Russell Peters’ $21 Million Salary Stuns, ‘Almost Famous’ Comedian Makes Big Money

Russell Peters’ $21 million paycheck last year probably makes him the richest comedian you’ve never heard of. If he does look familiar, there’s a good chance you spotted him as one of the judges on Last Comic Standing or in his comedy special Notorious on Netflix, as E! News noted. Despite not being readily recognizable by most people in the United States, he has made the list of highest earning comedians for several years, and that’s no small feat.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Russell Peters has an estimated net worth of $40 million.

Peters’s IMDb page shows that he will appear in the upcoming 2015 release TCB Baby – maybe. He is rumored to portray the role of Michael in the film alongside veteran actors such as Whoopi Goldberg and singer Meat Loaf. None of the roles in the film have been confirmed. He also landed the coveted role of Santa Claus in this year’s holiday film Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever. The 44-year-old comedian has an impressive number of other writing, directing, and acting credits, but it was his 2013 Almost Famous World Tour that reportedly helped Russell Peters earn $21 million in 2013.

Russell Peters has been linked romantically to bisexual adult film actress Sunny Leone, who later said that dating the comedian in 2008 was a mistake but not for the reasons one might expect. She told Hindustan Times that Peters is a nice guy who was once a close friend before they decided to trade their friendship for romance. She explained during an event earlier this year.

“You know, we were friends for such a long time and sometimes if you are friends for so long you think you can end up together. So we dated each other for some time, but I think that was a mistake.”

Peters and Leone have something in common. They are both Canadian-born performers of Indian descent. That’s pretty much where the similarities come to a screeching halt. Leone’s net worth as estimated by Celebrity Net Worth is $2.5 million.

In 2010, Peters became engaged to girlfriend Monica Diaz. They married just months later and became parents by the end of the year. Less than two years later, the couple had already filed for divorce.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, porn star Sunny Leone made her Bollywood debut in a raunchy flick that hit the big screen in 2012. In the movie, Leone portrays an adult film star who is hired by an intelligence officer to entrap a dangerous assassin. The film is called Jism 2; jism is the Hindu word for body.

Are you surprised about Russell Peters’ $21 million earnings? Comments are welcome.

[Image via the Social]