Desi Arnaz, Sr. net worth is $20 Million. Also know about Desi Arnaz, Sr. bio, salary, height, age weight, relationship and more …

Desi Arnaz, Sr. Wiki Biography

• On 2 March 1917, in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III was born. 
• In the hit television sitcom “I Love Lucy,” he was a singer, actor, director, writer, and producer best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo. 
• He was also well known for being the leader of the Desi Arnaz Orchestra Latin music band. 
• Before his passing on 2 December 1986, the numerous efforts he was interested in throughout his life solidified his net worth. 
• Sources estimate that his net worth was $20 million as of early 2016, largely earned through a prosperous television and music career. 
• He was born into a prosperous family but, due to political instability, he had to move to the United States. 
• He wrote an autobiography and also owned a manufacturing business that helped improve his fortune. 
• Desi attended St. Patrick Catholic High School and Saint Leo Prep, gradually working on his English after their family fled to Miami. 
• He helped create the series “The Texan” in the late 1950s that would run for two seasons. 
• Arnaz would make only a few appearances later in life, principally in shows and television specials. 
• He would also write “The Book” as his autobiography. 
• His net worth was still retained. 
• The 1940 marriage of Arnaz and Lucille Ball was well known and recorded for his private life, but it was also tumultuous. 
• They had two kids, and they finally decided to divorce in 1960, under the pressure of their careers. 
• Arnaz married Edith Mack Hirsch again in 1963, and his show business work would then be limited. 
• Arnaz and Ball remained good friends in spite of this, and they were even seen together before his death. 
• Until his 60s, Desi was a smoker and smoked cigars. 
• He was diagnosed with lung cancer and died of the disease several months later. 
• “The Book” (1976) $20 million 1986 Actor American humor American television actors Amy Schumer Author Beyoncé Knowles California Comedy Central Cuba Cuban-born American musician Darling (1956) December 2 Del Mar Desi Arnaz Director Edith Mack Hirsch (m. 

Desi Arnaz, Sr. Quick Info

Desi Arnaz, Sr. Trademarks

1. “Lucy, I’m home”, his catchphrase from _I Love Lucy (1951)_.
2. Cuban accent
3. Slicked back black hair
4. Distinctive laugh

Desi Arnaz, Sr. Quotes

• Lucy, she has no idea how happy she’s made me. She’s wonderful. I adore her with all of my heart. She’s given me everything I could ask for. No pun intended, I Love Lucy.
• One of the big reasons for the show’s success is Lucy. She is the greatest.
• Lucy had a quality which was rare; you can count the women who have had it on the fingers of one hand. While doing the wild antics of a clown, disheveled, rain-soaked, disregarding how she looked even with mud all over her, could make you laugh, and yet at the same time make you want to go to bed with her.
• On meeting Lucille Ball. I fell in love with those big beautiful blue eyes when I met her. It was unnatural how I could fall in love so fast
• On Lucille Ball. She’s not someone I am likely to forget. I love her and will continue loving her till the day I die.
• On Lucille Ball: I loved her very much and, in my own and perhaps peculiar way, I will always love her. “
• Failure is the most terrible thing in our business. When we fail, the whole world knows about it.
• If you don’t know what to do, don’t do anything.
• [after wife Lucille Ball was accused of being a Communist] The only thing red about her is her hair, and that isn’t even real.
• I Love Lucy (1951) was never just a title!

