Comedians are meant to be funny, right? Yes, the stand-up comedians dominating Nigeria’s humour business landscape are funny quite alright on stage, but very serious in business.
With assets running into billions of naira, they are light years apart from the past crops of old comedians who wait on people for meager rations of life. They may look funny and unserious, but they are cavorting to the bank and living their dreams. Ali Baba, the father of stand-up comedians in Nigeria, aptly captured in words, the profitability of comedy business when he said: “comedy is a funny business, a very big business.”
From obscurity to fortune, these comedians are the biggest in the game. They are Nigerian’s top five richest comedians.
Ayo Makun (A.Y)
His “AY Live” annual show fetches him around N160 million. In popular demand, AY collects between N1 to N2 million per event, while his annual income is put at N280 million, with a net worth of N800 million, AY can surely boast of exotic cars and choice properties. His “30days in Atlanta” has been achieved the highest grossing nollywood movie. Julius Agwu
His book, Jokes Apart fetched him N20 million. A humor investor, Julius is the CEO of Real Laff entertainment, organizers of Crack Your Ribs and Laugh for Christ’s Sake. These events bring him N140 million annually. With a performance fee between N2 to N3 million, his net worth is N1.5 billion, including properties scattered across the country. He’s indeed a money making genius. I Go Dye
He’s a UN ambassador. But he hardly banks on that! I Go Dye is a consummate businessman. He owns Revamp Construction. Revamp deals in real estate, property and road construction. His annual take home is between N350 and N500 million. With a net worth of over N2 billion. Basketmouth
Basketmouth remains the toast of reputable brands in Nigeria. He pockets over N120 million annually from his endorsement deals. He gets N100 million from hisBasketmouth Uncensored show. With an income of over N360 million, his net worth stands at N2 billion. Alibaba
All hail the King! A jester extraordinaire, but a serious businessman too. His Lekki home alone is valued at over N300 million. Dubbed the father of modern Nigerian comedy, he’s the delight of politicians and the big boys in Nigeria. His appearance fee stands between N4 to N5 million per event. And he’s sure of two events per week: Bringing him to N400 million per annum. With a net worth of over N3 billion, little wonder he remains the kingmaker of Nigeria’s comedy industry.
