David Choe Net Worth 2024: Age, Career, Income and More
American artist David Choe has a net worth of $300 million. He paints, graffitis, writes graphic novels, and does murals. In the field of graffiti, David Choe is recognized for his figure paintings and is often associated with the bucktoothed whale. While he was a contributor to “Ray Gun,” “Hustler,” and “Vice,” he co-hosted the “DVDASA” podcast with adult film star Asa Akira. David Choe was featured in the 2008 documentary “Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe.” Choe has written four books, “Slow Jams” (1999), “Bruised Fruit: The Art of David Choe” (2002), “Cursiv” (2003), and “David Choe” (2020). In addition to “Better Things” (2019), “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” (2013), “Vice” (2014), and “The Mandalorian” (2021), he has made appearances in other television programs.
David Choe’s Net Worth
American musician and songwriter David Choe is believed to have a net worth of $300 million in the year 2024. He has built a name for himself as an influential figure in the worlds of art and entertainment. Additionally, his art has gained him a reputation that the audience loves.
Who is David Choe?
David Choe’s parents were Korean immigrants, and he was born in Los Angeles on April 21, 1976. Hex and Mear One, two graffiti artists, were his influences, and they set him on his path. He dabbled in graffiti in 1990 as a result. The visual elements of “Star Wars” and “G.I. Joe” had a profound impact on his creative growth as a kid.
But there were obstacles along the way to achievement. His family’s real estate company was decimated in the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which forced him to discontinue his high school education. Over two years, he hitchhiked his way through the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. His outlook and artistic abilities were both impacted by this daring journey.
Upon his 21st birthday, David Choe returned to California and enrolled at the California Institute of the Arts. However, he decided he wanted to follow his own artistic path, so he dropped out. He quickly rose to fame as a graffiti artist, displaying his work on walls all across Los Angeles.
Career
David Choe spent a week behind bars for his graffiti, after which he moved back in with his parents and began penning stories and illustrations for publications like “Vice.” From 2007 to 2010, he was a cast member of the “Vice” online series “Thumbs Up!”, which followed David and his closest friend Harry Kim as they hitchhiked and train-hopped across the United States and China.
At about the same time as he started working with “Vice,” Choe started dating the pop culture retailer and publication “Giant Robot.” After receiving little interest from galleries, David decided to hang his artwork in Double Rainbow, an ice cream shop on Melrose Avenue. The store let him to display his work there for two years after customers expressed their approval; he would replenish the display with new pieces as they sold.
He made about 200 copies of his graphic novel “Slow Jams” in 1998 and distributed them at Comic-Con before self-publishing it in 2006. Choe received $5,000 to self-publish an enlarged edition of 1,000 copies after submitting the graphic novel for the Xeric Grant. Despite its $4 cover price upon publication in 1999, the graphic novel has fetched hundreds of dollars on eBay in the past several years.
According to the 2008 documentary “Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe,” Harry Kim documented thousands of hours of David’s life for more than a decade. The film is a “intense portrait of David Choe, a young near-schizophrenic street artist that devises numerous criminal schemes that afford him to hitchhike across the globe.” In 2005, Choe was granted a solo exhibition at the Santa Rosa Museum of Contemporary Art, following a string of shows in San Jose and San Francisco.
He had his debut solo show in New York in 2007, “Gardeners of Eden,” at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in Chelsea. In 2008, he had his debut solo show in the United Kingdom, “Murderous Heart,” at the Lazarides Gallery in London and Newcastle. Artworks by David Choe were on display in 2013 in Mexico City’s Museo Universario del Chopo and in 2017 at Koreatown’s “The Choe Show,” an invitation-only exhibition. In 2004, Choe did the cover art for the “Collision Course” EP by Jay-Z and Linkin Park. In 2007, Choe voiced the main character in the animated feature “We Are The Strange.”
Charitable Pursuits
The philanthropist David Choe has used his fame and fortune to fund a number of worthwhile initiatives. His involvement in charity auctions, where his artwork fetches bids for various causes, and his substantial contributions to groups like Doctors Without Borders are well-documented.
Books
David Choe has written and published multiple books about his life and work. “Slow Jams,” “Bruised Fruit: The Art of David Choe,” and others fall within this category. “David Choe” as well. You may learn about his background, his creative process, and how his style developed through these works.
Final Words
David Choe’s rise from poverty to a $300 million net worth in 2024 is evidence of his artistic ability and astute business choices. He went from thinking working with Facebook was “ridiculous” to being a rich artist thanks to his collaboration.
Unexpected opportunities and uncommon choices can lead to success, as Choe’s experience demonstrates. His story exemplifies the incredible potential that exists in this world and should be read by all those who aspire to be artists and entrepreneurs.