Lucille Ball: The Life, Legacy, And Fortune Of A Comedy Legend

What Was Lucille Ball’s Net Worth and How Did She Build It?

Let me tell you about Lucille Ball. This incredible woman wasn’t just a comedic genius but also one of the most financially successful entertainers of her time. At the time of her passing in 1989, Lucille had amassed a staggering net worth of $60 million. Adjusted for inflation, that’s like having $125 million today. Now, that’s no small potatoes! She didn’t just get famous from being the star of "I Love Lucy," but she was also a shrewd businesswoman. Lucille and her then-husband, Desi Arnaz, made some bold moves in the entertainment world that paid off big time. They negotiated a deal that gave them ownership of their show, which led to a lucrative sale to CBS in 1957 for $4.5 million. Today, that’d be over $40 million. They used that money to expand their production company, Desilu Productions, and Lucille eventually bought out Desi’s share for $2.5 million. By 1967, she sold the company for $17 million, which is the equivalent of a cool $130 million in today’s money. That’s how you build a legacy.

Early Life: From Jamestown to the Spotlight

Lucille Ball’s journey wasn’t always glamorous. Born on August 6, 1911, in Jamestown, New York, she faced a lot of challenges early on. Her dad worked for Bell Telephone, and they moved around a lot, but tragedy struck when he passed away from typhoid fever when Lucille was just three years old. She was raised by her strict grandparents and developed a love for performing at a young age. By the time she was twelve, she was already on stage, and it wasn’t long before she found herself at the John Murray Anderson School for the Dramatic Arts in New York City. She rubbed elbows with future stars like Bette Davis and tried her hand at Broadway. But life threw her a curveball when she was struck with rheumatic fever, forcing her to take a two-year break from acting. Yet, she didn’t let that stop her. She came back stronger and ready to conquer Hollywood.

Breaking Into Hollywood: The Early Career

Once Lucille was healthy again, she packed her bags and headed back to New York City in 1932. She supported herself with modeling gigs, like being the Chesterfield cigarette girl, while trying to land acting roles. Broadway gave her a chance, but it wasn’t smooth sailing. She got fired from some gigs, but she didn’t give up. Her big break came in 1933 when she landed an uncredited role in "Roman Scandals." That led her to Hollywood, where she worked her way through small movie parts, including appearing alongside the Marx Brothers and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. In 1936, she auditioned for "Gone with the Wind" but lost out to Vivien Leigh. Still, she kept hustling, picking up more roles and even doing radio work to stay relevant. By the mid-1940s, she was starring in films like "Best Foot Forward" and "Lover Come Back," proving she was a force to be reckoned with.

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"I Love Lucy": The Show That Changed Everything

Now, here’s where the magic happens. In 1948, Lucille was cast as Liz Cooper in the CBS radio comedy "My Favorite Husband." The show was a hit, and CBS wanted to bring it to television. But Lucille had a condition—she wanted her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz, to play her husband on the show. CBS wasn’t too keen on the idea, thinking America wasn’t ready for an interracial couple on TV, but Lucille and Desi didn’t give up. They took their act on the road as a vaudeville show, and it was a smash hit. CBS had no choice but to put "I Love Lucy" on the air. The rest, as they say, is history. The show was a phenomenon, making Lucille and Desi household names. It also helped mend their strained marriage. Lucille became the first woman to head a TV production company, Desilu Productions, which she formed with Desi. Together, they revolutionized TV production with innovations like filming in front of a live audience. They even starred in two feature films during breaks in production, "The Long, Long Trailer" and "Forever Darling." "I Love Lucy" dominated the airwaves for six seasons and remains one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time.

Desilu Productions: A Business Empire Built on Genius

Desilu Productions was born in 1950, originally as a vehicle for Lucille and Desi’s vaudeville act. Early on, Lucille handled the creative side while Desi took care of the business end. One of Desi’s biggest moves was insisting on filming the show on film instead of using kinescope, a lower-quality medium. Studio execs thought he was crazy, but Desi and Lucille owned the film prints, which meant they owned the rerun rights. That decision ended up making them millions. In 1957, CBS bought the rights to the show’s 180 episodes for $4.5 million, which is about $40 million today. That same year, Lucille and Desi used the money to buy RKO Studios for $6 million, making Lucille the first major female production mogul. Desilu went on to produce hit shows like "The Untouchables," "Star Trek," and "Mission: Impossible." When Lucille and Desi divorced in 1960, she bought out his shares for $2.5 million. She continued to lead Desilu, green-lighting projects like "Star Trek" and "Mission: Impossible." In 1967, she sold the company for $17 million, or $130 million in today’s money.

Life After "Lucy": The Later Years

Even after "I Love Lucy," Lucille kept working. She starred in the Broadway musical "Wildcats" in 1960, though it had to close early when she got sick. She hosted a radio show called "Let’s Talk to Lucy" and made appearances in movies. She also starred in two more sitcoms: "The Lucy Show," which aired from 1962 to 1968, and "Here’s Lucy," which featured her real-life kids, Lucie and Desi Arnaz Jr. She even taught comedy courses at California State University in Northridge in 1979. Lucille tried to make a comeback in the mid-1980s with the TV movie "Stone Pillow" and the sitcom "Life With Lucy," but neither took off. Her last public appearance was at the 1989 Academy Awards, where she and Bob Hope received a standing ovation. Sadly, she passed away just a month later from complications following heart surgery.

Personal Life: Love and Family

Lucille’s personal life was as complex as her career. She and Desi Arnaz had a rocky marriage but stayed friends after their 1960 divorce. They had two children together, Lucie and Desi Arnaz Jr., and Lucille visited Desi shortly before his death in 1986. In 1961, she married her second husband, Gary Morton, and they remained together until her passing in 1989. Lucille’s life was a testament to resilience, creativity, and the power of pursuing your dreams, no matter the odds.