What Is David Ayer's Net Worth?
David Ayer is an accomplished American film director, producer, and screenwriter with a net worth of $10 million. Known for writing iconic screenplays such as "U-571" (2000), "Training Day" (2001), "The Fast and the Furious" (2001), "Dark Blue" (2002), and "S.W.A.T." (2003), Ayer also wrote and directed "Suicide Squad" (2016). His directorial works include "Harsh Times" (2005), "End of Watch" (2012), "Sabotage" (2014), "Fury" (2014), and "The Tax Collector" (2020). Ayer even directed "Bright" (2017) and "Street Kings" (2008) and executive produced the 2020 Fox series "Deputy." His films have collectively grossed over $1 billion at the box office.
Early Life
David Ayer was born on January 18, 1968, in Champaign, Illinois. His family moved to Bloomington, Minnesota, and later Bethesda, Maryland. During his teenage years, Ayer was kicked out by his parents, leading him to relocate to Los Angeles, California, where he lived with his cousin. The harsh realities of South Central Los Angeles profoundly impacted his life, influencing his future films. Ayer dropped out of high school and supported himself by painting houses. Subsequently, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, working as a submarine sonar technician on the nuclear-powered USS Haddo, which inspired his screenplay for the 2000 film "U-571."
Career
His early career took off with the screenwriting of "U-571," starring Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, and Jon Bon Jovi, which grossed $127 million at the box office. He achieved major success with the screenplay for the crime thriller "Training Day" (2001), starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The film grossed $104.9 million and earned Washington an Academy Award.
Ayer co-wrote the massively popular "The Fast and the Furious" (2001), which grossed $207.3 million and became a hit franchise, earning over $7 billion with its tenth installment released in 2023. Further scripts included "Dark Blue" (2002) and "S.W.A.T." (2003), with "S.W.A.T." making $207.2 million. Ayer made his directorial debut with "Harsh Times" (2005) and later directed "Street Kings" (2008), featuring Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Common, and The Game.
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In 2012, he directed "End of Watch" and earned nominations at the London Film Festival and Zurich Film Festival. Notably, "Fury" (2014) grossed $211.8 million and was named one of the 10 best films by the National Board of Review. The 2016 film "Suicide Squad," starring Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, and Michael Peña, grossed $747 million and became a defining moment in his career, although controversies around studio edits led to fan support for the #ReleaseTheAyerCut campaign.
Following "Suicide Squad," Ayer directed and produced "Bright" (2017). In 2018, he co-founded Cedar Park Entertainment with Chris Long. Their first project was "The Tax Collector" (2020). Cedar Park also secured a production deal with Entertainment One. In 2020, Ayer executive produced "Birds of Prey" and in 2022, announced his direction of "The Beekeeper," starring Jason Statham.
Fast & Furious Franchise Earnings
During an appearance on Jon Bernthal's "Real Ones" podcast, Ayer expressed disappointment over not owning a piece of the "Fast & Furious" franchise, despite co-writing the original film: "Biggest franchise in Hollywood, and I don't have any of it… I got nothing to show for it, nothing, because of the way the business works."
Personal Life
David married Mireya in September 2002, and the couple had four children together: Jason, Cynthia, Emily, and Robert. In July 2017, Ayer filed for divorce and sought joint custody. By April 2018, the custody battle had intensified with Ayer alleging that Mireya blocked his access to their children shortly after he moved out.
Award Nominations
David Ayer's film "End of Watch" earned a Best Film nomination at the London Film Festival and a Best International Feature Film nomination at the Zurich Film Festival in 2012. In 2015, the Georgia Film Critics Association nominated him for the Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema for "Sabotage."
