Dean Koontz net worth is $145 Million. Also know about Dean Koontz bio, salary, height, age weight, relationship and more …
Dean Koontz Wiki Biography
Dean Ray Koontz was born on 9 July 1945, in Everett, Pennsylvania USA, and is an author best known for his numerous suspense thriller books. Many of his books became New York Times Bestsellers including 14 hard covers and 14 paperbacks which reached the top spot. All of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Dean Koontz? As of mid-2016, sources estimate a net worth that is at $145 million, mostly earned through a successful career as a writer. He’s sold over 450 million copies of his books, but has used numerous pen names throughout his career too, including David Axton, Brian Coffey, and Leigh Nichols. All of these have ensured the position of his wealth.
At a young age he was regularly beaten by his father, and was defended by his mother, these events would later help shape his writing. Dean attended Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, and during his time there won a fiction-writing competition. After graduating, he went to work as a high school English teacher. In the 1960s, he worked on the Appalachian Poverty Program and the experience helped shape his political outlook. The program he worked for seemed wonderful at first, but it ended up being a dumping ground for bad children, and money suddenly disappeared.
In 1968 he wrote his first book – “Star Quest” – actually during his spare time. Afterwards, he would start writing more science fiction novels, later transitioning to horror fiction. He wrote under several pseudonyms, publishing around eight books a year. He used these pseudonyms so that a single name would not be associated with multiple genres resulting in what editors called a “negative crossover”. Eventually, after he had gained a lot more popularity, these books were re-published under his own name. He continued writing over the next ten years, and would finally have his breakthrough with “Whispers”, which was published in 1980. He also had two other successful books that were written under pen names which are “The Key to Midnight” and “The Funhouse”, and another best seller, “Demon Seed” which would become a film three years later. Eventually, Koontz produced more best sellers, often reaching the top spot of the New York Times Bestseller List. All assisted the growth of his net worth.
Dean would become the inspiration for numerous writers who followed after him. In 1997, psychologist Katherine Ramsland published a biography about him, showing the similarities of his life with that of his books. In 2008, he tied John Grisham as being the highest paid author, earning $25 million per year.
Dean has also had a lot of disputed works, with some claiming that he wrote erotic novels during the 1960s and 1970s. According to Dean, he no longer has any secret pen names, but he also had an associate who stole his identity during the early 1970s by submitting letters under his name.
For his personal life, Koontz married Gerda Ann Cerra in 1966. He is a Catholic which helped his perspective for some books. Many of his novels are set in Orange County, California where he lives with his wife. Aside from that, it is known that he had a hair transplant surgery in the late 1990s, and is also inspired by his dogs.
IMDB Wikipedia $145 Million 1945 1945-07-09 Aaron Wolfe American Anthony North Author Authors Brian Coffey David Axton Dean Koontz Dean Koontz Net Worth Dean Ray Koontz Everett Film producer Florence Logue Gerda Ann Cerra Koontz Gerda Ann Cerra Koontz (m. 1966) Intensity John Grisham John Hill July 9 K. R. Dwyer Katherine Ramsland Leigh Nichols Novelist Odd Thomas Owen West Pennsylvania Phantoms Poet Raymond Koontz Richard Paige Ross Macdonald Literary Award Screenwriter Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Sole Survivor United States United States of America World Horror Convention Grand Master Award Writer
Dean Koontz Quick Info
Full Name | Dean Koontz |
Net Worth | $145 Million |
Date Of Birth | July 9, 1945 |
Place Of Birth | Everett, Pennsylvania, United States |
Profession | Author |
Education | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania |
Nationality | American |
Spouse | Gerda Ann Cerra Koontz (m. 1966) |
Parents | Raymond Koontz, Florence Logue |
Nicknames | Aaron Wolfe , Brian Coffey , Anthony North , Leigh Nichols , David Axton , Richard Paige , Dean Ray Koontz , John Hill , K. R. Dwyer , Owen West |
https://www.facebook.com/deankoontzofficial | |
https://twitter.com/deankoontz | |
Google+ | https://plus.google.com/116591597217144794738 |
https://www.instagram.com/deankoontzofficial/ | |
IMDB | http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0465588/ |
Awards | World Horror Convention Grand Master Award, Ross Macdonald Literary Award |
Nominations | Hugo Award for Best Novella, Prometheus Award for Best Novel, Locus Award for Best Short Story, Locus Award for Best Novel, Locus Award for Best Collection |
Movies | Odd Thomas, Intensity, Phantoms, Sole Survivor |
TV Shows | Black River |
Dean Koontz Trademarks
- Writer of horror, thriller and suspense stories.
