David Choe was born on 21 April, 1976 in Los Angeles, California, USA, to Korean immigrant parents. He is a painter, graffiti artist, muralist, graphic novelist as well as actor. His fine art became admired by many institutions and museums, and garnered the respect of fans around the world. Choe is perhaps best known for the bucktoothed whale graffiti as well as for painting the murals for Facebook.
So just how rich is David Choe? It has been reported that the overall amount of his net worth reaches $200 million, as of early 2016. His wealth has been earned from his various art works, and in addition to this, Choe’s television appearances have also contributed to his net worth.
David Choe Net Worth $200 Million
The artist grew up in the Koreatown district of Los Angeles, and began drawing at an early age. His first graffiti piece was the Bible verse reference John 11:35, which simply reads “Jesus wept”. However, his early life was characterized by petty crime and illegal street work. When he was 16, he participated in burning and looting during the 1992 LA riots, only to return home to find out that his parents’ business was burned down as well.
After dropping out of high school, Choe enrolled in the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, where he continued with stealing. He dropped out of college after two years and then spent a week in prison for his illegal graffiti. Upon moving back to his family home in LA, he exhibited his work to Double Rainbow, an ice cream store that continued showing his work for two years. He also illustrated for magazines such as Hustler, Ray Gun,Vice as well as for a store-cum-magazine Giant Robot. In 1998 he distributed his graphic novel “Slow Jams”, and then another one in 2002 entitled “Bruised Fruits: The Art of David Choe”. His live-in best friend began capturing Choe’s work and personal life, that eventually became the biopic “Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe”, which would become the most attended film at the Los Angeles Film Festival a few years later. His net worth was rising.
In 2003 Choe was imprisoned again, sentenced to three months in a Japanese jail this time for punching a security guard due to a misunderstanding in Tokyo. Next year he provided the artwork for multi-platinum album cover “Collision Course” by Jay-Z and Linkin Park and later started painting murals for Hollywood procuress Heidi Fleiss as well as for the founders of Facebook. In 2005 he held his first solo exhibition at the Santa Rosa Museum of Contemporary Art, and two years later his first New York solo exhibition “Gardeners of Eden” at Jonathan Levine Gallery in Chelsea. Choe’s wealth continued to grow in 2008 when he held his first UK solo exhibition “Murderous Heart” at Lazarides Gallery in both London and Newcastle. The same year he painted a portrait of Barack Obama for the US Presidential election campaign. These projects certainly improved his net worth
Meanwhile, in addition to his fine art work, Choe has been just as competent in the media world. His television appearances include the successful and extremely popular shows such as “The Vice Guide to Travel” and “Thumbs Up!”, where Choe had multiple rolls, sometimes as the writer, director and star, and sometimes providing music, graphics and animation, intensifying his net worth.
In 2012, the artist reaped the benefits of his work which he had provided for Facebook since 2005, his shares being valued at approximately $200 million. This placed him among the world’s five richest living artists.
The following year he appeared in the popular show “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”, and along with the adult movie star Asa Akira, began hosting “DVDASA”, a new lifestyle, relationship and entertainment podcast.
Choe is now 40 years old and his popularity grows higher. As for his personal life, sources believe that he is still single. However, the artist prefers to keep his private life exactly that, away from public view.
