Jim Davis net worth is estimated at $800 million. He built this as the creator of “Garfield,” turning a simple comic strip into one of the most lucrative licensing empires in entertainment history.
Jim Davis: Quick Facts
| Net Worth | $800 million (estimated) |
| Born | July 28, 1945, Marion, Indiana |
| Education | Ball State University |
| Comic Strip Created | “Garfield,” debuted 1978 |
| Company Founded | Paws, Inc. |
| Sold Paws, Inc. to | Viacom, 2019 |
Early Life
Jim Davis was born on July 28, 1945, in Marion, Indiana, and grew up on a cattle farm in Fairmount, Indiana, with his brother, Dave. He sold his first cartoon to a local newspaper at just 13 and later attended Ball State University before working as a commercial artist.
Career
Jim Davis published a comic strip called “Jon,” about a mild-mannered cartoonist and his sardonic cat, from 1976 to 1978, before retooling the concept and shifting focus to the cat, debuting “Garfield” in 1978. The strip’s popularity exploded, and Davis made the pivotal decision in 1994 to buy back the rights to Garfield from his original syndicate for an estimated $15 to $20 million, reorganizing the business under his own company, Paws, Inc., allowing him to retain nearly all future profits, unlike many of his cartooning peers.
By the early 2000s, Garfield merchandise was generating between $750 million and $1 billion in annual retail sales, and Davis went on to write and produce numerous television specials, the sitcom “Garfield and Friends,” and multiple feature films, winning Emmy Awards along the way. He sold Paws, Inc. to Viacom in 2019, though he remains closely associated with the character.
Personal Life
Jim Davis has been married twice, with one son from his first marriage and two stepsons from his second. He lives on a 21-acre property in Albany, Indiana, which also serves as Garfield’s global headquarters, and founded the Professor Garfield Foundation to support children’s charities and animal welfare organizations.
FAQs
What is Jim Davis’s net worth?
Estimated at $800 million, based on decades of Garfield licensing and merchandising revenue.
What comic strip did Jim Davis create?
“Garfield,” which debuted in 1978 and has been syndicated in thousands of newspapers worldwide.
How did Jim Davis maintain control over Garfield?
He bought back the rights from his original syndicate in 1994 for an estimated $15 to $20 million.
Did Jim Davis sell his company?
Yes, he sold Paws, Inc. to Viacom in 2019.
