Michael Crichton’s Wealth
John Michael Crichton’s wealth is estimated to be
$175 Million
John Michael Crichton – A Brief Biography
John Michael Crichton, born on 23 October 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, was an accomplished author, director, screenwriter, and producer. He is renowned for his best-selling novels, with sales exceeding 200 million copies globally, many of which have been adapted into successful films. His professional success significantly contributed to his wealth prior to his passing.
As of mid-2016, Michael Crichton’s net worth was reported to be $175 million, primarily stemming from his prosperous writing career. His notable creations include “Disclosure”, “Jurassic Park”, and “ER”, solidifying his position as one of the pioneers of the techno-thriller genre.
Michael Crichton’s Net Worth: $175 million
His interest in writing emerged at a young age, possibly influenced by his father’s journalism background. By the age of 14, he had already published an article in The New York Times. He attended Harvard College in 1960, initially studying literature before switching to biological anthropology due to a disagreement with one of his professors. He received a Henry Russel Shaw Travelling Fellowship and also taught at the University of Cambridge in the UK. Subsequently, he attended Harvard Medical School, where he rekindled his passion for writing and began creating novels under various pen names, such as John Lange. In 1969, he received his first Edgar Award for Best Novel for “A Case of Need”. Despite graduating from Harvard in the same year, he chose not to pursue a medical license, dedicating himself entirely to writing.
Crichton’s first novel, “Odds On”, was published under the pen name John Lange. A year later, he wrote “Scratch One”, depicting a lawyer mistaken for an assassin. In subsequent years, he authored multiple books like “A Case of Need”, “Easy Go”, “Zero Cool”, “The Venom Business”, and “The Andromeda Strain”, cementing his status as a best-selling author. His book “The Andromeda Strain”, about scientists discovering an extraterrestrial microorganism causing death by blood clotting, further solidified his reputation. He continued his literary journey with novels such as “Grave Descent”, “Drug of Choice” and “Dealing: or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues”, co-authored with his younger brother. His expertise spanned across diverse genres, with works like the historical novel “The Great Train Robbery” and the scientific “Eaters of the Dead”. Notably, his book “Congo” was adapted into a film featuring Laura Linney, and “Sphere” was made into a movie starring Dustin Hoffman. His most renowned creation, “Jurassic Park”, evolved into a highly successful film franchise. Collaborating with Steven Spielberg, they ventured into television series with “ER” and later produced the movie “Rising Sun”. Crichton continued to produce compelling novels, such as “Disclosure” and “The Lost World”, a sequel to “Jurassic Park”.
In 1999, he penned “Timeline”, which subsequently inspired a video game of the same name. This was followed by the creation of “Prey” and “State of Fear”, which claimed the number 1 spot on Amazon.com. Among his unpublished works, two manuscripts “Pirate Latitudes” and “Micro” were discovered after his demise.
Privately, Crichton displayed a strong work ethic, dedicating extensive time to his writing. Additionally, he embraced meditation and was a deist. Throughout his life, he entered into five marriages with Joan Radam, Kathleen St. Johns, Suzanna Childs, actress Anne-Marie Martin, and his final marriage to Sherri Alexander, who was pregnant with their son at the time of his passing.
- Structural Info
- Trademarks
- Salary
- Quotes
- Facts
- Pictures
- Filmography
- Awards
| Full Name | Michael Crichton |
| Net Worth | $175 Million |
| Date Of Birth | October 23, 1942 |
| Died | November 4, 2008, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Place Of Birth | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Height | 6′ 9″ (2.06 m) |
| Profession | Author |
| Education | Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Harvard College, Roslyn High School |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Sherri Alexander (m. 2005–2008), Anne-Marie Martin (m. 1987–2003), Suzanne Childs (m. 1981–1983), Kathy St. Johns (m. 1978–1980), Joan Radam (m. 1965–1970) |
| Children | Taylor Anne Crichton, John Michael Todd Crichton |
| Parents | Zula Miller Crichton, John Henderson Crichton |
| Siblings | Douglas Crichton, Catherine Crichton, Kimberly Crichton |
| IMDB | |
| Awards | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, Edgar Award for Best Novel, Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay, Academy Award for Best Technical Achievement, Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Long Form – Original, PGA Televisio… |
| Nominations | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original, Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, Nebula Award for Best Script, Prometheus Award for Best Novel |
| Movies | Westworld, Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, The 13th Warrior, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Congo, Sphere, Timeline, Disclosure, The First Great Train Robbery, Rising Sun, Twister, Looker, Runaway, Jurassic Park III, The Terminal Man, The Carey Treatment, The Andromeda Strain, Physical Evidence, Coma… |
| TV Shows | ER, Beyond Westworld |
| # | Trademark |
|---|---|
| 1 | Known for doing exhaustive research |
| 2 | Often expresses complex scientific terminology and theories in more layman’s terms |
| 3 | Towering height and slender frame |
| 4 | Tells the story through multiple characters’ viewpoints |
| 5 | Cautionary tales about the dangers of technology |
| Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Twister (1996) | $2,500,000 |
| # | Quote |
|---|---|
| 1 | “Books aren’t written – they’re rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn’t quite done it.” |
| 2 | “The American media produce a product of very poor quality. Its information is not reliable, it has too much chrome and glitz, its doors rattle, it breaks down almost immediately, and it’s sold without warranty. It’s flashy, but it’s basically junk.” |
