Dan Aykroyd Net Worth 2024: How Much is the ‘Ghostbusters’ Actor Worth?

Dan Aykroyd net worth is estimated to be around $250 million as of 2024. Dan Aykroyd is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, writer, and producer born on July 1, 1952. Dan Aykroyd was part of the original group of actors on the NBC show “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) from its start in 1975 until 1979. He was known for his characters like the Coneheads and the Blues Brothers. Aykroyd got five Emmy nominations for his work on SNL and won for Outstanding Writing in 1977. He has made guest appearances on the show since leaving.

He became famous for his work in “Ghostbusters” and “Ghostbusters II” where he played Dr. Raymond “Ray” Stantz. Aykroyd has continued to be part of Ghostbusters-related projects. He’s also known for his roles in comedy films like “Trading Places,” “Spies Like Us” and “Coneheads.”

In 1990, Dan Aykroyd was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in “Driving Miss Daisy.” He’s done more serious roles in movies like “My Girl,” “Chaplin,” and “Sneakers.” He’s had supporting roles in films like “Tommy Boy,” “50 First Dates,” and “The Campaign.”

Aykroyd also had a sitcom called “Soul Man” where he played Reverend Mike Weber. He’s appeared on various TV shows like Home Improvement Family Guy and The Simpsons. Aykroyd is also a businessman co-founding the House of Blues music venues and Crystal Head Vodka brand.

What is Dan Aykroyd Net Worth in 2024?

Dan Aykroyd is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a net worth of $250 million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He started his career with the Second City comedy group in Toronto and later joined “Saturday Night Live” from 1975 to 1979. On “SNL,” he created famous characters and sketches, including the Blues Brothers with John Belushi.

Dan Aykroyd became famous in movies like “The Blues Brothers,” “Ghostbusters,” and “Dragnet.” He wrote and acted in these movies, showing his skills in both. He also did serious acting in movies like “Driving Miss Daisy” and “My Girl.”

In addition to movies, Aykroyd worked on TV shows. He had his sitcom, “Soul Man,” and appeared on many other shows. He also did voice work for animated shows like “The Real Ghostbusters.”

Aykroyd started the House of Blues, a chain of concert venues and restaurants, in 1992. He also created Crystal Head Vodka in 2007. The vodka comes in bottles shaped like crystal skulls, and the company made over $80 million in 2018.

Dan Aykroyd’s Early Life and Education

Dan Aykroyd was born on July 1, 1952, in Ottawa Ontario. His dad was an engineer who advised the Canadian Prime Minister and his mom was a secretary. His family background includes French Canadian English Scottish Irish French and Dutch roots. His great-great-great-granddad came from England to settle in Canada in 1810. Dan had a brother who was also an actor.

He went to a couple of high schools and started studying criminology and sociology at Carleton University but didn’t finish. Instead, he began a career as a comedian in Canada and also ran a club in Toronto for a while.

Dan Aykroyd got into music in Ottawa mainly through a club called Le Hibou. He saw a lot of blues artists there like James Cotton Otis Spann Pinetop Perkins and Muddy Waters. He even played drums with Muddy Waters once when his drummer had to leave. He was also into Howlin’ Wolf the Doors Buddy Guy and others. The club scene in Ottawa was fueled by educated folks from the government and nearby colleges.

Dan’s first big break came when he was 17 on a Canadian comedy show. He later joined the famous Second City comedy group in both Toronto and Chicago in 1973.

Dan Aykroyd’s Career

Saturday Night Live

Dan Aykroyd became famous on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL). He started as a writer, making $278 a week (about $1,603 now), but soon joined the cast. Aykroyd was the youngest in the original cast, called “The Not Ready For Prime Time Players,” and stayed with SNL for its first four seasons from 1975 to 1979.

He was known for his funny impersonations of celebrities like Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon. Aykroyd also played memorable characters such as Beldar the Conehead and Fred Garvin, the male prostitute. One of his famous sketches was “Super Bass-O-Matic ’76,” a fake ad for a blender that turns fish into a drink. This sketch was so unique that everyone at SNL was amazed by it.

Though Aykroyd was close friends with John Belushi, he was more reserved and didn’t use drugs like some of his peers. He won an Emmy in 1977 for his writing on SNL and got more nominations later.

Aykroyd returned to SNL for guest appearances and brought back old characters. In 2003, he hosted SNL for the first time since leaving the show. He made other surprise appearances, including playing a fan of Sanjaya Malakar and U.S. House Minority leader John Boehner.

The Blues Brothers

Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi were close friends. When they first met at a club, Aykroyd played a blues record, which got Belushi interested in blues music. Aykroyd taught Belushi about blues, and with help from Paul Shaffer, they created the Blues Brothers characters.

The Blues Brothers were not just a joke from “Saturday Night Live” (SNL). They had talented musicians like Steve Cropper and Donald “Duck” Dunn. Their album, “Briefcase Full of Blues”, sold 3.5 million copies and became one of the top blues albums ever. The band became even more famous with the movie “The Blues Brothers”, which Aykroyd co-wrote. They also made a sequel, “Blues Brothers 2000”, in 1998, with John Goodman taking Belushi’s role.

