Wondering what is the net worth of Bob Ross? Check out here, his net worth, career and more.
Robert Norman Ross, popularly known as Bob Ross was an American painter who lived between October 29, 1942 and July 4, 1995. In addition to painting, he too was a television host and an art instructor.
He created and hosted an instructional television program aired between 1983 and 1994 titled “The Joy Of Painting”, which was one of the most viewed programs on television.
Bob Ross became an internet celebrity in the 21st century, especially with a huge following on YouTube. He came to be widely known for his wet-on-wet oil painting technique.
His catchphrases like “happy little trees” have become very popular among the masses. In 1989, he published the book, “The Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross”.
How much is the net worth of Bob Ross?
Bob Ross’s current net worth is estimated at $1 million. He was an American painter, art instructor, and television host. He was the creator and host of The Joy of Painting
Bob retired from his career when he was diagnosed with lymphoma and passed away in July 1995 at the age of 52. Bob Ross Inc., the holding company controls the intellectual property of Bob Ross.
This firm has licensed the use of Bob Ross’s images on t-shirts, costumes, soap, underwear, chia pets, coloring books and puzzles. His original paintings have a huge market and some of them even sell for as much as $10,000.
Bob Ross Net Worth Quick Summary
| Name | Robert Norman Ross |
| Popular Name | Bob Ross |
| Birth date | October 29, 1942 |
| Place of Birth | Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Death date | July 4, 1995 |
| Place of Death | Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Career Roles | Painter, television host, art instructor |
| Years active in his career | 1981 to 1994 |
| Nationality | American |
| Official Website | bobross.com |
| Net Worth In 2022 | $ 1 million |
| Facebook Account (1.5 million followers) | https://www.facebook.com/TheJoyofPaintingWithBobRoss |
| Twitter Account (34.2k followers) | https://twitter.com/bobrossofficial |
| Instagram Account (221 K followers) | https://www.instagram.com/bobross_thejoyofpainting/ |
| YouTube Channel (5.19 million subscribers) | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxcnsr1R5Ge_fbTu5ajt8DQ |
Bob Ross Net Worth
At the time of his death in 1995, Bob Ross had an estimated net worth of $1 million. This figure is exclusive of his art collection, and the value of his name.
The rights to his name are said to be worth several millions of dollars. His estate was the subject of one of the most hostile fights over the last decade.
The PBS instructional television series “The Joy Of Painting”, which he created and hosted aired in America, Canada, Europe and Latin America between 1983 and 1994.
More than 90% of the public television networks in America and also in Canada, Europe and Latin America. Millions of people watched the program every week.
Essentially, Bob appeared on this program for free, but the platform helped him promote the sale of his painting kits and books. During his lifetime, Bob had sold books, art kits and video tapes worth $20 million.
Early Life And Beginnings Of His Career
Born on October 29, 1942 in Daytona Beach, Florida, Bob Ross was named Robert Normal Ross. By profession, his mother Ollie was a waitress and his father Jack was a carpenter.
Growing up in Orlando, Bob as a youth showed immense interest in caring for injured animals. He had a half-brother named Jim, who we read about in his book “The Joy of Painting”.
While he was in the ninth grade, Bob quit his studies and joined his father’s work. In what he described later as a “freak saw accident, Bob lost a part of his index finger in the left hand. In 1961, Bob joined the U.S.
Air Force as a medical records technician, eventually becoming a master sergeant. In fact, he was the first sergeant of the clinic at the Eielson Air Force Base of Alaska.
During his break time, Bob engaged himself in painting. During his tenure with the Air Force, Bob developed a new painting technique known as wet-on-wet painting, which made him very popular in due course.
Career highlights of Bob Ross
Bob Ross worked as a part-time bartender, when he came across the television show “The Magic Of Oil Painting”, by the German painter Bill Alexander.
This series exposed Bob to a painting technique known as wet-on-wet. Also known as alla prima technique, this technique literally means, “first attempt”. With this method, a painting could be created within 30 minutes.
Bob Ross became an expert in this technique and started painting the landscapes of Alaska on novelty gold mining pans. Bob’s painting career now fetched him more money than this job with the Air Force.
Bob moved back to Florida and joined Alexander, eventually becoming a tutor and later a salesman for Alexander’s firm known as Alexander Magic Art Supplies Company.
A woman named Annette Kowalski, who attended Bob’s sessions motivated him to find an independent career without Alexander. Annette and Bob’s wife Jane together pooled in the investment needed to create the firm Bob Ross Inc.
Bob Ross created and hosted the show “The Joy of Painting”, which premiered on January 11, 1983. Across 31 seasons, the show aired 403 episodes.
Before he died at the age of 52, Bob had created more than 30,000 paintings. The Bob Ross Workshop and Gallery located in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, provides painting classes centered on his famed painting techniques.
The firm Bob Ross Inc. also conducts painting classes in a number of cities across the U.S. As per the stats published on the firm’s official website, over 1500 Bob Ross teachers conduct painting workshops on a daily basis. David Arquette is a popular instructor having Ross Certification.
On May 28, 1965, Bob married Viian Ridge and got a son through her named Steve. The couple divorced in 1977. Steve is a Certified Ross instructor and he too showed up on his father’s shows.
On April 22, 1977, Bob married Jane, separating from her in 1992. The third wife of Bob was Lynda Brown, who he married just three months before his death on April 7, 1995.
Bob had several pet squirrels and the famous ones were Peapod, Peapod Jr., and Bobette. Many of these squirrels appeared on the show “The Joy of Painting”.
Death and the fights over his legacy
For most part in his life, Bob remained an avid smoker. On July 4, 1995, Bob died of the complications he developed from lymphoma, in Orlando, Florida. Buried next to the graves of his parents, the plaque affixed to his grave reads as “Bob Ross, Television Artist”.
During incorporation, the terms of Bob Ross Inc., were written stating that upon the death of any of the company’s partners, the stock of the person would be equally divided among the surviving members. Upon the death of Bob Ross and his second wife Jane, Walt Kowalski and Annette got the sole ownership of Bob Ross Inc.
Earlier, the Kowalskis tried to convince Bob to give them the full rights to his estate. On the other hand, Bob had eliminated them out of his will and left the whole of his “name, likeness, voice, and visual, written, or otherwise recorded work” with his sons Steve and Jimmy Cox.
In a lawsuit filed, the Kowalskis claimed possession of Bob Ross’s “art, all finished paintings, work copies used in the development of Bob Ross’s finished paintings, and all paints, brushes, easels, canvases, and other supplies, materials and tools used by Bob Ross.”
In their subsequent legal moves, they too sued for the fees and other spending towards the damages, lost profits, and other expenses. The final judgment over the lawsuits in 1997 favored the Kowalskis and after their retirement, their daughter Joan took charge of Bob Ross Inc.
Public Image and achievements of Bob Ross
The web series “Epic Rap Battles of History” and the TV shows like “Deadpool” and “Family Guy” endeavored to spoof Bob’s image. On Ross’s 70th birthday, Google honored him with a Doodle. The board game “Bob Ross: The Art of Chill” has been named after him. Twitch organized a nine day marathon in 2015 known as “The Joy of Painting”, watched by 5.6 million viewers. In 2016, Netflix streamed the episodes from the 2oth and 22nd season of “The Joy of Painting” known as “Beauty Is Everywhere”. The Bob Ross YouTube channel launched by the Kowalskis has over 5.19 million subscribers. In 2019, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History purchased some of Bob Ross’s paintings, two of his notebooks and a stepladder he used on the show “The Joy of Painting”.
