The legendary Hollywood horror doll Annabelle was officially sold this year following the mysterious death of her previous owner, and the new “babysitter” is none other than viral stand-up comedian Matt Rife (per E! News).
As the seventh top content creator on Forbes’ 2025 list, the instantly recognizable comedy heartthrob has gone viral for rollicking content covering everything from trendy pop culture and recent global events. The 30-year-old comedian and actor also ruffled some feathers by touching on sensitive topics like sexuality, ethnicity, disability, and terminal diseases.
His fearless approach to comedy quickly thrust the wannabe stand-up performer into the spotlight, as evident by his widely circulated skits, the ProbleMATTic World Tour that became one of the largest comedy tours in over 20 years (per Deadline), massive annual earnings of millions of dollars (per Forbes), and his startling purchase of The Conjuring Universe’s freakiest face, the Annabelle doll.
With Rife gaining more momentum than ever in the stand-up comedy scene, here’s a detailed look at his reportedly astronomical net worth in 2025.
Matt Rife’s Net Worth in 2025
Image credits: mattrife / Instagram
Matt Rife has an estimated net worth of $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth figures. Forbes reported that the top creator earner’s wealth is estimated at a higher $50 million.
The Ohio-born comedian grossed an impressive $25 million in 2023 alone from his diverse income streams, rightfully placing him among the world’s 10 highest-paid social media personalities for the year.
The comedian was crowned the third-highest-paid social media influencer in the world, with staggering earnings of $50 million (Forbes).
Most of Rife’s financial gain comes from global touring efforts, high-paying brand endorsements, and viral social media content. He recently stunned the internet with his high-profile purchase of the iconic Annabelle doll.
In a now-viral Instagram video, Rife sat down and announced that he bought the entire Connecticut home and occult museum of famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, officially becoming the caretaker of the terrifying toy.
Image credits: mattrife and eltoncastee / Instagram
He also declared himself “the legal guardian for at least the next 5 years, of the entire haunted collection including THE ANNABELLE DOLL.”
How Matt Rife Earns His Money
Image credits: mattrife / Instagram
The hugely popular comedian has created the ideal business portfolio for every content creator, featuring hilarious stand-up tours, streaming specials, major brand deals, and widely shared digital content.
Matt Rife’s fan-favorite 2024 tour grossed an impressive $60 million worldwide and sold 733,000 tickets across 256 shows. Additionally, Rife utilized his growing comedy influence and released his first self-produced stand-up special, Only Fans, in 2021, followed by two more specials in 2023: Matthew Steven Rife and Walking Red Flag.
He also dropped his Lucid – A Crowd Work Special in 2024, which premiered on Netflix on August 13 and marked the first one-hour crowd work special on the subscription service (per Deadline). The multifaceted internet personality also ventured into acting early in his career, making his TV debut in Average Joe (2012–2016) and film debut in the 2015 thriller Room 236. In 2015, the young actor made history as the youngest-ever cast member on MTV’s Wild ‘N Out (per Deadline).
Image credits: mattrife / Instagram
Matt Rife has over 30 million fans following him on Instagram, TikTok, and X, in addition to nearly 4 million subscribers on YouTube.
While having a massive social media following often brings in big money through brand endorsements and deals, superstar stand-up comedian once became a target of online hate because of his controversial comedy content.
He previously worked with budget beauty brand e.l.f. Cosmetics in a humorous, parody-style ad, portraying the role of an “affordable beauty” lawyer who went to “e.l.f. court for millions of clients, helping them access the beauty products they deserve at prices that won’t harm their livelihoods” (per USA Today).
“I know a thing or two about red flags. And pricey makeup? You deserve better than that,” Rife joked in the ad, which concludes with him and drag queen Heidi N Closet encouraging viewers to call “1-855-COLD-HARD-LASH.”
Female critics expressed outrage over the inclusion of Matt Rife in the beauty company’s ad, as he previously caused controversy for making a domestic violence joke in his debut Netflix special.
In a less controversial partnership, Matt teamed up with popular water brand ZenWTR to sponsor his now-famous Problemattic World Tour.