In their early days, the Blues Brothers often went to Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles. They worked with Steve Cropper and recorded music there. The band still tours today, with original members Cropper and Lou Marini. Aykroyd sometimes performs with them, along with Jim Belushi as “Brother Zee”. They are usually supported by the Sacred Hearts Band.

Other film and television work

Dan Aykroyd had a busy career after leaving “Saturday Night Live.” He starred in many movies, mostly comedies, with mixed success. His first big hits were “The Blues Brothers” and “Neighbors,” both of which did well at the box office. One of his most popular movies is “Trading Places,” where he starred with Eddie Murphy.

In the early 1980s, Aykroyd worked on “Ghostbusters,” inspired by his interest in ghosts. He originally wanted John Belushi for the lead role, but after Belushi’s death, he gave it to Bill Murray. The film was a huge success, earning almost $300 million. Aykroyd also made a small appearance in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.”

Aykroyd’s later movies include “Spies Like Us,” “Dragnet,” and “The Great Outdoors.” While some of these films were successful, others were not. “Ghostbusters II” came out in 1989 and did well, earning $215 million. Aykroyd was nominated for an Oscar for “Driving Miss Daisy.”

In the 1990s, Aykroyd’s movies like “Nothing but Trouble” and “Coneheads” did poorly. However, he had a few hits like “My Girl,” “Sneakers,” “Tommy Boy,” and “Grosse Pointe Blank.”

He appeared in TV shows and movies like “The Nanny,” “Soul Man,” and voiced Chip in “Antz.” Aykroyd also had small roles in big films like “Pearl Harbor” and “50 First Dates.”

In recent years, he worked on “Ghostbusters: The Video Game” and voiced Yogi Bear in “Yogi Bear.” He also appeared in “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and continues to show interest in making more Ghostbusters films.

Other musical endeavors

Dan Aykroyd took part in the recording of “We Are the World” in 1985, singing in the chorus. In 2008, he wrote notes for JW-Jones’s album “Bluelisted.” He also hosted “Elwood’s BluesMobile” on the radio from its start until 2018. This show was once called the “House of Blues Radio Hour,” and Aykroyd used his Blues Brothers name, Elwood Blues, for it.

Dan Aykroyd’s Personal Life

Dan Aykroyd was once engaged to Carrie Fisher, a famous actress. He proposed to her while they were filming “The Blues Brothers”. But their engagement didn’t last long because Carrie got back together with her ex-boyfriend, Paul Simon, who is a musician. Later on, in 1983, Dan Aykroyd got married to another actress named Donna Dixon. They met while working on a movie called Doctor Detroit in the same year. They even acted together in a few more films.

Dan and Donna have three daughters together. One of their daughters, Danielle, is known as Vera Sola when she performs on stage. In 2022, Dan and Donna announced that they were separating after being married for 39 years but would stay legally married.

Dan Aykroyd grew up in Canada and still lives there in Sydenham, Ontario. He loves the outdoors and is interested in things like rocks and ancient animals. He even goes on trips with a Canadian scientist to dig up dinosaur bones.

Aside from acting, Dan is also involved in charity work. He helps with projects like rebuilding homes damaged by floods and supports organizations that fight against racism. He’s a big believer in spirits and ghosts and has been part of shows and books about paranormal activities.

Dan Aykroyd is also a reserve deputy for a sheriff’s department in Mississippi. He used to work as a police officer in Louisiana. Despite being famous, he’s stayed connected to his roots and is involved in many different things beyond just acting.

Dan Aykroyd’s Business ventures

Back in 1992, Dan Aykroyd and Isaac Tigrett joined forces to create the House of Blues. Their goal was to celebrate African-American culture, especially blues music and folk art. They got support from many music and Hollywood figures to kickstart this venture. It all started in Cambridge Massachusetts but soon expanded to other cities like New Orleans in 1994. By 2004 House of Blues had become the second-largest live music promoter globally with venues in the US and Canada. Live Nation took over in 2006.

In 1994, Aykroyd also opened Aykroyd’s Ghetto House Cafe in Kingston Ontario.

Moving on to 2007, Dan Aykroyd and John Alexander introduced Crystal Head Vodka a fancy vodka known for its skull-shaped bottle and unique filtering process using Herkimer diamond crystals.

Besides these ventures, Aykroyd is involved in wineries in Canada’s Niagara Peninsula and handles Patrón tequila’s distribution in Canada.

Fast forward to 2016, Dan Aykroyd teamed up with Eric Bischoff Jason Hervey, and Ike McFadden to create an online casino game featuring the Blues Brothers. Aykroyd lent his voice to the game as Elwood Blues through voiceover.

Dan Aykroyd Real Estate

In 1988, Dan and his brother bought a big house in Los Angeles for $732,500. They sold it 20 years later for $2.13 million. In 2007, Aykroyd bought a large 4-bedroom house in Pacific Palisades for $14.5 million. The next year, he sold his Hollywood Hills home, which was 4,828 square feet, for $3.8 million. In 2014, Dan rented out the Pacific Palisades house for $45,000 a month.