Robert Downey,Jr played a character that won an oscar!
Yeah, but even that Oscar was one of those ‘sorry we screwed you’ pity Oscars.
I’m actually surprised he’s only worth $300 million. He owns his own production company (Happy Madison) that’s been pumping out cheap (but profitable) comedy flicks for the last 10 years. From the list on Wikipedia I calculate a combined worldwide gross of about $3.17 billion.
Plus the RULES OF ENGAGEMENT tv show, just now renewed for a sixth season.
That’s… why I said “maybe not even a third”. 
But by the final season of Seinfeld, she was making $600,000 an episode. No, that’s not a billion, even over the course of a season, but all I’m saying is we have to give her some credit, that’s all.
I don’t doubt that he’s worth a ton; since he comes across as a schmuck in most of his films I figure that’s how he gets laid. I’d just forgotten that he was once on Saturday Night Live.
I might suggest either Franken or Tina Fey are the most successful. i am not going by money made. Movies marked to preteens are not art nor will they have lasting value. Sandler is terrible.
Akroyd has acted in some good movies and he is not churning out kid stuff.
Murray has lately tackled some good roles.
The rest are making formulaic crap for kids.
By now, I’d say Eddie Murphy. At one point I’d have said Bill Murray, but his day in the sun seems to have passed compared to 15-20 years ago. Eddie Murphy had a successful standup career and a successful movie career up until about 10 years ago (Dreamgirls not withstanding, his movies have tanked recently).
I would say Steve Martin has done pretty well, both artistically and financially.
What about Jane Curtain? She’s been in two successful TV series since she left SNL? Also how can you really compare financially. The older cast members like Curtain, have had a much longer time to earn more. But the newer cast members get paid more for being on a TV show or movie than they did 35 years ago.
Found a site saying Damon Wayans is worth $35mil, just as much as Billy Crystal.
(before anyone corrects me, he was on SNL before In Living Color and famously got kicked off the show for going off script in a sketch)
This is the fact in this thread that has surprised me most!
In terms of, not money, but artistic respect, I’d say there’s no contest. Its Bill Murray first and basically nobody second. Without checking I can’t think of any other that’s been nominated for an Oscar. Plus he’s just hands down the best actor, the only *real *actor, to ever come out of there.
Superdude already pointed out that plenty of 'em have done it (including, repeatedly, Robert Downey Jr).
eddie does not know how to invest his money, huh? ONLY 75 mil and he’s been banking it since the early 80’s.
Murray
Bill Murray, Artistic? Best Actor? LOL!
Not one of the richest, I’m sure since she has always been in supporting/character acting roles, but one of the more consistent long term film careers has been Joan Cusack.
If Oscar nominations matter, Dan Aykroyd got one as Best Supporting Actor for ***Driving Miss ***Daisy, as did Eddie Murphy for Dreamgirls. Even Joan Cusack (yes, she was a cast member in the horrible 1985 season) got one for Working Girl.
And for In & Out.