What is David Choe's Net Worth?
David Choe, an American painter, graffiti artist, graphic novelist, and muralist, has a net worth of $300 million. He is renowned for his unique figure paintings and the iconic bucktoothed whale in the graffiti world. His artistry has graced the pages of magazines such as "Hustler," "Vice," and "Ray Gun." Additionally, he co-hosted the "DVDASA" podcast alongside adult film star Asa Akira. Choe's published works include "Slow Jams" (1999), "Bruised Fruit: The Art of David Choe" (2002), "Cursiv" (2003), and "David Choe" (2020). The 2008 documentary "Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe" provided a deep dive into his life and art. His television appearances include "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" (2013), "Vice" (2014), "Better Things" (2019), and "The Mandalorian" (2021).
Facebook Payday
In the early 2000s, David Choe's graffiti caught the attention of Facebook President Sean Parker. Parker commissioned Choe to decorate Facebook's Silicon Valley headquarters. Instead of opting for his initial rate of $60,000, David agreed to take Facebook stock, a suggestion by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. This decision proved fortuitous, with Choe's equity being valued around $200 million at the time of Facebook's IPO. Given the appreciation in Facebook's stock, his shares might have been valued between $300 to $500 million at various times.
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Early Life
Born on April 21, 1976, in Los Angeles, California, David Choe grew up in Koreatown. His parents, Korean immigrants and born-again Christians, influenced his upbringing. Inspired by Los Angeles graffiti artists Hex and Mear One, David started painting graffiti in 1990. After his parents' real estate business burned down in the 1992 L.A. riots, Choe dropped out of high school and spent two years hitchhiking across the U.S., Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. At 21, he enrolled at the California College of the Arts but left after two years.
Art Career
David Choe was once incarcerated for a week due to his graffiti activities. Afterward, he lived with his parents and began contributing illustrations and writings to magazines, including "Vice." The "Vice" web series "Thumbs Up!" (2007–2010) featured David and his best friend, Harry Kim, traveling across the U.S. and China.
Choe developed a relationship with the pop culture store and magazine "Giant Robot," and while galleries initially rejected his work, he found a platform at the Melrose Avenue ice cream shop Double Rainbow. His artwork was so well-received that it was exhibited there for two years.
In 2006, Choe self-published "Slow Jams." The initial batch of 200 copies, given out at Comic-Con in 1998, led to his winning a $5,000 Xeric Grant to publish an expanded edition of 1,000 copies in 1999. The graphic novel, initially priced at $4, now commands hundreds of dollars on eBay.
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Harry Kim documented over a decade of Choe's life, resulting in the 2008 documentary "Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe." Choe's exhibits have spanned across multiple cities, including a solo exhibit at the Santa Rosa Museum of Contemporary Art (2005), "Gardeners of Eden" at Chelsea's Jonathan LeVine Gallery (2007), and "Murderous Heart" at London's Lazarides Gallery (2008). In 2013, his watercolors were exhibited at Museo Universario del Chopo, Mexico City. In 2017, he held "The Choe Show" in Koreatown. David also designed the cover for Jay-Z and Linkin Park's 2004 EP "Collision Course" and voiced the lead character in the 2007 animated film "We Are The Strange."
Personal Life
David Choe has supported various charities, including Yle Haiti, and engaged in art initiatives with at-risk children via The LIDÈ Haiti Foundation, founded by "The Office" star Rainn Wilson and author Holiday Reinhorn. In the early 2000s, Choe spent three months in a Tokyo prison after an altercation with an undercover security guard. During his incarceration, David created over 600 drawings and artwork using unconventional materials.
Controversy struck in 2014 when David admitted on his podcast to exhibiting "rapey behavior" toward a masseuse, which he later claimed was fictional. This incident sparked protests in 2017 when he was commissioned for the Bowery Mural Wall, leading him to issue a public apology, emphasizing he had never committed sexual assault and expressing regret for his past statements.
Real Estate
In 2010, David Choe purchased a 6,500 square-foot mansion in Los Feliz, LA, for $3.1 million. He listed this property for sale at $6.9 million in September 2022.
