David Choe Net Worth (Money & Salary)

David Choe Net Worth (Money & Salary)

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Title: David Choe Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Last Updated: February 2, 2025


What is David Choe’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $300 million, David Choe stands out as an American painter, graffiti artist, graphic novelist, and muralist. Renowned for his figure paintings, he is synonymous with the bucktoothed whale within the graffiti scene. Choe’s artistic contributions include work for magazines such as “Hustler,” “Vice,” and “Ray Gun,” and he co-hosted the “DVDASA” podcast alongside adult film star Asa Akira. His publications include the titles “Slow Jams” (1999), “Bruised Fruit: The Art of David Choe” (2002), “Cursiv” (2003), and “David Choe” (2020). Additionally, he appeared in the 2008 documentary “Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe” and has made guest appearances in television series like “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” (2013), “Vice” (2014), “Better Things” (2019), and “The Mandalorian” (2021).

Facebook Payday

In the early 2000s, Facebook President Sean Parker noticed David’s graffiti work. He subsequently enlisted Choe to embellish the walls of Facebook’s headquarters located in Silicon Valley. When it came time to discuss payment, Choe requested $60,000.

After speaking with CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Parker relayed this to him, and Zuckerberg concurred, suggesting Choe accept equity instead of cash. This turned out to be an astute decision. Although the exact number of Facebook shares Choe received remains unclear and currently does not provide a substantial stake to be revealed in financial filings, it is known that his equity approximated to be valued around $200 million at Facebook’s IPO. Given the considerable rise in Facebook’s stock value post-IPO, there is a strong possibility that his shares could have fluctuated in value between $300 to $500 million over time.

David Choe

Ramin Talaie/Getty Images

Early Life

David Choe entered the world on April 21, 1976, in Los Angeles, California, where he was raised in Koreatown. His parents, both Korean immigrants, were also born-again Christians. As a child, David picked up drawing skills by replicating “Star Wars” and “G.I. Joe” imagery. His journey into graffiti began in 1990, inspired by local artists Hex and Mear One.

Following the destruction of his parents’ real estate business during the 1992 L.A. riots, Choe left high school, opting to hitchhike across America, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East for two years. At 21, he returned to California and started his studies at the California College of the Arts but left after completing two years.

Art Career

Choe’s foray into graffiti led him to a week-long term in jail, after which he returned to live with his parents. He began collaborating with various magazines, including “Vice,” where he also appeared in the web series “Thumbs Up!” (2007–2010), capturing his adventures of hitchhiking and train-hopping throughout the U.S. and China with his best friend, Harry Kim.

During his association with “Vice,” Choe formed a relationship with the pop culture boutique and magazine “Giant Robot.” Upon finding minimal interest from art galleries, David took the unconventional route of showcasing his artwork in Double Rainbow, an ice cream shop on Melrose Avenue. The positive reception prompted the shop to host his work for two years, allowing him to display a new piece each time one was sold.

In
“`In 2006, the graphic novel “Slow Jams,” which was initially self-published with around 200 copies distributed at Comic-Con in 1998, gained attention. Choe applied for the Xeric Grant and was subsequently awarded $5,000, allowing him to self-publish an expanded edition of 1,000 copies. The release of the graphic novel occurred in 1999 with a cover price of $4, yet it has recently fetched hundreds of dollars on eBay.

David Choe Net WorthDavid Choe Net Worth

Getty Images

Over a period exceeding ten years, Harry Kim recorded extensive footage of David’s life, culminating in the 2008 documentary “Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe.” This film is characterized as an “intense portrait of David Choe, a young near-schizophrenic street artist who devises various criminal schemes allowing him to travel the globe by hitchhiking.” After several solo exhibitions in San Francisco and San Jose, Choe received a solo exhibit at the Santa Rosa Museum of Contemporary Art in 2005.

His inaugural solo exhibition in New York, titled “Gardeners of Eden,” took place at Jonathan LeVine Gallery in Chelsea in 2007. The subsequent year marked his first solo exhibition in the U.K., “Murderous Heart,” hosted at the Lazarides Gallery in both London and Newcastle. In 2013, David showcased his watercolor works at the Museo Universario del Chopo in Mexico City, and in 2017, he organized an invite-only exhibit named “The Choe Show” in Koreatown. Additionally, Choe was responsible for the cover design of Jay-Z and Linkin Park’s 2004 “Collision Course” EP and lent his voice to the lead character in the animated film “We Are The Strange” released in 2007.

Personal Life

Choe has participated in various charitable efforts, including raising funds for Wyclef Jean’s Yle Haiti and engaging in artistic activities with at-risk children through The LIDÈ Haiti Foundation, founded by Rainn Wilson, a “The Office” star, alongside his wife, author Holiday Reinhorn. In the early 2000s, following an incident where he punched an undercover security guard in Tokyo due to a language barrier, David spent three months in prison. While incarcerated, he created over 600 drawings using “the one pen his cell allowed” and produced erotic paintings with materials such as tea, soy sauce, blood, and urine. Upon his release, he was instructed to leave Japan and prohibited from returning.

In 2014, David sparked controversy by remarking on his podcast about having exhibited “rapey behavior” towards a masseuse, later clarifying that the podcast should be viewed as fictional. In 2017, when Choe was commissioned to paint the Bowery Mural Wall, several artists protested. Artist Jasmine Wahi, who helped organize a demonstration in front of the mural, stated, “Our aim is to provoke widespread rejection of the continued normalization of rape culture by bringing visibility to the topic.” David later expressed regret for his previous comments, stating, “I have ZERO history of sexual assault. I am deeply sorry for any hurt I’ve brought to anyone through my past words. Non-consensual sex is rape and it is never funny or appropriate to joke about.”

Real Estate

In 2010, David acquired a 6,500 square-foot mansion in LA’s Los Feliz neighborhood for $3.1 million. He listed this property for sale at $6.9 million in September 2022.

 


David Choe Net Worth (Money & Salary)

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Data is compiled from 2023 and 2024, with forecast details extending to 2025 and 2026. The forecast data further extends to 2027 and 2028.

 



* This information was taken from various sources around the world, including these countries:

Australia, Canada, USA, UK, UAE, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, US, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia, U.S., South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates.

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan.

Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi.

Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling Islands), Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia (Hrvatska), Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic.

Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Metropolitan, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories.

Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy.

Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg.

Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar.

Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand (NZ), Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway.

Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe.

Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Helena, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria.

Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), UK (United Kingdom), USA (United States of America, U.S.), US Minor Outlying Islands.

Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State (Holy See), Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (US), Wallis and Futuna Islands, Western Sahara, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.


 


 
Post Title: David Choe Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Last Updated: February 2, 2025

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