What was Dr. Seuss’ net worth at the time of his death?
Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss, was an American writer and illustrator of immensely popular children’s books who had a net worth of $75 million.
Throughout his career, Dr. Seuss published over 60 books.
He was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts, as Theodor Seuss Geisel.
His mom was named Henrietta Seuss Geisel, while his dad, Theodor Robert Geisel.
He credited his mother for the most influence on his writing technique.
In 1925, Geisel graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Liberal Arts.
Dr Seuss, New York, New York, April 4, 1957 – @Getty
In 1927, Geisel dropped out of Oxford because the academic studies bored him. Later that year, he got a job as a cartoonist for Judge magazine in NYC.
His first book was rejected 27 times
In 1937, Geisel published his first book under the name of Dr. Seuss.
Vanguard Press printed 15K copies of the book for its first printing.
During World War II, he was deployed to the Fox Studios in Hollywood to work as a political cartoonist.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
In 1957, he published two of his most popular works:
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
- The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat features a mischievous talking cat who tries to entertain two siblings on a rainy day.
In 2000, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was adapted into a film directed by Ron Howard that starred Jim Carrey. The film grossed $346 million worldwide.
Jim Carrey in a scene from the film ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’, 2000 – @Getty
In 1960, Geisel wrote Green Eggs and Ham. The book was based on the bet that he couldn’t write a book using fewer than 50 words. About three million copies have been sold to date.
In 1971, Dr. Seuss published the children’s book The Lorax.
In 1984, Geisel was the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize Special Award for his contribution to the enjoyment and education of children.
Wife
From 1927 to 1967, Geisel was married to Helen Palmer.
Dr Seuss points towards something in the distance while his wife Helen prepares to take a picture outside their home in La Jolla, California, April 25, 1957 – @Getty
She was a children’s author herself and the co-founder and vice president of Beginner Books.
They met in class at Oxford.
Helen was six years older than Geisel.
On October 23, 1967, she died by suicide with an overdose of barbiturates. Palmer’s suicide note included:
Second Marriage
It was reported that Geisel cheated on his ill wife with Audrey Dimond.
Audrey divorced her husband, Edmunds Dimond, on June 21, 1968.
On August 5, 1968, Theodor Seuss Geisel married Audrey Dimond. They invited no friends at their wedding.
‘Mrs. Dr. Seuss’ Audrey Geisel at the premiere of ‘Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas’ at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles Ca. 11/8/00 – @Getty
The two first met at a party in La Jolla.
It is believed that Audrey increased Geisel’s creativity and productivity. He published 20 books during their marriage.
In 1993, Audrey founded Dr. Seuss Enterprises with mission was to “protect the integrity of the Dr. Seuss books.”
She also donated $20 million to the University of California.
In 2004, Audrey received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on behalf of Geisel.
Audrey passed away on December 19, 2018. She was 97.
Children
Geisel never had children of his own. However, he was a stepfather to Audrey’s two daughters.
“You keep having kids, I’ll keep writing books for them,” Dr. Seuss replied when asked why he has no kids.
Death
Dr. Seuss, as he is known, holds a toy of the Cat in the Hat – @Getty
Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, died on September 24, 1991, in La Jolla, California. He was 87.
His ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
Height
5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
Theodor Seuss Geisel – Net Worth
So, how much was Dr. Seuss worth?
Geisel earned most of his wealth from selling copies of his children’s books, including — How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, The Butter Battle Book, I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, and more.
Dr. Seuss poses for a portrait in December 1985 in Los Angeles – @Getty
His books were translated into over 20 languages and sold more than 600 million copies.
Therefore, at the time of his death, Dr. Seuss had an estimated net worth of $75 million.
Real estate
In 1948, Geisel and his wife Helen bought a four-bedroom and 4.5-bathroom house that spread over four acres in La Jolla, California.
He lived in the La Jolla home until his death in 1991
In 2019, the property was donated by the Geisel Trust to the University of California at San Diego.
In 2022, the Mediterranean house was listed for $19 million.
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I am Bulgarea Candin Stefan, and I founded FamousPeopleToday.com in 2018. I’m using my bachelor’s degree in economics and 9 years of experience in blogging to guide millions of people through the incredibly complex world of celebrity net worths.