James Patterson has an estimated net worth of $800 million, making him one of the richest authors in the world. This wealth stems from his prolific writing career, with over 425 million books sold worldwide, and includes income from book sales, film and television adaptations, and his production company, James Patterson Entertainment. He is known for series such as Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, and Maximum Ride, and has earned between $70 million and $90 million annually, often ranking among the highest-paid authors globally. His success is attributed to a unique collaborative writing model, strategic marketing, and diversification into media and philanthropy.

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Nasdaq
nasdaq.com › articles › how-rich-are-jk-rowling-james-patterson-and-other-top-10-richest-authors
How Rich Are JK Rowling, James Patterson and the Other Top 10 Richest Authors? | Nasdaq
July 15, 2025 - In third place is American cartoonist Jim Davis with a net worth of $800 million. Davis is most famous for his international hit comic strip “Garfield” which has been in syndication since 1978.
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Binus
english.binus.ac.id › 2024 › 04 › 12 › the-nine-richest-authors-of-2023
The Nine Richest Authors of 2023 – English BINUS University
Net worth : 1 billion . 2. James Patterson. “Alex Cross”. Net worth: 800 Million 3. Jim Davis. “Garfield”. Net worth: 800 Million 4. Danielle Steel. Genre: Romantic novels.
Discussions

The World's Richest Authors of 2017 (And How Much They'd Be Paid If They Were Paid Per Word)
I'm fairly certain that James Patterson, and apparently Danielle Steele, aren't actually people, but corporate mockups of authors created to front their publishing mills. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/writing
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December 26, 2017
TIL James Patterson has made more than $700M having sold more than 425M copies of his books.
So he gets less than $2 per book? More on reddit.com
🌐 r/todayilearned
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March 13, 2024
Stephen King is what James Patterson wishes he could be

James Patterson stopped writing decades ago. He slaps his name on other people's work and calls it his own. James Patterson = Books For People Who Don't Read Good

