# Watching Jay Leno's Garage--Where does he get all that money?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 26, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691 "2019-07-26T23:15:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/21 "2019-07-28T00:30:51Z")
If only the OP had been rephrased as “Where did this famous TV star get all that money?”, it would have been a self-answering question.
I’m not really into cars, but it’s kinda cool that he has this hobby and he’s able to work at it the way he does.
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### Author:  [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2019, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/22 "2019-07-28T00:34:04Z")
Yeah, but does he have a 1928 Porter?
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2019, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/23 "2019-07-28T08:38:24Z")
> [@dropzone](#):
>
> Okay, then explain Jeff Dunham. The beginnings of a nice collection, expensive restorations and staff, and he’s but a ventriloquist.
A hugely successful ventriloquist who has won numerous awards in his profession (to the point there is one he’s no longer allowed to win so other people have a chance at it), can do standard stand up without the puppets, too, does sell-out shows in large venues with his own show, is available for hire by corporations for in-house work and does a lot of that, too. According to wikipedia he’s the top-grossing comedy act in North America and in the big leagues in Europe. The man works his ass off and is good at what he does. He’s not “but a ventriloquist” but a highly skilled, hard-working professional entertainer. He also is pretty good at merchandising and promoting his brand, making a crap-ton on things like DVD sales. On top of that, he’s had a few acting roles and does voice-over work. He’s a busy guy, seems to avoid some of the crap other entertainers get into like drugs, and probably has decent business sense enabling him to manage his money effectively.
In addition to the cars he also builds and flies helicopters, another expensive hobby.
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### Author:  [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2019, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/24 "2019-07-28T12:43:12Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> a couple years back he got a new 647 horsepower Ford GT which costs around $450k. They only make 250 of those per year. That might be his most valuable car , at least of cars that are not old. Maybe he got a discount for putting the car on his show.
depends on what you consider “valuable.” the Ford GT is _expensive_, of course, but it’s still being manufactured.
IMO I’d call the most valuable car he has is his fully-functioning, drivable Chrysler Turbine Car. There’s only a handful of those left, and most of them are nonfunctional ones in museums.
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> A hugely successful ventriloquist who has won numerous awards in his profession (to the point there is one he’s no longer allowed to win so other people have a chance at it), can do standard stand up without the puppets, too, does sell-out shows in large venues with his own show, is available for hire by corporations for in-house work and does a lot of that, too. According to wikipedia he’s the top-grossing comedy act in North America and in the big leagues in Europe. The man works his ass off and is good at what he does. He’s not “but a ventriloquist” but a highly skilled, hard-working professional entertainer. He also is pretty good at merchandising and promoting his brand, making a crap-ton on things like DVD sales. On top of that, he’s had a few acting roles and does voice-over work. He’s a busy guy, seems to avoid some of the crap other entertainers get into like drugs, and probably has decent business sense enabling him to manage his money effectively.
>
> In addition to the cars he also builds and flies helicopters, another expensive hobby.
I notice Jeff Dunham seems to attract a lot of dismissive attitudes, if not downright hate. Not sure why, but it seems like some perceive he has an audience like Larry the Cable Guy and look down on him because of that. i.e. “lookit these dumb rednecks laughing at puppets.”
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/25 "2019-07-28T14:02:47Z")
> [@jz78817](#):
>
> I notice Jeff Dunham seems to attract a lot of dismissive attitudes, if not downright hate. Not sure why, but it seems like some perceive he has an audience like Larry the Cable Guy and look down on him because of that. i.e. “lookit these dumb rednecks laughing at puppets.”
For me, this did end up being one of my gaping pop culture holes. I didn’t recognize his name at all before I started Googling him for this thread. I watched a couple of Youtube videos, and he seems kindasorta familiar, but, somehow, and I don’t know how, I don’t know him. It always surprises me when something so apparently ubiquitous falls into a pop culture blindspot, as I’m one who likes to keep track of pop culture (and I watch and listen to Youtube comedy videos all the time.) Weird. (Another one: as a parent of two 5-and-unders, I somehow managed to avoid “Baby Shark” until about a month ago.) So I can maybe see someone not realizing his popularity, but, from Googling him, as I said above, dude makes $15M-$30M a year, so he’s plenty successful and can afford a rare care or seventeen.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/26 "2019-07-29T01:34:32Z")
But he’s a ventriloquist!!! What is this, 1947? :eek:
Really, though, when he was on America’s Got Talent I expected him to win because he clearly outclassed the competition. And was funny, though Walter creeps me out. I didn’t know at the time that he was a ringer who was already big.
While discussing this with my kids I learned that Sherry Lewis’ act got bluer later in the evening, with that scamp Lambchop being especially (mint) saucy.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/27 "2019-07-29T02:38:19Z")
> [@dropzone](#):
>
> But he’s a ventriloquist!!! What is this, 1947? :eek:
>
> Really, though, when he was on America’s Got Talent I expected him to win because he clearly outclassed the competition. And was funny, though Walter creeps me out. I didn’t know at the time that he was a ringer who was already big.
