John Waters is a name that is synonymous with campiness, satire, and LGBTQ culture. His movies lampoon social norms about sexuality and parody the most valued institutions of Americana, especially the cringe social norms and overt sexism and bigotry of the 1950s and 1960s. Movies like Crybaby, Hairspray, Serial Mom, and the notoriously bizarre Pink Flamingos, have all made Waters the icon of excess and intentional corniness that he is today. His films also challenge our society's harmful beauty standards and fatphobia, like in Crybaby and Hairspray.

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Hairspray is probably John Water’s most famous creation as the Broadway adaptation is one of the most popular musicals in the world. Waters has also written a few books along with his cult classic movies.

Waters, now 75 years old, claims a $50 million net worth. Here is how the King of Camp gained his phenomenal wealth.

8 He Started In 1964

Waters started making his cult films in the 1960s, four years after he was kicked out of his NYU dormitory for smoking marijuana. His first film was a short titled Hag In A Black Leather Jacket. Waters would direct a handful of other shorts with titles akin to that style (Roman Candles, Eat Your Makeup, etc.) before moving onto feature-length films in 1970.

7 His First Films Were His Most Bizarre

Waters' cult movies depended on over-exaggeration. The dialogue and situations that his characters found themselves in were all too bizarre to take seriously yet were also too bizarre not to. Water’s first feature film Mondo Trasho, was completed in 1969 and would be followed by works with similar themes. Multiple Maniacs came out in 1970 and in 1972 Waters produced a film that is now synonymous with his name, Pink Flamingos.

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6 He Went Mainstream In The 1980s

As Waters' name gained clout in the underground film scene he eventually found himself being pulled to do more mainstream work, though all this means is that he introduced heavy levels of camp and the bizarre to a bigger audience. In 1981 he found a larger audience with the success of his film Polyester and a few years later, Waters would produce the film that would make him the world-famous writer and director he is known as today.

5 'Hairspray'

Hairspray was released in 1988 and it was an international success. It wasn’t long after the release of the film that the music book was circulated and live performances of Hairspray began. Hairspray hits all the marks of a Waters classic. Over-exaggerated plot, dialogue, and characters all lampooning valued American cultural institutions while challenging our acceptance of social norms, are all there. Hairspray also uses these means to challenge the darker aspects of American culture, especially things like casual racism and fatphobia, which are both challenged directly in the film.

4 'Hairspray' Becomes A Classic

Hairspray grossed $8 million when it was released in 1988, a massive profit considering the fact the film was budgeted for $2 million and its 2007 remake grossed over $200 million internationally. So many renditions of the show have been done both on and off-broadway it is impossible to calculate the profits that the show's name has generated in ticket sales and residuals for Waters.

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3 He Made More Movies

Thanks to the success of Hairspray, Waters found himself and his trashy brand in high demand. Two years after Hairspray his film Crybaby (1990) was released, and it was the film that launched Johnny Depp's film career. Prior to Crybaby, Depp was only known for his television show 21 Jump Street, and not long after Crybaby Depp landed the role that installed him in Hollywood permanently, EdwardScissorhands. The film would also help to make him a favorite of another major director, Tim Burton.

2 He Is A Prolific Writer And Performer

Waters is still the showman that he was back in his underground days and the heyday of Hairspray. He annually tours a show called A John Waters Christmas which debuted at the Castro Theater in San Francisco in 1996, because his love of camp also brings with him a love of Christmas, all of the holiday's over the top yard decorations, tree garlands, and intentionally ugly sweaters are all pure Waters motifs perfect for any of his films. He is also a self-described bibliophile and he has over 8000 books, many of them rare or out of print, in his collection. Waters himself has written at least 12 books and the titles under his name include Shock Value, Carsick, Mr. Know It All, among several others.

1 He’s Now Incredibly Wealthy

Thanks to his continuous ventures into film and literary arts and sort of pop art approach to film and writing, Waters now sits pretty (as he would assuredly describe it) on at least $38 million, but it adds up closer to $50 million when the totality of his estate, including his massive rare book collection, is factored in. Waters also is a devoted patron of the arts and donates to theater and fine art projects regularly. Thanks to his money, he keeps apartments in both New York City and San Francisco. John Waters seems poised to continue to delight and confuse his audience as long as he is kicking around, much to the delight of his loyal fans.

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