Here's how much money best-selling author David Sedaris makes each year
.jp2)
Sedaris made the revelation on a podcast hosted by comedian Michael Ian Black. Sedaris is the best-selling author of 8 books, writes for The New Yorker, and does speaking tours around the country.
During the podcast, Sedaris talked about doing book signings. At his signings he gives people a lot of attention, talking to them about their lives. He asks somewhat invasive questions like how much they make, or how much they paid for their homes, because he thinks it's amusing.
Black used that as an opportunity to ask him how much he makes in a year.
"I always wanted somebody to ask me that question," said Sedaris. "Then I realized, gosh, you can't really answer it."
After a pause, Sedaris said, "I make ... uhh... " and then, almost in a whisper, "I make, like, $2 million a year."
He explained where his money comes from: "I go on these tours, I feel like I am on tour 6 months out of the year. Then I have royalty checks, and then if I have a book, they pay you in installments."
Black asked him how he feels about it.
"I feel great about, I feel absolutely great about it."
Sedaris found his success relatively late in life. He went to art school and bummed around the country before being discovered by Ira Glass of "This American Life" in his mid-thirties.
He started doing humorous stories about his life on public radio, which led to book deals, which lead to his wealth.
He said that when he was in his late 20s to early 30s, $200 was a lot of money for him when he was doing odd jobs. That probably helps give him perspective on his unbelievable success.
You can listen to the full show below. He talks about his earnings around the 32 minute mark.