What was Tom Clancy's net worth?
Tom Clancy, an American author and producer, had a net worth of $300 million at the time of his death in 2013. Renowned for his technical espionage and military science novels, Clancy's rise to fame began with the publication of 'The Hunt for Red October' in 1984, a surprise bestseller.
His novels often starred Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who eventually becomes the U.S. President. Clancy's books were celebrated for their precise depiction of military technology and operations, earning him a devoted readership and respect within military circles. Clancy penned or co-authored over 20 novels, most featuring Jack Ryan or John Clark, many of which became bestsellers. Several novels, including 'Patriot Games,' 'Clear and Present Danger,' and 'The Sum of All Fears,' were adapted into popular films.
Expanding his brand beyond novels, Clancy co-founded the video game company Red Storm Entertainment, which produced gaming titles based on his works. He also lent his name to a series of non-fiction books about military units and technology. In 1993, Clancy and a group of investors bought the MLB's Baltimore Orioles, with his $42 million investment eventually earning his estate a $230 million pretax profit.
In 1990, Clancy received the Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement from the Navy League of the United States. He died on October 1, 2013, at 66, from an undisclosed illness, survived by his second wife, Alexandra, their daughter, and four children from his first marriage.
Early Life
Born Thomas Leo Clancy Jr on April 12, 1947, in Baltimore County, Maryland, he graduated from Loyola University in 1969 with a degree in English literature. Clancy joined the Army Reserve Officer's Training Corps after college but did not see active duty due to his extreme nearsightedness. After graduating, he worked for an insurance company in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1973, he joined the O.F. Bowen Agency, a small Maryland-based insurance agency founded by his wife's grandfather. Clancy purchased the agency in 1980 and wrote novels in his spare time.
His debut novel, 'The Hunt For Red October,' was published when he was 38 after 15 years as an insurance agent.
Career
Clancy began writing 'The Hunt for Red October' in 1982 and sold it to Naval Institute Press for $5,000 in 1984, hoping to sell 5,000 copies. The book became a massive success, selling 300,000 hardcover copies and two million paperbacks, partly due to President Ronald Reagan's endorsement. By 1988, Clancy had earned $1.3 million from 'The Hunt for Red October.'
His next book deal in 1988 brought him $3 million for three novels, and in 1997, Penguin Putnam paid $97 million for a multi-book, multimedia deal, leading to the ABC miniseries 'Tom Clancy's Net Force.' Clancy's meticulously researched thrillers, which centered on political intrigue and military tactics, struck a chord with American audiences.
His characters and stories inspired the 'Rainbow Six', 'Ghost Recon', and 'Splinter Cell' video game series. French video game company Ubisoft purchased the rights to Clancy's name in 2008 for an undisclosed sum. Clancy is one of only three authors to sell two million copies of a first printing in the 1990s, with 'Clear and Present Danger' selling 1,625,544 hardcover copies in 1989, making it the #1 bestselling novel of the 1980s.
Five feature films have been adapted from Clancy's books: 'The Hunt for Red October,' 'Patriot Games,' 'Clear and Present Danger,' 'The Sum of All Fears,' and 'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.' In 2018, Amazon premiered the series 'Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan,' starring John Krasinski.
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Personal Life
Clancy was married to Wanda Thomas King from 1969 to 1999, and they had four daughters. On June 26, 1999, Clancy married freelance journalist Alexandra Marie Llewellyn. They were introduced by her second cousin, former Secretary of Defense Colin Powell. Alexandra's father, J. Bruce Llewellyn, was one of the wealthiest African American businessmen, co-owning the Coca-Cola Bottling empire with Bill Cosby and other investors, with a net worth estimated at least $160 million. Tom and Alexandra had one daughter together.
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Wealth and Estate
Clancy died on October 1, 2013, leaving behind liquid assets worth at least $83 million, excluding the values of his intellectual properties. He owned a 12% stake in the Baltimore Orioles, a significant collection of military memorabilia, and a 535-acre estate in Maryland, totaling about $300 million at his death.
Tom left 80% of the rights to recurring royalties and character rights to his second wife, Alexandra, with the remaining 20% divided among his five children. A lawsuit ensued posthumously, resulting in a complex financial structure benefiting his first wife, Wanda, and their children.
Tom's stake in the Orioles, purchased for $42 million in 1993, was eventually sold for $230 million.
Real Estate
Clancy's Baltimore penthouse was listed for sale at $12 million in November 2015, and his 535-acre Maryland estate, acquired in 1987 for $800,000, was listed for $6.2 million in 2018 and sold for $4.9 million in August 2020.
In 2017, Alexandra bought a Beverly Hills mansion for $8.5 million. Today, she manages his estate, producing $10-20 million annually, including the Amazon Prime 'Jack Ryan' series starring John Krasinski.
