Hailing from North Carolina, Zach Galifianakis completed his education in mass communications at North Carolina State University before entering the world of entertainment in Hollywood. He got his first taste of comedy when he guest-starred in Boston Common, an NBC show, and worked as a writer for two weeks on the iconic sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. Galifianakis became prominent in his Comedy Central segment in 2001, leading him to land minor roles in movies. He gained worldwide recognition for his Funny or Die show Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis and his starring role in The Hangover series, wherein he made upwards of $16 million. As he works in movies actively, his net worth has continued to grow over the years.
Zach Galifianakis may have a massive fortune, but he prefers to live a simple life with his family, away from the flash of Hollywood. He buys modest homes and farmlands and likes to help the poor through his charitable acts of kindness. Let’s take a look at the different ways Zach Galifianakis spends his $40 million fortune.
Real Estate
Zach Galifianakis grew up in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in a three-bedroom home initially constructed in 1950. The one-level home has a living room featuring a built-in fireplace, a spacious breakfast nook, and an open-concept kitchen with bar stools. As mentioned by Realtor, it also has central air conditioning and heating. Additionally, it has a sunroom and a spacious yard. Moving to California, he purchased a two-bedroom, one-bathroom home in California for $566,000. During the lockdown, Galifianakis, whose wife is from Canada, moved to her home country to live away in privacy. He commutes to California for work but prefers to live there, enjoying the cold weather.
Farm Life
Zach Galifianakis is best known for his absurdist humor, and weird characters played on screen but what truly makes him compelling is that the part of his characters’ charm comes from the actor himself. Coming from a small town, Zach Galifianakis decided to own farmland in North Carolina to enjoy fleeting moments of farm life, as noted by GQ. It is located sixty miles from his childhood home, where he grew up and named it Farmageddon. It does not come with a restored home or a shooting range but a small log cabin where he tends to the local cats and prefers to live when Hollywood gets overwhelming.
Same Car For Twenty Years
Zach Galifianakis has driven a few odd vehicles while shooting The Hangover series and even crashed a Mercedes-Benz while filming the movie, but he prefers to drive a modest car in real life. While the actor has never confirmed the make and model of the car, he has mentioned that he has been driving the same hybrid car for over twenty years during his interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! a few years back. During the lockdown, he appeared on the show via Zoom from his car while in Canada and was interviewed by Kimmel in a hilarious fashion.
Stand-Up Comedy Fundraiser
Galifianakis has interviewed his fair share of politicians, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton; however, he has never publicly shared his views. Regarding reproductive laws, he found a creative way to stand against the protestors. According to the Hollywood Reporter, as the legislative assembly in Texas was voting for anti-abortion rights, Zach Galifianakis along with Sarah Silverman organized a benefit called A Night Of A Thousand Vaginas so they could perform stand-up comedy routines for the two-hour show that generated $20,000 to be given to various abortion fundings. Many comedians joined the movement, including Michael Sheen, Mike Mariano, Sarah Thyre, and Martha Plimpton.
Philanthropy
Along with organizing stand-up comedy shows to raise awareness, Zach Galifianakis has performed various acts of kindness toward people and organizations. In 2020, he donated $5,000 to SRHS Girls Volleyball Team, who thanked him for his generous help. One of his most compelling stories occurred in 2013 when he helped a homeless woman. The actor met Elizabeth ‘Mimi’ Haist in 1994 in a laundromat where she worked with subsidized tips. After learning that the woman had become homeless, Galifianakis rented her an apartment and has been paying her rent, as stated by Today. She even attended The Hangover III premiere alongside the actor.
Zach Galifianakis likes to keep things simple and live a modest life with his family. Living in a small home and tending to his farm sometimes, he has mastered the ability to be famous yet be anonymous. Known for his unique humor, the actor has recently lent his voice to various animated movies and was last heard in the comedy musical The Bob's Burgers Movie in May 2022.
Sources: Realtor, GQ, Hollywood Reporter, Today