| 3 | “The belief that there are other life forms in the universe is a matter of faith. There is not a single shred of evidence for any other life forms, and in forty years of searching, none has been discovered. There is absolutely no evidentiary reason to maintain this belief.” |
| 4 | “I want a news service that tells me what no one knows but is true nonetheless.” |
| 5 | “Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you’re being had.” |
| 6 | “We are stubborn, self-destructive conformists. Any other view of our species is just a self-congratulatory delusion.” |
| 7 | “The characteristic human trait is not awareness but conformity, and the characteristic result is religious warfare. Other animals fight for territory or food; but, uniquely in the animal kingdom, human beings fight for their ‘beliefs.’ |
| 8 | “Human beings never think for themselves; they find it too uncomfortable. For the most part, members of our species simply repeat what they are told – and become upset if they are exposed to any different view.” |
| 9 | “They are focused on whether they can do something. They never think whether they should do something.” |
| 10 | “Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled.” |
| 11 | “I tended to faint when I saw accident victims in the emergency ward, during surgery, or while drawing blood.” |
| 12 | “Readers probably haven’t heard much about it yet, but they will. Quantum technology turns ordinary reality upside down.” |
| 13 | “I am certain there is too much certainty in the world.” |
| 14 | “We all live every day in virtual environments, defined by our ideas.” |
| 15 | “In the information society, nobody thinks. We expect to banish paper, but we actually banish thought.” |
| 16 | “I went to a museum and they had this sideshow. There was a little boy who couldn’t have been more than six. His feet didn’t even touch the ground. Each time they showed a dinosaur he would shout, “Tyrannosaurus!” “Stegosaurus!”. He did that for an hour and I thought, “What is it about dinosaurs that’s so fascinating?” That’s when I decided to write “Jurassic Park”. |
| 17 | “[First line of his autobiography] It’s not easy to cut through a human head with a hacksaw.” |
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Crichton considered “Jurassic Park” as the best film adaptation of his novels and “The Terminal Man” as the worst. |
| 2 | After the triumph of film adaptations like “Jurassic Park” (1993), “Rising Sun” (1993), “Disclosure” (1994), and “Congo” (1995) based on his novels, he received a significant payment for the movie rights of his future bestseller “Airframe” even before its publication. Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Demi Moore were reportedly associated with the project. However, the movie adaptation was indefinitely shelved when Crichton couldn’t approve a screenplay to his liking, leading to the return of the funds. |
| 3 | In 1983, he drafted a screenplay about a genetically engineered dinosaur, but it was never produced. |
| 4 | His son, John Michael Todd Crichton, was born on February 12, 2009, three months after his passing. |
| 5 | Crichton became an outspoken skeptic of environmentalism and global warming in his later career. |
| 6 | Early in his career, he worked as an anthropology professor. |
| 7 | His first child and daughter, Taylor Anne, was born in 1989. |
| 8 | His biography and bibliography are featured in “Contemporary Authors”. New Revision Series, volume 127, pages 65-72. Farmington Hills, MI: The Gale Group, 1994. |
| 9 | He frequently engaged Jerry Goldsmith to compose scores for his films. |
| 10 | In 1970, no producers expressed interest in the script of “ER”, which then remained locked in a metal safe for two decades until Steven Spielberg became aware of it. |
| 11 | Director Nicolas Roeg initially proposed him to play the alien in “The Man Who Fell to Earth” (1976). The role eventually went to David Bowie. |
| 12 | While writing a script or book, he always consumed the same lunch to aid his concentration. During the writing of “Jurassic Park” (1993), for instance, he regularly ate egg salad sandwiches with a generous amount of pepper. |
| 13 | During the production of “The Andromeda Strain” (1971), a young novice director, Steven Spielberg, gave him a studio tour at Universal. Nearly two decades later, Spielberg approached him for a prospective project, which was ultimately replaced by “Jurassic Park” (1993). |
| 14 | “ER” (1994) originated as a full-length film script titled “E.W.: Emergency Ward”. After being unable to secure its production, Steven Spielberg expressed interest in it in 1989, contemplating a film adaptation. However, when Spielberg learned about “Jurassic Park” (1993), the idea was discarded. Subsequently, during the film’s production, the ER script gained attention, ultimately leading to the conception of a television series. |
| 15 | He wrote two stories about futuristic theme parks gone awry: “Westworld” (1973) and “Jurassic Park” (1993). Both films featured actors from John Sturges’ productions. Yul Brynner starred in “The Magnificent Seven” (1960) and referenced his previous role as the robotic gunslinger, while Richard Attenborough featured in “The Great Escape” (1963). |
| 16 | His biography is included in John Wakeman’s “World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985,” pp. 248-250. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988. |
| 17 | He encountered an armed robbery in his home in Santa Monica, California, on 23 September 2002, though no injuries were inflicted. |
| 18 | He played basketball at Roslyn High School. |
| 19 | He was raised in Roslyn, New York. |
| 20 | His educational background includes Harvard Medical School. |
| 21 | Received the Association of American Medical Writers award for “Five Patients” in 1970. |
| 22 | Obtained the Mystery Writer’s Edgar award for “The Great Train Robbery” (1979) in 1980. |
| 23 | Achieved the Mystery Writer’s Edgar award for “A Case of Need” (1968). |
| 24 | Served as a visiting writer at MIT in 1988. |
| 25 | Underwent an exorcism in 1986. |
