What is David E. Kelley’s net worth?

David E. Kelley, a prolific American television writer and producer, has a net worth of $250 million. He shares this wealth with his wife, actress Michelle Pfeiffer, whom he has been married to since 1993. Together, they have two children.

Kelley has successfully created shows for all four major American television networks, including ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. He has also created shows for several prominent streaming platforms. Kelley’s impressive career has earned him 11 Emmy Awards and 4 Peabodys, and in 2014, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Education

David Edward Kelley was born in Waterville, Maine in April 1956 and raised in Belmont, Massachusetts. His father, Jack Kelley, is a member of the United States Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. He attended Belmont High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science from Princeton University, where he wrote a senior thesis that turned the Bill of Rights into a play. After Princeton, he earned a Juris Doctor from Boston University Law School and wrote for a legal-themed sketch comedy group called the Legal Follies while in law school.

Career Beginnings

After law school, Kelley worked for a Boston law firm where he handled real estate and minor criminal cases. In 1983, he began writing a legal thriller as a side hobby, which he eventually adapted into a screenplay. The screenplay was optioned by film producers and turned into the 1987 Judd Nelson film “From the Hip”.

David E. Kelley’s Career Highlights

David E. Kelley began his TV writing career as a legal writer for the NBC series “L.A. Law” in 1986. He quickly rose through the ranks to become executive producer and received two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series. In 1992, he co-created “Dougie Houser, M.D.” with Steven Bochco and went on to create his own production company, David E. Kelley Productions, which landed a deal with CBS television. His first series, “Picket Fences,” earned 14 Emmy Awards and was followed by “Chicago Hope” in 1994.

After his deal with CBS ended in 1995, Kelley signed a larger contract with 20th Century Fox and created two hit series: “The Practice” and “Ally McBeal.” “The Practice” aired 168 episodes over eight seasons on ABC, while “Ally McBeal” aired 112 episodes over five seasons on Fox. He went on to create “Boston Public” in 2000, which aired 81 episodes over four seasons, and “Boston Legal” in 2004, which aired 101 episodes over five seasons.

David E. Kelley left Fox in 2008 and signed a new production deal with Warner Bros. Television. He continued his success with the creation of the series “Goliath” for Amazon Studios in 2015 and the critically acclaimed HBO drama “Big Little Lies” in 2017.

David E. Kelley’s Personal Life

David E. Kelley began dating actress Michelle Pfeiffer in January 1993 after a blind date. Michelle had already started legal adoption proceedings and two months into their relationship, she adopted a newborn girl, Claudia Rose. David and Michelle tied the knot in November 1993. They welcomed their first biological child, John Henry, in August 1994.

Michelle and David’s Impressive Real Estate Portfolio

Michelle and David own a vast and impressive real estate portfolio that spans the globe. One of their properties is a 340-acre coastal estate in a remote wilderness area of British Columbia. The property is so remote that it does not even have a postal code and is only accessible by boat. They listed this property for sale in October 2017 for $28 million.

In 2004 and 2008, Michelle and David spent a total of $20.6 million to acquire two parcels in the San Francisco suburb of Woodside, for a total of 8.7-acres. After listing this property for $29 million in 2018, they finally unloaded it for $22 million in January 2020.

In 2016, they spent $8.15 million on a home in the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles. In September 2018, they bought the house next door for $7.7 million, for a total of $15.85 million. In January 2020, they sold the first-purchased property for $9.1 million to Texas businessman Jim Crane, owner of the Astros. At the same time the second-purchased home was listed for a price tag of $8.35 million. The price was dropped to $7.3 million a year later.

In February of 2020, Michelle and David paid $22.25 million for a lavish estate in the Pacific Palisades. They listed the home for sale on July 9, 2021, and reportedly sold it within two weeks at asking.

You May Also Like