Summary

• Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, and Johnny Galecki made tens of millions of dollars from The Big Bang Theory, with Parsons having the highest net worth at $160 million.
• The trio of actors agreed to take a voluntary pay cut to increase the salaries of Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik.
• Due to a backend agreement, each actor makes $10 million per year from reruns of the show, ensuring they don't have to work any extra days and their net worth will continue to rise.

The cast of The Big Bang Theory made quite the fortune thanks to the now-iconic show. That is especially true for Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, and Johnny Galecki. All have made tens of millions of dollars, with Cuoco having a net worth of $110 million, and Galecki with a fortune of $100 million. However, Parsons' net worth is the largest of the trio at $160 million.

In the following, we'll take a look at how much the cast made on the series, and how much Galecki, Cuoco, and Parsons will continue to make thanks to back-end profits once Jim Parsons decided it was time to call it a day.

Updated January 2024: Given the huge payday that Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, and Kaley Cuoco received on 'The Big Bang Theory', none of them have to work again if they do not want to. For his part, Galecki has chosen to live a quiet life and not do any acting since he made a brief appearance on 'The Connors' in 2019. Parsons has gone on to do a few projects, most notably, the successful, 'Young Sheldon' which will be ending in May 2024. And as for Cuoco, she too has done several projects since the end of 'TBBT', most notably, 'The Flight Attendant', which was critically acclaimed.

Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, And Jim Parsons Made A Fortune On The Show

The Big Bang Theory's final season earned Cuoco, Galecki and Parsons $1 million contracts

Along the way, The Big Bang Theory turned into a monster hit for CBS. That was especially evident given the pay upgrades for Cuoco, Galecki, and Parsons. The trio was upgraded to $1 million per episode, making it quite the coup for the young actors.

Despite the huge pay for the main cast members, others such as Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik were not afforded the same. As such, the cast decided to split the money, increasing the salaries of Rauch and Bialik to make things more equitable.

"Two stars who joined the cast later, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch, didn’t make quite as much — $200,000 per episode," People explained. "Now, in the midst of contract renegotiations for the show’s 11th and 12th seasons, the original five are reportedly taking a voluntary pay cut so their costars can get a raise."

A classy move and one that replicated the cast of Friends. However, despite the selfless move, it seems like the trio had even more incentives, and that includes serious backend money for reruns.

Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, And Jim Parsons Agreed To 1% Of The Backend Profits

Each actor makes $10 million per year due to the agreement

On the surface, 1% really doesn't sound like much. However, this could not be further from the truth, especially when assessing how much The Big Bang Theory is still making now that it is off the air.

Thanks to backend money, the show will stay profitable for many years to come. In terms of revenue generated, it equals a massive sum, roughly $1 billion per year.

According to Cinema Blend, this type of profit equals to $10 million per year for the main cast.

"According to a new report, at least some of the cast is on tap to receive around $10 million a year just from reruns once the show ends. We all already knew those folks had a solid gig, but I guess we really had no idea, did we?"

The three don't have to work any extra days given this outrageous sum. Not only that, Cuoco and Galecki already share an immense net worth of $100 million and $110 million, respectively. Parsons is also resting easy, with a net worth nearing the $200 million mark at $160 million. No doubt, those numbers will only increase.

Kaley Cuoco Was Crushed When Jim Parsons Decided To End The Big Bang Theory

Kaley Cuoco was shocked to learn The Big Bang Theory would not be returning for a thirteenth season

Despite the huge potential of backend money, Kaley Cuoco was not ready for TBBT to end. Cuoco was broken by the decision and caught completely off-guard. According to the actress, she thought Parsons wanted to discuss details about the next season. However, that would not happen.

"Jim said, 'I don’t think I can continue on.' And I was so shocked that I was literally like, ‘Continue on with what?’ Like, I didn’t even know what he was talking about," Cuoco explained. "I looked at Chuck: 'Wow. I thought we were — I’m so blown away right now.'"

The show could have continued without Parsons, but Cuoco revealed that it was a united cast.

"We’re all for one, one for all," Cuoco said. "And we’re not going to do this without the whole team. That was the one thing we all agreed on — we came in together, we go out together."

Cuoco was right. The show would not be the same without Parsons. But with how close the cast still is today, a reboot or reunion would not be out of the realm of possibility for the show. Something that all The Big Bang Theory fans would be ecstatic for.

Source: People