The Vancouver-born actor moved to Los Angeles at age 16 to star in “Freaks and Geeks,” a short-lived NBC program that first aired in 1999 and went onto become a cult classic. Even as a teenager, Rogen became the primary breadwinner in his family after both his parents lost their jobs. He said he constantly feared “going broke” after dropping out of high-school and starting work full-time.
Rogen’s estimated net worth is about $80 million. Now, he enjoys a privilege that he didn’t have as an upstart: He doesn’t need to think about his daily spending anymore. Rogen also thinks that chasing wealth isn’t worth the emotional hassle.
“I see rich people and I’m like, ‘The amount of stress you are causing yourself over an amount of money that will never impact your life in any way, shape or form is insane to me,’” Rogen told the Times. “The gift I’ve given myself is I truly spend as little time thinking about it as humanly possible.”
Rogen isn’t interested in building wealth
It’s not the first time Rogen has expressed an indifferent attitude to wealth. Earlier this year, he said he’s chosen to skip investing and has “no desire” to grow his sizable wealth.
“Money is a thing people really hoard and have a lot of pride in: the money itself,” Rogen said in a March interview on the Armchair Expert podcast. “They wanna turn their money into more money, and love how much their money is making them, and how profitable their money’s money is — and that is just not how I think.”
Rogen expressed a unique fear. “I’m afraid I’m gonna die with too much money. That is my fear,” he said. “I don’t wanna die with $10 million in the bank that I could’ve spent doing fun alive things.”
He added his decision with his wife Laura to not have children also lessened the pressure to accumulate wealth that can be passed on. “I think not having kids — I would imagine people wanna leave their kids money, which I guess is a good thing to do,” Rogen said.
But he’s staying booked and busy
For the actor who told People he tried to make his first big paycheck last as long as “humanly possible” because he was worried he’d never earn one again, the work keeps rolling in.
Lately, Rogen has been serving as the showrunner for “The Studio,” which won 13 Emmy Awards last year. A second season is currently in production.
In addition, he co-founded Point Grey Pictures, a production company that has produced edgy comedy movies like “Neighbors” and “Good Boys.”
Joseph Zeballos-Roig is a policy and politics journalist based in Washington D.C with a focus on economics. He is experienced in connecting the significance of events in the capital to the lives of everyday Americans whether its taxes, tariffs, interest rates or federal programs.