Dean Koontz Quotes
- [Robert Crais’ novels] Terrific entertainment…swift, colorful, gripping, a real knockout.
- The imagination is a muscle, partly. And the more you use it, the easier it becomes.
- One of the greatest gifts we receive from dogs is the tenderness they invoke in us.
Dean Koontz Important Facts
- While still a young writer, his wife made him an offer: she would support him for one year while he tried to get a novel published. His career immediately took off, and now he supports them both.
- Lives in Orange County, California.
- Biography/bibliography in: “Contemporary Authors”. New Revision Series, vol. 138, pages 272-278. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2005.
- Was once a high school teacher.
- Graduated from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in 1967.
- The epigraph page of many of his books quoted poetry from an obscure book titled “The Book of Counted Sorrows.” Used and rare book dealers searched for this title for many years before Koontz admitted that he had actually wrote it himself and that it was unpublished. In 2003, he finally published a limited edition of 1250 signed and numbered copies.
- President of the Horror Writers Association 1986-1987.
Dean Koontz Filmography
Title | Year | Status | Character | Role |
---|---|---|---|---|
Odd Thomas | 2013 | based on the novel “Odd Thomas” by | Writer | |
77 Shadow St. | 2012 | Video Game novel | Writer | |
Frankenstein | 2004 | TV Movie concept | Writer | |
Black River | 2001 | TV Movie novella “Black River” – as Dean Koontz | Writer | |
Sole Survivor | 2000 | TV Movie novel – as Dean Koontz | Writer | |
Mr. Murder | 1998 | TV Movie novel – as Dean Koontz | Writer | |
Watchers 4 | 1998 | novel “Watchers” | Writer | |
Phantoms | 1998 | novel “Phantoms” – as Dean Koontz / screenplay – as Dean Koontz | Writer | |
Intensity | 1997 | TV Movie novel – as Dean Koontz | Writer | |
Hideaway | 1995 | novel – as Dean Koontz | Writer | |
Watchers III | 1994 | novel “Watchers” | Writer | |
Servants of Twilight | 1991 | novel “Servants of Twilight” | Writer | |
Whispers | 1990 | novel | Writer | |
The Face of Fear | 1990 | TV Movie novel / teleplay | Writer | |
Watchers II | 1990 | novel “Watchers” | Writer | |
Watchers | 1988 | based on the novel by | Writer | |
CHiPs | 1979 | TV Series 1 episode | Writer | |
Demon Seed | 1977 | novel “Demon Seed” | Writer | |
Les passagers | 1977 | novel “Shattered” – as K.R. Dwyer | Writer | |
Black River | 2001 | TV Movie executive producer – as Dean Koontz | Producer | |
Sole Survivor | 2000 | TV Movie co-executive producer – as Dean Koontz | Producer | |
Mr. Murder | 1998 | TV Movie co-executive producer | Producer | |
Phantoms | 1998 | executive producer – as Dean Koontz | Producer | |
Intensity | 1997 | TV Movie co-executive producer – as Dean Koontz | Producer | |
CBS This Morning | 2012-2015 | TV Series | Himself – Author / Himself – Guest | Self |
The Crime Thriller Club | 2014 | TV Series documentary | Himself – Crime Author | Self |
CBS News Sunday Morning | 2011 | TV Series documentary | Himself | Self |
Tavis Smiley | 2009 | TV Series | Himself | Self |
Comic-Con ’08 Live | 2008 | TV Movie | Himself | Self |
Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher | 2006 | TV Series | Himself | Self |
Bestseller | 2000 | TV Series | Himself – Author | Self |