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Gene Roddenberry Net Worth - Pulptastic

What was Gene Roddenberry’s Net Worth?

Gene Roddenberry, the American television screenwriter, producer, and futurist, had a net worth of $500 million at the time of his death. He is best known for creating the “Star Trek” franchise, which began in 1966 on NBC. Roddenberry wrote scripts for several shows before “Star Trek” and remained involved with the franchise until his passing in 1991. He was the first writer/producer to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and received the Jack Benny Memorial Award for lifetime achievement from the March of Dimes in 1990.

Roddenberry’s net worth includes the estimated value of the future rights and intellectual property of the “Star Trek” franchise, which has generated billions of dollars in royalties and box office receipts since his death. Upon their deaths, portions of Gene and his widow Majel Barrett’s cremated remains were launched into space as part of a NASA mission.

Gene Roddenberry’s Estate and Legal Battles

At the time of his death, Gene Roddenberry’s liquid estate was worth $30 million, equivalent to around $60 million today. His first marriage to Eileen-Anita Rexroat lasted from 1942 to 1969, and his second marriage to Majel Barrett lasted from 1969 until his death. According to his will, the majority of his estate was left to Majel Barrett, while each of his children received $500,000 and a share of his trust.

However, legal battles ensued after it was discovered that Gene had hidden a portion of Star Trek’s rights in a separate trust that benefited his first wife. A Los Angeles court eventually overturned Eileen’s claims to 50% of his assets, and one of his children, Dawn, lost $500,000 when she contested the trust.

Eugene Wesley Roddenberry: Early Life

Eugene Wesley Roddenberry was born on August 19, 1921 in El Paso, Texas. He moved to Los Angeles with his family as a baby, where his father became a police officer. Roddenberry attended Los Angeles City College, majoring in political science and developing an interest in aeronautical engineering.

Gene Roddenberry’s Military Career

Gene Roddenberry obtained his pilot’s license through the Civilian Pilot Training Program and joined the US Army Air Corps in late 1941 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He graduated as a second lieutenant in the summer of 1942 and was stationed in Hawaii with the Thirteenth Air Force. In 1943, the plane he was piloting overshot the runway and killed two men. Although he was absolved of responsibility, Roddenberry was sent back to the United States to spend the rest of his military career. He went on to fly all over the country as a plane crash investigator.

Gene Roddenberry’s Career after Military Service

After serving in the military, Roddenberry worked as a pilot for Pan American World Airways. He was involved in his third plane crash in 1947, which resulted in the deaths of about 14 people. He left the airline in 1948 and applied for a position with the Los Angeles Police Department. After being assigned to the traffic division, he was later transferred to the newspaper unit. Roddenberry became the speech writer for the chief of police and also served as the LAPD liaison for the television show “Dragnet.”

Gene Roddenberry’s Early Television Career

Gene Roddenberry began his television career as a writer for “Dragnet” while working as the LAPD liaison. He went on to write for shows like “Mr. District Attorney,” “Highway Patrol,” and “Bat Masterson,” among others. In 1958, he won the Writers Guild of America award for Best Teleplay for his episode of “Have Gun – Will Travel.”

Despite creating several failed pilots, Roddenberry achieved success as a television creator with the series “The Lieutenant” in 1963. The show featured future “Star Trek” cast and crew members, including Leonard Nimoy and Nichelle Nichols. However, “The Lieutenant” ended after just one season in 1964.

How “Star Trek” Came to Be

In the early 60s, Gene Roddenberry pitched the idea of a multiethnic crew on a traveling airship called “Star Trek.” After signing a development deal with Desilu Productions, the show premiered in 1966 with William Shatner as Captain Kirk. Despite initially low ratings, the show became a cult hit through syndication in the 70s and spawned a major media franchise. Roddenberry was involved with the franchise until his passing, working on “Star Trek: The Animated Series,” “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” which aired 178 episodes over seven seasons and became one of the most valuable syndicated shows in television history.

Gene Roddenberry’s Post-“Star Trek” Career

After the end of the first “Star Trek” series, Roddenberry wrote and produced the 1971 sexploitation film “Pretty Maids All in a Row.” He supported himself financially by giving presentations at colleges and science-fiction conventions.

In 1973, Roddenberry created the television film “Genesis II,” and the year after that created the series “The Questor Tapes.” He also created “Planet Earth,” a reworking of “Genesis II.” Later in the decade, Roddenberry produced the British television film “Spectre.”

Gene Roddenberry’s Personal Life

In 1942, Roddenberry married Eileen-Anita Rexroat. They had two daughters named Darleen and Dawn. Roddenberry had affairs with many women, including his future “Star Trek” actors Nichelle Nichols and Majel Barrett. After divorcing Rexroat in 1969, he married Barrett, with whom he had a son named Rod Roddenberry. Starting in 1975, Roddenberry carried out an extramarital affair with his executive assistant Susan Sackett.

Due to his longterm use of illicit drugs, Roddenberry was afflicted with many health problems throughout the 1980s. After suffering a stroke in 1989, his health declined further, and in 1991 his right arm was paralyzed after another stroke. While attending a doctor’s appointment in October of 1991, he died of cardiopulmonary arrest. He was 70 years old.

In 1992, some of Roddenberry’s ashes were sent into space before returning to Earth on the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-52.