Inside Lucille Ball’s Net Worth and Legacy: How Much Money the Actress Made Before Her Death

As one of the most prolific performers of the Golden Age of Television, Lucille Ball proved her comedic prowess and ability to lead several successful series. The I Love Lucy actress left behind an impactful legacy and a massive net worth at the time of her death on April 26, 1989. Scroll below to learn more about how much money she made during her Hollywood career. 

What Was Lucille Ball’s Net Worth At the Time of Her Death? 

Lucille had an estimated net worth of $60 million at the time of her death at age 77 in 1989, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The Emmy winner, born to Henry Durrell “Had” Ball and Désirée Evelyn “DeDe” Ball in 1911, earned her first credited acting role in 1935’s I Dream Too Much. 

A large portion of her fortune came from her work on I Love Lucy, the famed CBS sitcom which ran from 1951 to 1957. Starring alongside her then-husband, Desi Arnaz, and Vivian Vance and William Frawley, Lucille’s hilarious plotlines led the show to become one of the most-watched programs of the time period. 

The comedian established a lifelong friendship with Vivian and was one of her closest confidants before her death at age 70 on August 17, 1979, from breast cancer. 

“They spent the afternoon telling stories, hugging and loving each other. When Lucy left, you could tell it was an extraordinarily painful goodbye,” Paige Peterson, a close friend of Vivian, told Closer in January 2022 of Vivian’s final meeting with Lucille. 

How Many Children Did Lucille Ball Have? 

Lucille and Desi welcomed two children together, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr., before they divorced in 1960. In 1961, the TV icon married her second husband, Gary Morton. 

How Did Lucille Ball Make Money After ‘I Love Lucy’?

After I Love Lucy came to an end, Lucille starred in The Lucy Show. It was yet another one of the many series produced under Desilu Productions, the studio she and Desi once co-owned. The production company was also behind other popular shows, including Mission: Impossible and Star Trek. 

Lucille later appeared in the series Here’s Lucy from 1968 to 1974. Her real-life children shared the screen with her on the show. The mom of two earned other acting credits from appearances in Yours, Mine and Ours, Mame and Stone Pillow. The Television Hall of Fame inductee’s last acting credit came with her 1986 series, Life With Lucy, which was canceled after one season.