![[CNBC] David Blaine says he hasn’t gotten rich from magic because he doesn’t want to: ‘That’s not a goal of mine’](https://media.nbcphiladelphia.com/2025/04/108134045-1745247686962-gettyimages-2152954938-2024disneyupfront_5_14_24-05312_hnn9khu6.jpeg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=320%2C180)
For more than 25 years, David Blaine has captured the world's attention with his card tricks, illusions and feats of endurance.
The magician has buried himself alive, caught a bullet in between his teeth and held his breath for more than 17 minutes. But though his tricks have turned him into a household name, Blaine said in a recent Hollywood Reporter profile that his career hasn't been as lucrative as some might imagine.
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WATCH HEREIndeed, Blaine told the magazine that after more than 25 years as a professional magician, he has "still never learned the business." Making large amounts of money has "never been my driving force or motivation in any way," he added.
When asked if he has gotten rich off of magic, he was blunt in his response. "No," Blaine said. "And I don't want to. That's not a goal of mine."
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SIGN UP The illusionist — who according to Forbes commands "mid-six-figure" paychecks for private shows and reportedly earned $13.5 million in 2018 — added that he's had many lucrative sponsorship opportunities presented to him throughout his career, but none that have made him want to accept.
"I've turned down every single ad campaign across the board," he says.
That is, in part, because of a very simple rule he follows while managing his career. "Whenever I make a decision I always try to decide, 'Would I do this for $1?'" he said in 2019.
Money Report
"The idea is if I'm offered a gig or something, if the answer is no, then I won't do it for any amount of money," he continued. "And if the answer is yes, then I'll do it for whatever the deal is."
For Blaine, the attitude toward money has helped him have the career that he wants. "That keeps my head clear," he said at the time. It's not the most "financially rewarding" strategy, he added, but "it keeps me focused on what I want to achieve and do."
Blaine's strategy is similar to that of billionaire Mark Cuban, who in 2022 revealed that his success came in part because he "never, ever thought in terms of money."
Like Blaine, Cuban's motivating factor isn't the dollar figure in his bank account. "I always thought in terms of time," he said. "That's always been my driving motivation: How can I control my own destiny? How can I control my own time?"
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