Comedian Bobby Lee initially rose to fame for his notable performances on Fox’s sketch comedy series MADtv. After the show ended, he went on to become an actor, stand-up comedian and co-host of the podcast, TigerBelly. Bobby Lee has an estimated net worth of $2 million.
Early Life
Robert Young Lee Jr. was born on September 17, 1972 in San Diego, California. His parents Robert Sr. and Jeanie are South Korean and he has a brother named Steve, who is a comedian and musician.
Their mom and dad were owners of a clothing store and worked hard to provide for the family. Growing up, Bobby spent a lot of time in Poway and attended Painted Rock Elementary School.
Later on, he went to Twin Peaks Middle School and graduated from Poway High School. When he turned 18, he moved out of his parents’ place and enrolled in Palomar College but dropped out.
Career Beginnings
As a young man he worked a lot of jobs after venturing out on his own. In 1994, he had the opportunity to try stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store. It was a success, and over time he built a small following.
His parents wanted him to take over the family business, but Bobby had other plans. He started appearing on TV and eventually joined the main cast of MADtv in 2001. He was the first Asian member to join the series and his sense of humor brought something new to the show.
Bobby’s brother soon followed in his footsteps, and his parents even appeared in some sketches of the show. After MADtv ended in 2009, Lee made a name for himself as a renowned stand-up comedian and podcaster.
Other Ventures
When he was still an aspiring comic, Bobby Lee got several acting roles in movies like Pineapple Express, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, and The Dictator. He also starred in the ABC sitcom Splitting Up Together, along with other small TV shows.
In 2015, he started the TigerBelly podcast with his ex-girlfriend, Khalyla Kuhn. The hosts and guests talk about personal experiences as well as current events that are often about Asian-American issues.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Bobby. In 2022, he had a feud with retired MMA fighter Brendan Schaub. Brendan was accused of hitting on Khalyla while she was with Bobby. Luckily they’ve buried the hatchet and are now on okay terms again.
Net Worth and Earnings
Bobby Lee has made the majority of wealth through touring as a stand-up comedian and acting for over a decade. On the The Iced Coffee Hour podcast, Bobby revealed he doesn’t know how much he makes and has a “money guy” to take care of his finances. Lee said he pays his manager 2% of his earnings.
The TigerBelly podcast makes money through Patreon, merch sales and YouTube ad revenue. The podcast attracts around 4 million views every month and makes $15,000 to $20,000 in YouTube ad revenue. In addition, TigerBelly does live shows and sells NFT’s. With his endeavors, the famous comedian has a net worth of $2 million.
Personal Life
Bobby Lee met Khalyla Kuhn on Tinder and dated for over five years. Sadly, the pair went their separate ways in 2022 but remain good friends and still host the podcast together. Despite rumors, Bobby and Khalyla were never married.