Theodor Seuss Geisel, born on the 2nd of March 1904, was an American writer and cartoonist, famously known as Dr.Seuss, the author of numerous popular children’s books including “Horton Hears a Who”, and “The Lorax” among many others.
So how much was Geisel’s net worth? As of early 2016 it is reported to be $75 million, gained mostly from his long career as a children’s book author.
Dr. Seuss Net Worth $75 Million
Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts to German immigrant parents Theodor Robert and Henrietta. After finishing Springfield Central High School, Geisel left town and got his college degree at Dartmouth College, where he had joined “Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern”, Dartmouth’s humor magazine, eventually becoming its editor-in-chief. However, after being caught drinking gin with his other classmates, Geisel was kicked out of the publication. He still contributed artworks to the magazine but penned it under his middle name “Seuss” so that his professor wouldn’t notice that it was his work. Upon graduation, Geisel moved to England and attended Oxford University. Upon meeting his wife-to-be Helen, Geisel decided to quit school and moved back to the United States.
Because of his passion of telling stories, Geisel decided to become a full-time cartoonist, and his works landed in several magazines. He also tried his hand at advertising and marketing, and spent 15 years working for Standard Oil. When the Second World War broke out, he transitioned to a different job and voiced his opinions via his artworks, and contributed political cartoons to “PM Magazine”. He also worked with the US Army and produced animated training films, booklets and documentaries for the soldiers. His success as a cartoonist started to build his name and net worth, but his real success came in the form of books.
His first finished work “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” took 27 rejections before it found its way to Vanguard Press. Geisel went on to author several children’s books, but a turning point in his career came in 1954 when LIFE Magazine criticized the reading level of children. Geisel and his publishers took the article as a challenge and produced “The Cat in the Hat” – the story, made up of 220 vocabulary words meant for new readers, became a hit among children and critics, and established him as one of the best children’s book authors and illustrators of his time.
Geisel went on to create a number of well-loved and memorable children’s books, including “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”, “Green Eggs and Ham”, “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish”, “Fox in Socks” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. His books sold millions of copies worldwide, some even translated to film and Broadway, all of which contributed to his net worth.
In terms of his personal life, Geisel married his first wife Helen in 1927, during his stay in England; due to sickness and depression, Helen committed suicide in 1967. He later married his second wife Audrey in 1968, and became the stepfather to her two daughters. Geisel passed away on 24 September 1991, in La Jolla California, but he and his books are still loved by new generations.
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