Trey Parker

Trey Parker grew up in a small Colorado town and met Matt Stone, the future co-creator of "South Park," at the University of Colorado in Boulder. While in college, they made several comedic movies, one of which being "The Spirit of Christmas," a predecessor to "South Park." While Matt Stone takes 2nd place in the list of richest comedians, Trey Parker is in 4th.

It was so funny that a Fox Broadcasting Company executive, who was also a mutual friend of theirs, commissioned the team to make another film as a Christmas card in 1995. "Jesus vs. Frosty" and "Jesus vs. Santa" are two of them. "Jesus vs. Santa" became one of the first viral videos on the internet and was later picked up by Comedy Central.

It's fascinating to learn how they become wealthy. Much of their fortune stems from a clause included in their first contract with Comedy Central in 1997 by their lawyer. Any earnings not coming from Comedy Central's direct broadcast would be divided between Comedy Central and the co-creators, according to the agreement. It didn't mean much in 1997, but as streaming became the new way to view television, the two made millions of dollars.

In 2019, HBO Max paid $500 million for the streaming rights to "South Park," giving Parker and Stone $125 million apiece.

"Love isn't a decision. It's a feeling. If we could decide who we loved, it would be much simpler, but much less magical." —Trey Parker

Net worth: $600 million

Age: 51

Country: United States