a special bus covered with illustrations from his famous books, for the sole purpose of personally interacting and inspiring his young readers.

As Kinney says, these random visits keep him grounded. It’s his conscious effort to remind himself of the responsibility for creating the book. Jeff Kinney also created a virtual learning playground for kids, Poptropica. 

According to Family Education Network, Jeff Kinney is more than qualified to be named amongst the most influential people because of his efforts to encourage young people to read. The author admits that his book may not be the perfect reading material for children, but it can be a good tool to influence children that reading is fun.

Jeff Kinney Net Worth: Trivia Facts

• Jeff Kinney has stayed with the same publishing company all these years. Abrams Books, formerly called Harry N. Abrams Inc., was established in New York City in 1949. 
• After the first few millions came rolling in, Jeff Kinney and his family stayed in the same neighborhood and continued to live in the same house where they began raising their sons. 
• Five of the Wimpy Kid books were made into a kid movie. Five full films included Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017), and an untitled film that was supposed to come out in 2021 based on Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever. There was a short animated installment based on the events that took place after the third movie entitled Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown, which came out in 2018.
• What did Jeff Kinney get himself after getting his first few million? He built himself a tiny karaoke lounge with a stage – at their old home. 
• Jeff Kinney’s longtime friend, Lincoln Pierce, is the creator of the successful cartoon strip, Big Nate.
• The second significant thing he got himself was a cafe. Jeff Kinney built a bookstore & cafe in Plainville, Massachusetts. He wanted to create a literary landmark in his adoptive hometown and provide a great place where people can come, relax and read a book. He named the place “ An Unlikely Story.”

Jeff Kinney: Popular Questions People Ask

Is Jeff Kinney Still Making Books?

There is no news about Jeff Kinney venturing into a different career or retiring from being an author. The 16th book for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot is scheduled for release on October 26, 2021. Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories is the third book of the Wimpy Kid spin-off, Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid. It was released in March of 2021.

Who Is Jeff Kinney’s Wife?

Jeff Kinney married Julie Kinney in 2003; they have two sons, Will and Grant Kinney. Julie runs the book and store cafe that the couple opened in 2015, which they called An Unlikely Story, located in Plainville, Massachusetts.

Where Does Jeff Kinney Live?

Jeff Kinney and his family currently live in the small town of Plainville in Massachusetts. Kinney calls it his adoptive hometown with a peaceful and friendly community. It’s the same neighborhood where his wife Julie manages their book store and cafe, An Unlikely Story.

How Much has Jeff Kinney Made?

Jeff Kinney is one of the highest-paid authors in the world. Since his book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid was first released, his earnings and assets are estimated at no less than $100M. Statista.com presented a chart with Kinney hitting the $20M mark on his 2018 to 2019 earnings.

Why Did Jeff Kinney Write Diary of a Wimpy Kid?

Jeff Kinney wanted to send the message to his young readers that their troubles are not unique to themselves. Other kids have problems at school and at home, too, and how it’s all part of growing up. Children are quite resilient, but they do need a nudge every once in a while to keep them from stressing over things too much, or they won’t enjoy being kids like they should.

Jeff Kinney wrote Diary of a Wimpy Kid to attract older audiences; originally, it was one very thick book. But the company who first published Kinney’s work thought it would make a great children’s book series.

Final Thoughts: Jeff Kinney Net Worth

Jeff Kinney net worth is far from reaching its peak. The Wimpy Kid series shows no sign of fading away anytime soon as readers of the book continue to grow. There’s also the spin-off, Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid, which first came out in 2019 and has recently book three, Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories, on March 16, 2021.

Older fans attract new and younger audiences through sharing the bestselling series, offering a volume of interestingly illustrated graphic novels in hardcover that can attract any curious mind. We have social media and news on entertainment. Also, Kinney is a likable guy, and a gentle soul who gets as excited meeting his little fans during his school visits as the kids are ecstatic about meeting their hero.

Jeff Kinney net worth showed a different set of numbers year after year. His earnings continued to increase by a few million dollars in recent years, fluctuating from $15M to $17M. With another book scheduled for release this coming October, we can only wait for this newest addition can live up to the hype of the series. 

Jeff Kinney net worth is currently marked at $100M, proving he’s not only one of the most financially progressive authors there is, but he also created a book that can exist alongside other top-grossing classics, setting his family for life.