What Is Kevin Clash's Net Worth and Salary?
Kevin Clash is a renowned voice actor, puppeteer, and co-executive producer with a net worth of $1.5 million. He started his career in the early 1980s, appearing on local television shows and using his own puppets. In 1984, he joined the cast of Sesame Street, where he performed as Elmo, a character who became one of the most beloved on the show. Elmo, initially created by Muppet artist Caroly Wilcox in 1979, was redefined by Clash into the loving character we know today.
During his time with Sesame Street, Clash also performed as Hoots the Owl and Baby Natasha. He participated in several Muppet productions, including The Jim Henson Hour, Muppet Treasure Island, and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. His portrayal of Elmo earned him widespread recognition and multiple Daytime Emmy Awards.
Besides performance, Clash served as a puppet captain, training and directing other puppeteers, playing a critical role in Elmo's development and Sesame Street's success.
Who Owns Elmo?
Before his death in 1990, Jim Henson was finalizing an agreement to sell his production studio and non-Sesame Street Muppets to Disney. After his death, the terms were renegotiated, and the ownership history became complex. Eventually, in 2003, the rights to all Sesame Street characters were sold to the Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization that produces the show. Today, Sesame Workshop owns Elmo and other Sesame Street characters, generating significant revenue annually to fund educational programs.
Salary
What was Kevin Clash's salary for voicing Elmo?
Kevin Clash's exact salary for voicing Elmo has not been disclosed. However, top Sesame Street actors typically earn between $300,000 and $500,000 annually. For instance, according to 2011 tax records, Caroll Spinney, who played Big Bird, earned $314,072. As an executive producer, Clash also received a share of Elmo's merchandise and DVD sales profits in addition to his base salary.

(Photo by Chris Polk/DE/Getty Images for ATI)
Early Life
Kevin Clash was born on September 17, 1960, in Turner's Station, Baltimore County, Maryland. He is one of four children of George Clash, a flash welder, and Gladys Clash, a daycare owner. Inspired by television shows, Clash's fascination with puppetry began at a young age.
By age 10, Kevin had created his first puppet, his version of Mickey Mouse, followed by several others, including a monkey puppet made from his father's coat lining. By his teenage years, he had built nearly 100 puppets and performed at various venues, including schools and community events.
Early Career
At age 16, Clash was discovered by Baltimore TV personality Stu Kerr at a neighborhood festival, who then hired him for the Channel 2 show Caboose. He also worked on Romper Room and later appeared as Cookie Monster on the Sesame Street float during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Kermit Love's recommendation. It was here Clash met Jim Henson, who became a mentor and close friend.
Clash joined Captain Kangaroo at age 19 and later worked on The Great Space Coaster. After both shows ended in 1984, Clash began working on projects with Henson, including Labyrinth and Sesame Street, portraying early characters like Hoots the Owl and Baby Natasha.

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Elmo
Elmo, conceived in 1979 by Caroly Wilcox, appeared on television in 1980. After three puppeteers, Clash took on the role in 1985, transforming Elmo into a character representing love based on advice from Frank Oz. Elmo's redefined personality debuted on November 18, 1985, and gained rapid popularity.
Elmo's popularity peaked with the 1996 Tickle Me Elmo craze. Clash’s responsibilities increased significantly as he recruited and trained puppeteers, eventually becoming the senior Muppet coordinator and co-producer of the Elmo’s World segment. He also worked on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, and several other projects. In 2011, Clash was featured in the documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey.
After a hiatus triggered by sexual abuse allegations, Clash returned to puppeteering with the film The Happytime Murders in 2018 and the 2019 Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
Abuse Allegations
In 2012, allegations arose from Sheldon Stephens and later Cecil Singleton, claiming sexual relationships with Clash during their minority, which Clash denied, stating the relationships were consensual. Amidst these allegations, Clash resigned from Sesame Workshop in November 2012. The cases were later dismissed in 2013 due to the statute of limitations and upheld in 2014.
Personal Life & Real Estate
Kevin Clash was married to Genia Clash for 17 years before their 2003 divorce. He publicly came out as gay in November 2012. Clash has a daughter, Shannon, born in 1993. In 2015, he sold his Manhattan apartment and moved to Los Angeles, and now resides in Atlanta.