Christopher Guest Highest-Paid Screenwriter in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Christopher Guest
Christopher Guest led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid screenwriters” released on Wednesday.

It's been a rough year for the screenwriter, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 77-year-old Christopher Guest has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid screenwriters for 2026 with an estimated $82 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 15/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Christopher Guest tops annual list of highest-paid screenwriters

In 2023 it looked like the screenwriter’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Wednesday (January 14) that Guest is the highest-paid screenwriter in the world, pulling in an astonishing $82 million between December 2024 and December 2025, a nearly $50 million lead over his closest competition.

People With Money’s factors

In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

The American screenwriter-musician-composer-actor-comedian has an estimated net worth of $245 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Guest Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “New York Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderguest - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Christopher) and a fashion line called “Christopher Guest Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Christopher fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.

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