>
> While discussing this with my kids I learned that Sherry Lewis’ act got bluer later in the evening, with that scamp Lambchop being especially (mint) saucy.
See, Shari Lewis I know! How the fuck did I miss this Jeff Dunham guy?!?!?
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/28 "2019-07-29T05:22:19Z")
A couple of his specials are on Netflix. Feel free to catch up.
I think some haters don’t like him because his ventriloquism comedy, like much ventriloquism, can come across as harsh since his puppets can (sometimes) get away with saying things the human part of the act can’t. Also, the comparison to Don Rickles is not entirely off base.
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### Author:  [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/29 "2019-07-29T05:42:12Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#):
>
> A ventriloquist who sells out arenas worldwide.
As a recovering ventriloquist myself, I just have to say that _just isn’t right!_ Putting the poor man’s mental illness on display in a theater is bad enough, but an arena?
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/30 "2019-07-29T06:22:55Z")
I love Jay Leno’s passion for automobiles since they are a relevant and interesting piece of American history.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/31 "2019-07-29T06:37:17Z")
> [@mhendo](#):
>
> Emphasis mine.
>
> I’m not quite sure what this is supposed to mean. Are you trying to say that it’s the most valuable car he owns, except for the ones that might be more valuable?
>
> And even if we exclude the “old” cars in his collection that are likely worth more than half a million dollars, he has other “new” cars that cost as much as or more than the Ford GT. His 2014 McLaren P1 retailed for $1.15 million. He also has a 2010 Mercedes SLR McLaren which, I believe, went for about $500,000 when new. His 2005 Porsche Carrera GT cost about $450K new, and would fetch more than that now. Then there’s his 1994 McLaren F1, which would get somewhere north of $15 million, and possibly $20 million, if he put it up for sale.
His 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing is worth about $2 million. I’m guessing his Doble steam car is worth a lot as well.
And frankly, we don’t know what many of his cars are worth, and won’t until and if they go up for auction. He has a few one-of-kind or very limited availability cars.
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/32 "2019-07-29T10:33:24Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> See, Shari Lewis I know! How the fuck did I miss this Jeff Dunham guy?!?!?
Please share how you managed to miss _Achmed the Dead Terrorist_. A few years ago he was _everywhere_.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/33 "2019-07-29T14:10:25Z")
I have only vaguely heard of Jeff Dunham, and I’ve never heard of Achmed the Dead Terrorist.
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### Author:  [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/34 "2019-07-29T14:29:48Z")
His YouTube channel doesn’t seem to just be his vehicles. Like this video about the Focus ST, it didn’t seem to be a car he owns: [2013 Ford Focus ST - Jay Leno's Garage - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u3_eH_0URs)
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### Author:  [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/35 "2019-07-29T16:26:45Z")
> [@control-z](#):
>
> His YouTube channel doesn’t seem to just be his vehicles. Like this video about the Focus ST, it didn’t seem to be a car he owns: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u3\_eH\_0URs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u3_eH_0URs)
Yeah, people bring their cars to him 😃 Yesterday he posted a video of a restored 1934 Bugatti Aérolithe that turned up at the garage…
Absolutely gorgeous machine, but it drives like a brick on a rollerskate
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### Author:  [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/36 "2019-07-29T16:52:35Z")
As an aside, [Jerry Seinfeld](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Seinfeld#Car_collection) also has a car collection rivaling Jay’s. If I’m not mistaken this is the source of the cars he drives in _Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee_ (I’ve only seen a few episodes), although I think at least sometimes he borrows cars from his friend Jay Leno.
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/37 "2019-07-29T17:09:52Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> I have only vaguely heard of Jeff Dunham, and I’ve never heard of Achmed the Dead Terrorist.
[Achmed]
I _Kill_ you!!
[/Achmed]
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### Author:  [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/38 "2019-07-29T17:32:51Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> a couple years back he got a new 647 horsepower Ford GT which costs around $450k. They only make 250 of those per year. That might be his most valuable car , at least of cars that are not old. Maybe he got a discount for putting the car on his show.
The stock market on Friday had a pretty good day. Based on the mutual funds I’m invested in, and using my percentage gain in them as an example, if Jay Leno has only one hundredth of his $400 million invested, he made $45,000 on Friday. He could by one of those every 10 days. I’d say he’s being frugal, given that he only has one! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-jay-lenos-garage-where-does-he-get-all-that-money/837691/39 "2019-07-29T17:42:20Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> I’m not sure his hobby is even costly. I would guess that every car he has is worth far more now than when he bought it. He puts his own sweat into every one, and restores them lovingly into perfect condition.
> …
I’m not sure about that. I used to be somewhat into old cars, and recall discussing various of JL’s cars. ISTR several instances in which he put a lot more into the restoration than the finished car would be worth.
Guy’s been married for 40 years. No kids. Has made $millions each year for the past several decades. I’ve never heard of him as a globetrotter, amassing mansions, etc. As someone else said, all he does is work and play w/ cars. Why COULDN’T he afford what he has?
My impression is that he basically runs it as a hobby. He has the facilities and staff, something most of us cannot imagine having. Given that, the cost of the raw material (the cars) isbn’t all that high - especially given his income.
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