More on reddit.com
🌐 r/stephenking
39
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June 11, 2022
James Patterson donates $1.25 million to classroom libraries
And with the going rate of Pearson Publishing books, that's a whopping 6.25 books! Seriously though, good on James! More on reddit.com
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November 25, 2018
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Celebrity Net Worth
celebritynetworth.com › home › richest celebrities › authors › james patterson net worth
James Patterson Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth
May 23, 2025 - James Patterson Net Worth salary and career earnings: James Patterson is an American author and producer who has a net worth of $800 million. James Patterson is best known for his novels revolving around fictional psychologist Alex Cross,
Patterson in 2024
James Patterson
James  Patterson
James Patterson Highlights
James Patterson Profile Picture
James Brendan Patterson (born March 22, 1947) is an American author. Among his works are the Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women's Murder Club, Maximum Ride, Daniel X, NYPD Red, Witch & Wizard, … Wikipedia
Factsheet
Born James Brendan Patterson
(1947-03-22) March 22, 1947 (age 78)
Newburgh, New York, U.S.
Factsheet
Born James Brendan Patterson
(1947-03-22) March 22, 1947 (age 78)
Newburgh, New York, U.S.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › James_Patterson
James Patterson - Wikipedia
17 hours ago - Forbes reported the deal was worth at least $150 million, but according to Patterson, the estimate was inaccurate. Patterson founded the James Patterson PageTurner Awards in 2005 to donate over $100,000 that year to people, companies, schools, ...
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Wrightbookassociates
wrightbookassociates.co.uk › home › how much is james patterson worth in 2024? | the richest author’s net worth
How Much Is James Patterson Worth in 2024? | The Richest Author's Net Worth
December 27, 2024 - As of 2024, author James Patterson’s net worth is estimated to be around $800 million. This incredible figure positions him far ahead of many other authors, making him a financial giant in the literary world.
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Caroline-writes
caroline-writes.com › home › writing tips › stephen king vs. james patterson: who has the better writing method?
Comparing the Best Writing Method: Stephen King vs James Patterson writing method
July 27, 2025 - Both Stephen King and James Patterson have made a serious amount of money writing books. Stephen King’s estimated net worth is $500-$600 million, while James Patterson’s estimated net worth is a whopping $800 – $900 million.
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novum
novumpublishing.com › home › beyond the bestseller list: the 10 wealthiest authors in the world
Beyond the bestseller list: The 10 wealthiest authors in the world
January 29, 2025 - In this article, we at novum publishing introduce you to the richest authors in the world, perhaps giving you a further incentive to write a book. The fortune of US crime writer James Patterson is estimated at a whopping 800 million dollars.
Find elsewhere
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Mal Warwick on Books
malwarwickonbooks.com › home › which authors make the most money?
Which authors make the most money? | Mal Warwick on Books: Insightful Reviews and Recommendations
June 6, 2023 - 1. James Patterson : $836 million 2. J. K. Rowling : $546 million 3. Stephen King : $259 million 4. Danielle Steel : $231 million 5. John Grisham : $192 million 6. Jeff Kinney : $165 million 7. E. L. James (Tie) : $153 million 7. Janet Evanovich ...
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Forbes
forbes.com › profile › james-patterson
James Patterson
#15 James Patterson on the 2020 Celebrity 100 - America's highest-paid author published more than 20 books in the last year. Patterson's earnings are bound
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Parade
parade.com › books › highest-paid-authors
How Rich Is Your Favorite Writer? Ranking the 15 Highest-Paid Authors in 2026
2 weeks ago - James’ commercial success with ... the number of hot pepper emojis denotes how “spicy” a book is). Her net worth is $150 million....
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Legit.ng
legit.ng › legit news › ask legit › top lists › top 20 richest authors in the world ranked by their net worth
Top 20 richest authors in the world ranked by their net worth - Legit.ng
November 27, 2024 - James Patterson boasts a net worth of $800 million thanks to his prolific writing career and numerous bestsellers. Known for the Alex Cross series, Patterson has sold over 425 million books worldwide.
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Medium
writingcooperative.com › how-james-patterson-turned-a-writing-side-hustle-into-a-750-million-fortune-73c3cd0c3049
How James Patterson Turned a Writing Side Hustle Into a $750 Million Fortune | by Jack Turner, MBA | The Writing Cooperative
April 15, 2021 - His annual earnings topped more than $80 million between June 2019 and June 2020, and he has an estimated net worth of $750 million. What many don’t realize is that Patterson’s writing started as a side hustle.
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Celebrity Net Worth
celebritynetworth.com › home › list
Top 50 Richest Authors
March 10, 2020 - JK Rowling is one of the wealthiest private citizens ... James Patterson Net Worth salary and career earnings: James Patterson is an American author and producer who has a net worth of $800 million.
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CEO Today
ceotodaymagazine.com › home › books & podcasts › the top 9 richest authors in 2025
Top 9 Richest Authors in 2025 and Their Iconic Works
October 14, 2025 - Patterson's innovative approach includes collaborating with co-authors, allowing him to release multiple bestsellers annually. His net worth stands at around $800 million, with annual earnings often exceeding $90 million.
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Paycheck.in
paycheck.in › salary › salarycheckers › james-patterson
Salary, Income, Net Worth: James Patterson - 2025 - Paycheck.in
James Patterson (Author, writer - United States) earns a salary of ₹7,88,66,77,774.00 per year.
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Reality Tea
realitytea.com › home › james patterson net worth 2025: how much money does he make?
James Patterson Net Worth 2025: How Much Money Does He Make? - Reality Tea
June 6, 2025 - So, what is Patterson’s overall net worth and earnings? Here’s all you need to know. James Patterson has an estimated net worth of $800 million in 2025.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/writing › the world's richest authors of 2017 (and how much they'd be paid if they were paid per word)
r/writing on Reddit: The World's Richest Authors of 2017 (And How Much They'd Be Paid If They Were Paid Per Word)
December 26, 2017 - I have no issue with any of them, good luck to them and all that. Am I not allowed to take the piss? Must every mention of these authors be one of reverence? ... I'm not jealous, but $278 per word for Patterson?