Desi Arnaz, Sr. Important Facts

• $125,000 + $150,000 (profits bonus)
• $2,000 /episode + 50% of the profits for the first 39 episodes as well as full ownership to negatives of all future shows (1951-52)
• $10,000
• $650 /week
• $10,000
• $10,000
• $10,000
• Desi had a younger paternal half-sister, Connie, from his father’s second marriage.
• Died three days after Cary Grant who died on November 29, 1986.
• Was an avid golfer, fisherman and poker player, all of which he was seen doing on I Love Lucy (1951).
• His mother Dolores de Acha died on October 24, 1988 at the age of 92.
• He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6325 Hollywood Boulevard; and for Television at 6254 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
• A Republican, he was one of many conservatives actors in Hollywood who lent support to the elections of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan.
• His distinctive laugh was perfectly imitated by Eddie Murphy many times during his stand-up comedy routine.
• After their divorce, Desi produced Lucy’s hit musical “Wildcat” on Broadway.
• Once worked as a bird-cage cleaner.
• Grew up being best friends with Albert Francis “Sonny” Capone, son of Al Capone.
• In his 1985 will, he left a $250,000 trust fund for the benefit of his mother, who survived him.
• In 1957, in an effort to expand Desilu, he sold CBS his and Lucille Ball’s rights to 179 I Love Lucy (1951) 30-minute shows for $4,500,000. They also sold their rights to December Bride (1954) for $500,000 and CBS had exclusive rights to their public appearances for 10 years for an additional $1,000,000. With these profits, Desilu purchased RKO Studios for $6,125,000.
• In 1957, he opened the Desi Arnaz West Hills Hotel, with 42 rooms and a restaurant featuring his own personal recipes, in Indian Wells. With all the time he spent with his new real estate ventures, he and Lucille Ball built a home on the 17th fairway at the Thunderbird Golf Club on land he won in a poker game.
• In December 1958, in order to raise revenue for business and personal expenses, Desilu went public on the NYSE at $10 per share. Lucille Ball and Desi each retained 25% of the stock, with the swing vote going to key executives at Desilu. After paying gambling debts and expenses, he realized $70,000 to $80,000.
• In 1953, with I Love Lucy (1951) the #1 show in America, Philip Morris, their primary sponsor, agreed to sponsor the show for an additional 2 and a half years for $8 million, $5 million of which went directly to the Arnazes and their company.
• In 1953, Desilu was evaluated as being worth $10 million, did a gross business of $6 million and made the Arnazes a net profit of $600,000 before taxes. This was added to an additional $500,000 in income from I Love Lucy (1951) merchandise.
• In 1945, after his service in the Army, he found himself $30,000 in debt, mostly due to back taxes. Lucille Ball helped him pay his debt, but due to his pride, considered it a loan, and kept a strict account of the money he owed her.
• In 1950, along with wife Lucille Ball, in an effort to find a way to work together, formed a production company with $5,000 of their own money, naming it ‘Desilu’ which is what they had named their ranch in Chatsworth, California. He remained president of the company until selling his interest to his ex-wife in 1962 for $3 million.
• In 1957, recognizing the need for the company to expand, he purchased the real estate of the former RKO Studios, home of Lucille Ball’s former employer. The industry balked at their decision to plunk down $6,150,000 for the fledging studio property, but it was a strategic move that ultimately made both he and Lucy millionaires.
• Biography in: “The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives”. Volume Two, 1986- 1990, pages 32-34. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1999.
• Is portrayed by Maurice Benard in Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter (1991)
• Brother-in-law of Fred Ball.
• Ashes were scattered at sea.
• According to Mafia boss turned government informant Jimmy “The Weasel” Fratianno in his book “The Last Mafioso”, several top members of the Chicago Mafia family were furious about the portrayal of Italians in general and the Mafia in particular in The Untouchables (1959), of which Arnaz was executive producer, and put out a contract on his life. Several mob hitmen hid in the bushes and behind trees outside his house one night after having been tipped off that he was on his way home and were going to shoot him when he pulled into his driveway, but for some unknown reason Arnaz never came home that night. The killers were supposed to come back again and wait for him the next night, but in the meantime cooler heads prevailed and the murder plot was called off. Arnaz apparently never found out how close he came to being murdered.
• Author of the candid autobiography ‘A Book’, detailing his alcoholism and infidelities. He had planned to write a sequel, called ‘Another Book’.
• Instrumental in the creation of numerous classic TV series, in particular The Untouchables (1959).
• Invented many techniques that are now taken for granted in sitcoms, including the use of several cameras to film the performance, preceding performances with a warm-up act, performing before a live audience, and the rerunning of old episodes.
• Biography in: “Who’s Who in Comedy” by Ronald L. Smith. pg. 25-26. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
• In the film The Mambo Kings (1992), he was portrayed by his real-life son, Desi Arnaz Jr..
• For many years during their marriage, Desi and Lucille Ball hid the fact that she was six years older then he by splitting the difference in their ages. She (born in 1911) said she was born in 1914 and he (born in 1917) also said he was born in 1914.
• Ironically, the radio show on which I Love Lucy (1951) was based, “My Favorite Husband,” was itself based on a book entitled “Mr. and Mrs. Cugat.” Arnaz worked for Xavier Cugat during this time.
• Father of _Lucie Arnaz_ and _Desi Arnaz Jr._ with _Lucille Ball_.

Desi Arnaz, Sr. Filmography

Desi Arnaz, Sr. Awards