Raven Symone rose to fame as a child star in the NBC sitcom, The Cosby Show. Having began her career as an infant, she modelled for several print advertisements prior to appearing in television commercials in the late 80’s. At the age of four, she successfully landed a role in Bill Cosby’s The Cosby Show where she played as his step granddaughter. Little did she know at the time of the casting that it would ultimately propel her into stardom over the years. Not only has Symone proved herself to be a talented actress but she has also made a name for herself as a recording artist. At the tender age of eight, she came out with her debut album, Here’s to New Dreams under MCA Records.
A talented actress and singer- the former child star has since earned herself a pretty fortune in the tens of millions of dollars. How has she come about her wealth? Let’s take a look.
Raven Symone’s Net Worth 2018 – $4 Million
How did Raven Symone Make Her Money and Wealth?
One of most-watched television programs of its time, it constantly achieved high ratings- which did nothing but boost Symone’s popularity as a young actress. Not only did the show eventually garner three Golden Globes, but it also netted her a Young Artist Award for “Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Under Nine” in 1991. The start of her successful career, The Cosby Show would ultimately lead her to receive her own sitcom series, That’s So Raven in 2003.
Considered to be her major breakthrough, That’s So Raven starred none other than Symone as the lead protagonist, Raven Baxter. Hugely popular, especially among younger and teen viewers, it quickly became the first Disney Channel series to attract over 3,000,000 viewers; at the peak of its popularity, it was watched by close to 11 million television viewers. Hugely responsible for the beginning of her wealth, That’s so Raven earned the then teenager tens of thousands of dollars in the 2000’s. According to various reports, the star was paid anywhere from $20,000 to $35,000 per episode! Considering the fact that the sitcom ran for 100 episodes, a little math would reveal just how much Symone had earned from the Disney Series. Let’s take the figure $25,000 for example- multiple that by 100, and she easily took in $2,500,000- just from starring in the teen drama.
From there, Symone received another big break after being cast as one of the main singers in the Disney Channel Original Movie, The Cheetah Girls (2003). A commercial success, its premiere attracted over 6.5 million viewers; over 800,000 copies of the DVD were eventually sold in stores. Nominated for multiple awards, it also spawned an original soundtrack (which Symone took part in) that went on to peak at number thirty three on the US Billboard Top 200- the album has since sold over 2,000,000 copies in the United States. Considering her rising popularity, there’s no doubt that she was offered a pretty amount for her role in the Disney film.
But her success goes beyond acting- over the years, Symone has also proved herself to be a talented recording artist. After signing with MCA Records at the tender age of seven, she came out with her first full length album, Here’s to New Dreams in 1993. One of the youngest singers ever to have forged a recording contract, the album ended up selling approximately 73,000 copies- not that for a young grade schooler.
As a recording artist, she received a big break with the release of her third studio album, This Is My Time (2004). Significantly more successful than her earlier endeavours, it entered the US Billboard Top R&B and Hip Hop Albums Chart at number fifty and the US Billboard Top 200 at number fifty one. Her best-selling album to date, it sold 19,000 copies during the first week; as of 2007, more than 235,000 units have been sold in the United States. Although it’s unsure how much exactly that translated to, in terms of financial profit for the star, it presumably would have been a sizeable amount.
After a few years break, Symone came out with her fourth self-titled album, Raven-Symone in the spring of 2008. Generally met with positive reviews, it debuted at number 159 on the US Billboard Top 200 and sold approximately 4,400 copies within the initial week. Although it didn’t succeed its predecessor in terms of commercial performance, it has since sold over 100,000 copies- which is still a relatively large figure for such a young artist.
As a singer, Symone has also performed a number of live concerts, all of which have contributed to her wealth- it’s not uncommon for popular artists to earn tens of thousands per performance! Speaking of which, she has also embarked on a couple of tours- the Raven in Concert Tour in 2006, and the Raven Symone: Live in Concert Tour in 2008 and 2009.
On top of her success as a solo music artist, Raven has also benefited from the popularity of the Disney series, The Cheetah Girls and That’s so Raven. For instance, the original soundtrack for the former proved to be a massive hit, selling over 2,000,000 copies within the United States alone. Not only did it peak at number one on the Billboard Kid Albums Chart, where it remained for over a year, but it was later also certified Double-Platinum by the RIAA.
Similarly, the soundtrack album for That’s So Raven (2004) was also a huge hit. Upon its release in the summer of 2004, it entered and peaked at number forty four on the US Billboard 200, at number two on the Top Soundtracks Album and at number one on the Top Kid Audio Album. Eventually certified Gold, it has since sold over 500,000 copies in the US- which according to various sources, have earned Symone a whopping $500,000.
Reprising her role in The Cheetah Girls 2 in 2006, she also contributed to the second soundtrack- which ended up being an even greater success than the first. Upon hitting stores, it debuted on the US Billboard Top 200 at number five and sold 87,000 copies within the first week- making it the highest debuting album for the girls. A financial success, it eventually also reached the top of the Billboard Top Soundtracks and Top Kids Albums Charts. Not only that, but it also made Symone-as well as the rest of the main cast, international stars. As of 2006, The Cheetah Girls 2 has sold over 1,400,000 copies in the US, earning it Platinum certification.
More recently, the former child star has also been serving as one of the hosts on the ABC talk show, The View. Joining the panel as a regular member in the eighteenth season, she ultimately remained on the series until 2016; altogether, she was featured in over 400 episodes. One of the most talked-about shows on television, it was also perhaps Symone’s largest on-screen role in the past few years. Having said that, it has never been disclosed as to how much the hosts have earned on The View.
Speaking of reality programming, Symone has also been featured in Celebrity Name Game (2014), Celebrity Family Feud (2008), The Bonnie Hunt Show (2008), The Mo’Nique Show (2010), The Talk (2011), among others- all of which have helped to further boost her status as a TV personality.
Raven Symone’s Personal Life and FAQ
Is Raven Symone Married?
Raven Symone is not married. A supporter of same-sex marriage, her sexual orientation had been up in the air for a few years prior to her announcement that she was in a relationship with American fashion model, AzMarie Livingston. In October of 2015, the two allegedly broke up after being together for three years. Having said all of that, it wasn’t until 2016 that she first referred to herself as a “lesbian”.
Does Raven Symone Have Any Children?
No, Raven Symone does not have any children.
Where Did Raven Symone Go To College?
After graduating from North Springs Charter School of Arts and Sciences as a teen, Symone spent the next few years working on her burgeoning show biz career. It wasn’t until the fall of 2013, shortly after coming out as gay, that she enrolled at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University for fine arts.
Where Does Raven Symone Live? Picture of Raven Symone’s House
How much did Raven Symone Earn Last Year?
One of the highest paid actresses of African-American origin, Raven Symone’s estimated net worth in 2016 is $57 million- a amount that has grown thanks to her time as a host on the popular talk show, The View. As far as her 2016 salary goes, no one knows the exact amount; having said that, it’s probably at least a couple of cool millions, considering her popularity.
Recent Events
Since her departure from The View, Symone has announced that she will be reprising her role as Raven in the upcoming That’s so Raven spin off, which is set to come out sometime in 2017. According to sources, the show will center around the two preteen children of Raven (one of whom have inherited their mom’s special ability), who is now a divorced mother in the series.
