Hatrack River Forum: Isaac Asimov's wealth

This is topic Isaac Asimov's wealth in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Peruru Dragoon (Member # 2545) on :

Does anybody know a ballpark or an exact figure of how much Asimov was worth at his death? I mean Doubleday payed him $50,000 for Foundation's Edge and that was just one book and he had 500 total at his death.

Thanks

Posted by Trogdor the Burninator (Member # 4894) on :

Yes.

Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :

No, but I do have a catalog of his entire wine cellar.

Posted by Peruru Dragoon (Member # 2545) on :

He said his usual advance was $3,000.

Posted by jexx (Member # 3450) on :

This is a very complicated question, because are you measuring it in the dollar as we know it today, or what today's dollar was worth at the time of his death? Are you talking liquid assets, or including property values? What about trusts set up in the names of his children (not really sure if he had any, actually), or charitable trusts? When someone has that much money (and I assume he had a lot, just from speaking engagements alone), wealth is an amorphous thing.
And 'usual advance' doesn't mean much, considering how very many years the man wrote. It matters *when* he said (allegedly) 'my usual advance is $3,000'. In 1948, that would be a Very Big Deal. Nowadays, Stephen King (the only comparison I can think of right now) would get paid a $3,000 advance to write a letter to the editor. (Hyperbole, of course)
In any case, the information is undoubtedly private. You can estimate, but you'd be wrong. [Smile]

So why are you asking?

Posted by Slash the Berzerker (Member # 556) on :

The answer probably is:

More than you

Less than Oprah

Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :

Read his autobiography, I don't remember how much it was, just that it was a lot. Keep in mind he got paid for walking down the street, not just for writing books.

Posted by Trogdor the Burninator (Member # 4894) on :

Did he have any ballparks named after him?

Posted by jehovoid (Member # 2014) on :

He was two down in the top of the 7th when he died.

Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :

[ROFL]

Posted by jehovoid (Member # 2014) on :

Wow. Did I finally get a laugh for that? Better late than never.