What is David Simon’s Net Worth?
David Simon, an American journalist, author, and producer, has a net worth of $15 million. He is best known for co-creating, writing, and producing the HBO series “The Wire,” which is considered one of the greatest television shows of all time.
After graduating from the University of Maryland College Park, Simon worked for The Baltimore Sun, covering local crime. He later took a leave of absence to write a novel, “Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets,” which was published in 1991. It chronicles Simon’s experiences shadowing Baltimore police and won the 1992 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime book. The story was eventually turned into the TV series “Homicide: Life on the Street,” which Simon produced and wrote for from 1993 until 1999.
Simon also co-authored “The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood” with Ed Burns, which became HBO’s six-hour miniseries “The Corner” and won three Emmy Awards. Simon earned the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries of a Movie for his work on the show.
In 2002, Simon created, wrote for, and produced “The Wire,” which was partly inspired by his first book. He worked on the show until 2008, writing dozens of episodes. Simon also served as executive producer and writer on “Generation Kill,” “Treme,” and “We Own This City.”
Early Life and Education
Simon was born in Washington, D.C. on February 9, 1960. He was raised in a Jewish family with roots in Russia, Belarus, Hungary, and Slovakia. Simon attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was a writer for the school newspaper, “The Tattler.” He then went on to attend the University of Maryland, College Park where he served as a writer and later as the editor for the school paper, “The Diamondback.”
David Simon’s Career
David Simon started his career as a police reporter at “The Baltimore Sun.” He later took a year’s leave to write a novel and spent a year with the Baltimore Police Department Homicide Unit, which resulted in his book, “Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets.” The book was adapted into an award-winning TV series, “Homicide: Life on the Street,” which Simon worked on as a writer and producer. He then co-authored and produced a six-hour television miniseries based on “The Corner,” a true account of a neighborhood in West Baltimore heavily affected by the drug market.
Simon’s next project was “The Wire,” a police drama set in Baltimore and produced by HBO. The show received positive critical reviews but had a slower start with audiences. Over time, it became very popular and Simon and the writing staff were nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Series for their work on the fifth and final season of the show. Simon has also worked on other projects, including “Generation Kill,” “Treme,” “The Deuce,” “The Plot Against America,” and “We Own This City.”
Simon is known for creating shows and stories that feature realistic dialogue and authentic characters. He often incorporates real anecdotes into his stories and the lives of his characters in order to incorporate as much real life as possible into his work.
Marriage and Children
Simon married graphic artist Kayle Tucker in 1991 and they had a son, but later divorced. In 2006, he married Laura Lipman, a former reporter for “The Baltimore Sun” and best-selling novelist. They welcomed a daughter in 2010.
