# How rich is Richard Castle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 22, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205 "2015-09-22T13:56:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/1 "2015-09-22T13:56:24Z")
The man has two highly successful book series (Derek Storm and Nikki heat) with about two dozen novels that have been at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. He’s had at least one book turned into a major motion picture, though how successful it was is left unclear. He’s a household name, at least in New York, akin to Stephen King. He’s been a guest on talk shows comparable to the Late Show or the Tonight Show. He has a two story loft in Manhattan most likely in SoHo. A very nice [house](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/187884615677934746/) in the Hamptons. He owns a Ferrari and is cavalier enough with it to borrow it to Esposito and Ryan for weeks without a second thought. So how rich could he be? Tens of millions? Over a hundred Million? ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/2 "2015-09-22T14:11:19Z")
I don’t know how rich they intend him to be in the series, but on a practical level to afford all that it would have to be in the hundred millions. ---
**Author:** ![Gothic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gothic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gothic)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/3 "2015-09-22T14:27:11Z")
His poker buddy James Patterson has a net worth of over 400 million, so over 100 million seems plausible. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/4 "2015-09-22T14:30:35Z")
In the “Alexis is kidnapped” two-parter, he took out about $3M that he had liquid to pay the ransom. Unless he’s a terrible money manager, he’s got to have a shit ton of money invested. A hundred mil seems high, though, doesn’t it? How rich is Michael Connely, or (was) Stephen Cannell, the two most similar in real life authors? eta: post by Gothic: Seriously?? man, I am outta touch. And poor. ---
**Author:** ![Gothic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gothic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gothic)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/5 "2015-09-22T14:32:45Z")
Yeah, James has been earning 90 million a year for a bit now. > **[James Patterson](https://www.forbes.com/profile/james-patterson/)** > > \#15 James Patterson on the 2020 Celebrity 100 - America's highest paid author sold almost 5 million books in the U.S. between June 2019 and June 2020. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/6 "2015-09-22T14:34:11Z")
In one episode, Beckett asks him just how rich he is. He says something like, “Well, not James Patterson rich, but I do okay.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/7 "2015-09-22T20:46:12Z")
Richie Rich rich? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/8 "2015-09-22T20:49:47Z")
He invented transparent aluminum. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/9 "2015-09-22T20:53:58Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > He invented transparent aluminum. In that case, Scrooge McDuck rich! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/10 "2015-09-22T21:27:23Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > In one episode, Beckett asks him just how rich he is. He says something like, “Well, not James Patterson rich, but I do okay.” Patterson has people cranking out books under his name. He has turned into an industry. I don’t think the character Castle has done that. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/11 "2015-09-23T00:55:52Z")
Castle was supposedly loosely (VERY loosely) modeled on Stephen King. King’s net worth is in the $400 million range. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/12 "2015-09-23T01:13:12Z")
“He owns a Ferrari and is cavalier enough with it to **borrow** it to Esposito and Ryan for weeks without a second thought.” \*lend > [@Loach](#): > > Patterson has people cranking out books under his name. He has turned into an industry. I don’t think the character Castle has done that. But does Patterson make that PI on the side bank that Castle’s now getting? That’s gotta pay… a very little bit. Especially when you renovate your office into something that would make James Bond jealous… ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/13 "2015-09-24T13:45:32Z")
Can’t have made much as a pi, we know he has solved less cases than alexis’s 4. I want to believe that the cameras were rolling the first time Nathan was shown the secret room, and his natural reaction was the take they used. ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/14 "2015-09-24T14:30:07Z")
I think it is clear that the p.i. is partly to give him inspiration for some new plots. He started it when kicked out of the squad room, right? Found out he enjoyed some parts of it, not so much other parts…but it is an indulgence he can easily afford and lends itself to his credentials as an author. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/15 "2015-09-24T15:52:01Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > But does Patterson make that PI on the side bank that Castle’s now getting? That’s gotta pay… a very little bit. Especially when you renovate your office into something that would make James Bond jealous… He’s a P.I. now? I guess I stopped watching a little while ago. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/16 "2015-09-24T16:27:24Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > "But does Patterson make that PI on the side bank that Castle’s now getting? That’s gotta pay… a very little bit. Especially when you renovate your office into something that would make James Bond jealous… Bond would’ve caught the gun. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-rich-is-richard-castle/732205/17 "2015-09-25T00:23:29Z")
> [@crucible](#): > > I think it is clear that the p.i. is partly to give him inspiration for some new plots. He started it when kicked out of the squad room, right? Found out he enjoyed some parts of it, not so much other parts…but it is an indulgence he can easily afford and lends itself to his credentials as an author. Yeah, in case it didn’t come through in my post, I was trying to say he’s spending a lot more money on his PI business than he’s getting paid for his cases.