While on his comedy tour last year, UTA signed Rife for representation in all areas, with plans to expand into film, TV, and other areas.
How Matt Rife Spends (And Invests) His Fortune
Image credits: mattrife / Instagram
Matt Rife, along with YouTuber Elton Castee, made headlines last August with a surprisingly random purchase of the house, museum, and entire artifact collection of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Matt consequently became the “legal” caretaker of the allegedly possessed Annabelle doll (per PEOPLE).
Image credits: mattrife / Instagram
The breaking news came shortly after paranormal investigator Dan Rivera unexpectedly died in Pennsylvania while touring with the infamous doll (per TODAY).
The exact cause of death has not been revealed, but Adams County Chief Deputy Coroner Scott Pennewill said that it was “nothing suspicious” (per TODAY.com).
The comedian clarified that the headline-making purchase does not mean permanent ownership of the horror icon. “I must go on record and say we do not legally own the items, but we are the legal guardians and caretakers of the items for at least the next five years,” he explained.
“This is the most random hobby ever, but it’s so f—— cool, man. I should probably collect stamps or something — might be a little safer.”
Image credits: mattrife / Instagram
A rep for Rife confirmed the purchase as “legit” on Saturday, Aug. 2.
Matt’s sudden purchase of the Annabelle doll might not be showbiz flexing as it seems to be; in fact, this could be the comedian’s smartest financial move yet.
For those interested in investigating Warren’s former house, Rife said that fans will be able to book it for a night or weekend as an Airbnb. He also plans to open the allegedly haunted home for thrilling museum tours.
Tony Spera, the son-in-law of the Warrens, noted that he and his wife remain the owners of the Annabelle doll and the other artifacts, but they leased them to both Matt Rife and Elton Castee for five years (per TODAY.com).
“We have no plans to ever ‘sell’ the artifacts,” Spera asserted.
In a related development, the stand-up comedian traded big-city lights for a tranquil, 80-acre property in Rhode Island (per Fox Business).
Speaking to fellow comedians and co-hosts Bobby Lee and Andrew Santino in the Bad Friends podcast episode, Rife admitted that the Ocean State “wasn’t even in the top 10” options when he was searching for a property. However, the notoriously high real estate prices in Los Angeles proved too much for the multi-millionaire.
“I wanted to get what I was actually f—ing paying for,” he said at the time.
Why Did Matt Rife Buy the Annabelle Doll?
Image credits: r/pics
As one of the creepiest figures in horror movie and TV history, the sinister Annabelle doll and its glass case have frequently appeared at high-profile events and conventions, including the Warren’s Seekers of the Supernatural Paranormal Convention (per PEOPLE).
According to horror lore, the cursed doll was seen moving on its own in the ’70s and even writing mysterious messages on parchment paper that read “Help Us,” as reported in the NESPR case file.
To this day, Annabelle’s fixed grin and haunting eyes still keep many up at night.
In an “insane” Instagram announcement, Matt Rife detailed to his followers why he decided to buy the world’s most cursed cultural icon.
“If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with the paranormal and all things haunted,” he began. “You also may know The Conjuring films are my favorite scary movies of all time. So I’m incredibly honored to have taken over one of the most prominent properties in paranormal history.”
Image credits: mattrife / Instagram
Matt’s fun-loving followers quickly found humor in the bizarre purchase. “RIP, buddy. It’s been nice knowing ya,” a concerned commenter said farewell. “If you stop posting we will know why,” someone else wrote.
“A comedian buying a paranormal treasure trove. The spirits are going to have a field day messing with him,” a third joked.
“He’s too hot to risk his life like this. These are ugly people activities,” Republican figure Kimberly Klacik commented.
Others, who presumably don’t believe in the paranormal, congratulated the comedian for becoming the new guardian of Hollywood’s iconic demonic entity. “That’s so fire,” one fan commended, while another exclaimed, “This is huggeeee.”
Whether or not the purchase is a savvy financial investment is only a matter of time, but the new Annabelle owner himself acknowledged that he spent a fortune to hold the coveted title.
“We could have bought an apartment complex,” he teased on Instagram shortly before breaking the news. “But instead, we bought one of the most prominent pieces in paranormal history in the world!”
