M. Night Shyamalan Net Worth

What is M. Night Shyamalan’s Net Worth and Salary?

M. Night Shyamalan, the Indian-American director, screenwriter, producer, and filmmaker, has a net worth of $80 million, thanks to his successful career in directing thrillers with intriguing plot twists. His films have grossed over $3 billion worldwide, starting with his breakout hit, “The Sixth Sense,” in the 90s. Despite not all of his films being financially successful, Shyamalan has remained a notable figure in the film industry, with additional credits as an actor, producer, and screenwriter.

Early Life and Education

Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan was born in India in 1970 and emigrated with his family to Pennsylvania when he was six weeks old. Despite being raised Hindu, he attended a Roman Catholic grammar school. Shyamalan was passionate about filmmaking from an early age and had created 45 home movies by the time he was 17. He attended New York University on a Merit Scholarship in 1988 and graduated from the Tisch School of the Arts in 1992. He adopted the professional name “M. Night” during his time at NYU.

M. Night Shyamalan’s Career Highlights

M. Night’s first major film was the 1992 independent film “Praying with Anger.” However, his major breakthrough came with 1999’s “The Sixth Sense,” which grossed over $672 million and was nominated for a number of awards. He continued with successful films like “Unbreakable,” “Signs,” and “The Village.”

Unfortunately, his fortunes changed in 2006 with the release of “Lady in the Water,” which was a critical and financial failure. He didn’t fare much better with his next two films, “The Happening” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

He was able to bounce back with “The Visit” in 2015, which became one of the highest-grossing thrillers of the year. He reached even greater heights with his next film, “Split,” which grossed over $278 million. In 2019, “Glass” managed to rake in over $245 million at the box office.

Outside of filmmaking, M. Night Shyamalan has worked on series such as Apple TV’s “Servant,” and “Wayward Pines.” He also owns his own production company called Blinding Edge Pictures.

Marriage and Family Life

M. Night Shyamalan has been married to Dr. Bhavna Vaswani for many years. The couple met while studying at New York University and have since had three children together.

M. Night Shyamalan Controversies

In 2004, Shyamalan orchestrated a hoax through Sci-Fi Channel, spreading a false story that he had been dead for 30 minutes after drowning as a child and had been given the ability to communicate with spirits. Those who violated the non-disclosure agreements were threatened with a $5 million fine. When the false nature of this narrative was eventually revealed, Shyamalan was widely-condemned.

Additionally, Shyamalan has been accused of plagiarism on multiple occasions, with several writers and observers pointing out similarities between his films and earlier works. Despite this, none of these authors have ever successfully filed a lawsuit against Shyamalan for copyright infringement.

M. Night Shyamalan’s Properties

In 2005, Shyamalan bought a 125-acre estate called “Ravenwood” in Philadelphia for $17.9 million, which includes a red-brick Georgian Revival house and a two-story, 17th-century inspired gatehouse. He added 12,000 square feet to the already existing 15,000 square feet of living space before the renovations. In 2007, he faced legal action for constructing an 8-foot deer fence around his estate, but a judge later allowed him to keep it. In 2012, Shyamalan sold his Manhattan penthouse for $9.5 million, which features a floating limestone staircase with bronze custom-sculpted railings. He had originally purchased the property in 2003 for $6.3 million and listed it a year prior for $16 million before discounting the price.