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Highlights
- Winning America’s Got Talent doesn’t always guarantee massive success, as many past winners have not reached significant net worth.
- Some winners, like Terry Fator, Mat Franco, and Paul Zerdin, have amassed millions in wealth and continue to shine in their respective entertainment careers.
- More than just singing, Kenichi Ebina added variety to the winners’ circle with his unique dancing-illusion act and continues touring successfully.
America’s Got Talent has been going strong for 18 seasons, celebrating talented competitors across every facet of entertainment, from stand-up comedy to singing, dancing crews, animal trainer acts, and more. The latest person to be crowned winner was Adrian Stoica and Hurricane for their dog act with magician Anna DeGuzman coming in second.
In all, there have been 23 winners if the spin-offs are included. Many competitors, however, have not gone on to enjoy such great success. But when it comes to the first 10 winners from the show, who is making the big bucks?
Updated April 2024:“America’s Got Talent” will be coming back in the Summer 2024 for Season 19. Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Howie Mandel will be back to judge along with Terry Crews hosting to see who wins the newest season. For those who have come before the more recent acts, the net worth has not changed much over the years. Many are still pursuing their dreams, while one winner, Terry Fator, has made his dream come true after appearing on “America’s Got Talent.”
10 Neal E. Boyd
Net Worth: Unknown at death
Sadly, Boyd passed away in 2018 at the young age of 42. The opera singer captivated viewers in the third season of the show, taking home the final win for his haunting and talented voice.
He reportedly died of heart failure, kidney failure, and liver problems. Some of his most notable performances on the show included the song “Somewhere” from West Side Story and “Nessun Dorma.”
9 Kevin Skinner
Net Worth: $300,000
Despite winning the fourth season, being the third singer to win the show, Skinner hasn’t made it big as a country music star. Skinner’s net worth is $300,000 even though he won the million dollar prize in 2009 (which was to be paid out over 40 years).
He released his debut studio album the following year as well as a live and unplugged album the year after. And while he also appeared on The Tonight Show and had a headlining show in Vegas, as per the prize, his star has since faded.
Skinner has suffered from mental health issues over the years. So much so that at one point he went missing. Today, Skinner prefers to stay out of the spotlight.
8 Kenichi Ebina
Net Worth: $1 million
One of the few winners of the show who actually does something other than sing, Ebina enjoyed moderate success after winning the show. But not enough to push his reported income beyond a million.
Hailing from Japan, Ebina mesmerized viewers with his routine that combine dancing with acting, storytelling, mime, martial arts, and illusions. He turned heads with an act that saw him perform alongside a projected version of himself using an app he was working on called Dance-ish Me.
Ebina is currently touring with Greatest Vegas Show in Tokyo .
7 Michael Grimm
Net Worth: $1 million
The sweet, humble man who loved to sing was genuinely surprised that he made it so far on the show, and then ended up winning. Grimm has earnings of a reported $1 million to date, even after using much of his winnings from the show to build a home for his grandparents.
Grimm performed as part of the AGT Tour Show, got married to his long-time girlfriend, and spent 11 years performing in Las Vegas casinos after his big win. Grimm has also released an album and even once opened for Stevie Nicks.
In June 2023, Grimm was put on life support for an undisclosed illness. While he was close to the brink of death, Grimm recovered. His health issue has never been discussed, however.
6 Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.
Net Worth: $2 million
The impeccably dressed, smooth jazz singer with the killer smile had Americans wrapped around his finger from the first note. So, it was no surprise he won, though it might be a surprise that his net worth is $2 million, despite winning the show in 2011.
Murphy went on to have a headlining act in Las Vegas later that year and released an album with Columbia Records that reached No. 1 on the jazz charts. Admirably, with live entertainment coming to a halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Murphy went back to school online to earn his high school equivalency diploma. Something he had wanted to do since dropping out decades ago.
Murphy released his fifth album in February 2024.
5 Olate Dogs
Net Worth: $2 million
This father and son team, Richard and Nicholas Olate, did amazing tricks with their talented and highly trained dogs. Enough to earn them a win on the show, but not enough to earn them beyond $2 million.
Since winning the show in 2012, they had a Vegas residency, have gone on tour, and appeared during NBA halftime shows.
The Olate Dogs continue to tour around the US today.
4 Bianca Ryan
Net Worth: $3 million
The first person to win the show, Ryan was just 11 when she captured the hearts of America with her beautiful singing voice. She released several albums but then took time off to finish her schooling, then experienced some health issues that further put her career on hold.
That did not slow Ryan down, however. Since then, she has returned for The Champions edition of the show in 2018. She also launched her own line of lipstick that same year.
In 2020, Ryan released a Christmas album and even started an acting career in 2014 with We Are Kings.
Ryan’s net worth is $3 million.
3 Paul Zerdin
Net Worth: $3 million
The second ventriloquist to win the show, Zerdin hasn’t come close to experiencing the same success as the first, with a net worth of $3 million. He stood out not only for his talented ventriloquism, but for his act that also incorporated a lot of witty comedy.
His Las Vegas show ran for four months but closed due to low attendance. Since then, he returned to appear in The Champions spin-off on both the American and British versions of the show, but didn’t make the finals.
Today, Zerdin tours the US and UK with his “All Mouth” and “Puppet Party Shows”.
2 Mat Franco
Net Worth: $3 million
Winning over America with his talented skills as a magician, charismatic personality, winning smile, and adorable story about his long-time love of magic, Franco took home the win in 2014, making him the first-ever magician to win the show. Franco’s net worth is $3 million.
Franco headlined an act in Las Vegas in the Mat Franco Theatre and has received rave reviews and high ratings. Currently, Franco’s show is at the LINQ in Las Vegas.
Chances are his net worth will continue to rise.
1 Terry Fator
Net Worth: $160 million
Absolutely obliterating the competition, Fator was the second winner ever on the show, and the first who wasn’t a singer; or rather he isn’t just a singer but also a ventriloquist who also happens to be an incredibly talented singer without ever moving his lips. Fator was quickly scooped up for a Vegas residency and signed a massive, $100 million five-year contract, which has now led to his $160 million net worth.
Fator continues to headline his own very successful ventriloquism and singing show in Vegas that also centers around celebrity impersonations and comedy. He remains the gold standard of winners and proof that winning the show can lead to a nine-figure paycheck.
