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Acquiring wealth can be fulfilling but acquiring wealth while doing something you love? You can bet the feeling is out of this world. Many rich people get so immersed in wealth creation that they forget to make out time for themselves and their families but that’s just some rich people yeah? Many others enjoy spending their fortune just as much as they enjoy making it. Illusionists who double as Magicians are common. What is not common is one person being an Illusionist, Magician, and Musician at the same time. Isn’t that wonderful? In this piece, we take a look at the incredible life of Criss Angel and how he spends his $70 million net worth.
Who Is Criss Angel?
Christopher Nicolas Sarantakos is an illusionist, magician, and musician who was born on the 19th day of December 1967 in Hempstead, Long Island, New York. His parents, Dimitra and John were owners of a restaurant and doughnut shop and he lived with them alongside his brothers, Costa and J.D. Criss picked interest in magic at the young age of 7 when his aunt, Stella, taught him a card trick. He would perform his first magic show five years later and that was the start of his career as a magician. Criss performed in local restaurants as a teenager and his first big illusion happened when he made his mother float in the Sarantakos family den. He decided to pursue a professional career in magic against the instruction of his parents who wanted him to go to college. Criss Angel started dating singer Shaunyl Benson in 2012 and by 2015, they were married. They have 3 children, 2 boys, Johnny (2014) and Xristos (2019), and 1 girl, Illusia (2021).
Criss Angel’s Career in Magic, Illusion, and Music
Criss Angel made his TV debut in 1994 when he appeared on an ABC special called “Secrets”. The next year, he was featured in Clive Barker’s “Lord of Illusions”. After appearing in many movies, he starred in “Criss Angel Mindfreak” which was performed well over 600 times at the World Underground Theater from 2001 to 2003. “Criss Angel Mindfreak” became a TV show in 2005 and it is one of the most successful magic shows in television history. Angel delved into music in 1989 and was the frontman of a heavy metal band called “Angel”. He would later form his own band, “Angeldust” with Klay Scott and the band released albums such as "Musical Conjurings From the World of Illusion," "System 1," "System 2," and "System 3". Angel created the Criss Angel Magic Collection in 2010 in synergy with IdeaVillage and the collection included 250 tricks, children’s magic kit, and instructions for many Mindfreak Magic Tricks. By 2013, Angel’s videos had been viewed 200 million times. Criss even authored a book titled Mindfreak: Secret Revelations. Isn't that amazing? His career as an illusionist, magician, and musician, as well as other ventures he delved into contributed to his net worth of $70 million.
Now that you know who Criss Angel is and how he came about his wealth, let us proceed to intimate you with how he spends and enjoys his wealth!
Family Trips and Vacations
Being a family man, Criss Angel invests a lot of time and money in family trips and vacations. Since he is almost always busy with shows where he performs magic, music, and illusions, it is only logical that he invests some time and money in family vacations mostly away from the prying eyes of the media. The last of such family trips they had that is known to the public was in 2021 when Shaunyl was 27 weeks pregnant with Illusia. Criss, Shaunyl, and the boys went on a weekend trip to Mexico for a babymoon as they were expecting Illusia at the end of the year. As fate would have it, the first daughter of the couple came 5 weeks earlier via emergency C-section. While it is not really clear if the family has gone on another vacation since then as they try to live a private life, it is obvious that Criss Angel will not think twice before spending on family trips and holidays which is adorable, to say the least.
A Classic Angel Garage
Via Wikimedia Commons
If there is one thing Criss Angel loves more than cars, it definitely has to be motorbikes. This magician has enough cars and bikes in his garage to pass as a collector! A peek into Criss Angel’s garage will reveal some expensive cars and bikes including a Big Bear skeleton chopper bike custom made for Criss from human skeleton by Kevin and Mona Alsop. It was the 7th bike that the Big Bear Choppers made for him and it cost him $100,000. He also owns a Rolls Royce Phantom which costs over $330,000, a Porsche 911, a Bugatti Veyron that costs almost $2 million, a 2010 Campagna T Rex, a 2006 Hummer H2, A 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, an Orange County Chopper, and a Lamborghini Murcielago just to name a few. We know you can’t wait to have a detailed peek into Criss Angel’s garage. You can watch out for that.
Properties and Charity
Via Wikimedia Commons
Criss Angel sure has a lot of money. What’s more? The money never stops coming! So, Criss has no problem buying properties in the choicest areas. He owns a palatial 25,000 square-foot mansion in Las Vegas that speaks luxury. He also owns two production facilities and a TV studio in Las Vegas. In all of this, it is pertinent to note that Criss Angel never lost his empathetic side as he donates a lot of money for cancer treatment through his “Believe Anything is Possible Foundation”. In 2016, he changed the name of his non-profit organization, “Believe Anything is Possible Foundation”, to “Johnny Crisstopher Children's Charitable Foundation” He named the foundation after his son, Johnny, who struggled with Leukemia. Aside from his foundation and charity work, Criss also goes on regular food drives to provide food for the poor and homeless.
Source: Wealthy Gorilla, Celebrity Net Worth, CA Knowledge