LeVar Burton’s net worth, confirmed

LeVar Burton is a treasure, an absolute gem, and a beloved staple of a million American childhoods.

To me, he will always be Geordi La Forge, the clever and capable helmsman from Star Trek: The Next Generation, but to most people my age, he’s just LeVar Burton. The same man who brought the wonder of literature into hundreds of lives via Reading Rainbow, a program he hosted — and eventually executive produced — over the show’s entire 23 season run.

Reading Rainbow changed lives, even if it was in small ways. The program earned dozens of nominations and award wins over the years as a result, it remains a cherished part of so many childhood memories, and so does LeVar Burton.

That’s not to mention the 67-year-old’s other contributions to the world of entertainment, which include his early roles as young Kunta Kinte on 1977’s Roots, and Cap Jackson in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, along with a slew of voice work that, once again, contributed to children’s learning and entertainment.

Over nearly 50 years in the entertainment industry, Burton has played roles both vital and thought provoking and straight-up silly, and he’s brought all of them to our screens with a smile and a heaping dose of charm. His aspirational relationship with his wife underlines what a wonderful man he is, both on-screen and off, but he really doesn’t have a net worth to match. The man is a movie star, so he’s not scraping pennies together, but such an influential figure deserves to be worth millions more.

LeVar Burton’s net worth

Burton’s been gracing the big and small screen since 1976, when he made his debut as Dave in Almos’ a Man, and he’s been a staple ever since. Hollywood could’ve been worse to Burton, asking him back repeatedly to further establish himself as a kindhearted and well-meaning contributor, but it’s been unbelievably stingy where pay is concerned. Some of his peers are pulling in millions for each appearance, and Burton’s work, while priceless beyond measure, should most definitely be awarded a much higher dollar amount. Perhaps its Burton’s down-to-earth nature, a career built on integrity over superficiality, or the typically smaller roles he takes on, but Burton’s net worth totals out to far less than you might expect.

After spending nearly five decades in the spotlight and earning 12 Daytime Emmy Awards along with a Peabody award — and that’s just for his work on Reading Rainbow — LeVar Burton is worth $6 million in 2024. The celebrated actor earned a bulk of his current wealth from his work on Star Trek, which saw him return repeatedly over the decades that followed Next Generation‘s release, and from his lengthy tenure with Reading Rainbow.

$6 million is no small sum, but for someone who’s had such a positive impact on this nation’s youth, it doesn’t seem like nearly enough. Not when stars like Chris Pratt are pulling in millions per movie, racking up impressive net worths more than 16 times that of Burton’s. But it seems Burton is perfectly happy with the life he’s built for himself, which focuses far more on family, happiness, and the betterment of the world than it does on personal wealth.