Have you ever wondered what the net worth of Donald Glover is? You likely know the Hollywood mega-star from his roles in hit television shows like NBC’s “Community” and FX’s “Atlanta.”
Before becoming a household name in the Hollywood community, Glover rose to fame for his music under the guise “Childish Gambino.”
He reportedly came up with the name by using a Wu-Tang Clan name generator.
As Childish Gambino, he released four studio albums. His most famous song is his hit single, “Redbone,” which ranked as high as #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 after its release in 2017.
As of September 2022, the net worth of Donald Glover is $35 million. In this post, we’ll show you how he achieved his success.
Early Life
Donald McKinley Glover, Jr. was born at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 25th, 1983.
He and his siblings grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia — raised by Donald Sr. and Beverly Glover. His father was a postal worker, and his mother is a retired daycare provider.
They would have never imagined their son would grow up to become the global icon he is today.
Glover attended Lakeside High School and The Dekalb School of the Arts. In high school, his peers voted him “Most Likely to Write For ‘The Simpsons.’”
After high school, he attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and graduated in 2006 with a degree in Dramatic Writing.
Donald Glover Movies and TV Shows
Glover rose to prominence through a series of successful roles in various movies and television shows throughout his young career.
Some of his most successful performances in chronological order are as follows.
30 Rock
In 2006, Donald Glover’s writing samples he began publicizing caught the eye of producer David Miner.
Miner and Tina Fey took notice of his immeasurable talent and hired him as a writer for NBC’s hit sitcom, “30 Rock.”
The show received critical acclaim and even earned the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Series following a successful third season.
From 2006 to 2009, Glover wrote for “30 Rock,” occasionally receiving cameo appearances as well.
Following his stint on 30 Rock, Glover unsuccessfully auditioned to play Barack Obama on the comedy show “Saturday Night Live.”
Community
After his unsuccessful audition for Saturday Night Live, Glover starred as Troy Barnes in NBC’s “Community,” which aired in 2009.
He starred in his role for five seasons until moving on to focus on his budding music career and personal problems.
Following his success in Community, Glover pursued a music career more seriously under the stage name “Childish Gambino.”
However, he continued to star in television shows and movies while focusing on his growing discography.
In 2010, a campaign began on behalf of Donald Glover’s fans for him to be cast in the role of Peter Parker in the next upcoming “Spider-Man” movie.
The campaign grew so large that even the comic’s creator, Stan Lee, lobbied for him to portray the role.
The campaign, however, never progressed beyond that point, with the role going to Andrew Garfield.
The Lazarus Effect and Magic Mike XXL
After his success in the television world, Glover moved on to have a notable career in acting. This stint began with his role in “The Lazarus Effect.”
Where he played a scientist working on bringing the dead back to life. He then parlayed his success from The Lazarus Effect to land a role in “Magic Mike XXL,” where he played a singer.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
While filming his second season of “Atlanta” (more on this below), Glover filmed and portrayed a young Lando Calrissian in “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”
While the movie itself didn’t receive positive reviews, critics praised Glover for his performance in the movie.
The Lion King
In 2019, Glover portrayed Simba in Disney’s live-action remake of “The Lion King.” The film received mixed reviews but is one of the highest-grossing movies of all-time at $1.6 billion.
After an extensive career of supporting roles, Donald Glover finally landed a lead opportunity in FX’s “Atlanta.”
Directing and starring in the show as Earnest “Earn” Marks, Glover’s character manages his cousin, who is a rapper.
Glover has earned critical acclaim for his work on “Atlanta.” He’s earned the Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy.
He also got Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (the first black person to win an Emmy for the latter category).
Thanks to his success with “Atlanta,” FX signed Glover to write exclusively for the network.
Donald Glover’s Net Worth After Music Career
Donald Glover’s career was “Childish Gambino” is arguably as successful as his career in film.
The young star’s first album was “Camp,” a project he received help with from Community’s lead composer.
Before releasing “Camp,” Glover signed a deal with Glassnote Records, all while still portraying Troy Barnes in Community.
Glover released “Camp” in 2011, debuting as No. 11 on the Billboard 200.
The debut singles “Bonfire” and “Heartbeat” of the album peaked at No. 18 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Single chart and No. 54 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Song chart, respectively.
Because The Internet
Glover released “Because the Internet,” his second studio album, in December 2013.
Along with the album drop, he released a 72-page screenplay he wrote and starred in “Clapping for The Wrong Reasons.”
The album was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, and the single “3005” was nominated for Best Rap Performance.
Awaken, My Love! And This Is America
“Awaken, My Love!” was Glover’s third studio album. The project received positive reviews from critics and multiple Grammy nominations.
The single, “Redbone,” won Best Traditional R&B Performance.
In 2018, Childish Gambino released the controversial song, “This Is America.”
The song and music video went viral for its graphic depiction of gun violence and police brutality in the United States.
Known for being notoriously private, Glover took a hiatus from social media and the internet following his viral hit.
Donald Glover Net Worth 2022
As of September 2022, the net worth of Donald Glover is $35 million. The musician, actor, and director has achieved a lot in a short amount of time.
Over the coming years, it will be no surprise if his net worth continues to rise.
Key Takeaways
- Focus on your passions: Donald Glover identified his talents at a young age and didn’t waste time pursuing opportunities that didn’t fit them. Starting with his decision to attend NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Glover bet on himself early on that he would be successful in his artistic endeavors.
- Diversify your opportunities: Donald Glover didn’t sit around and wait to lose his desire to star in “Community.” Once he saw a chance for himself to be on his own and focus on his budding music career, he leaped faith to leave his comfortable role as Troy Barnes on the hit NBC show.