What Is Carl Sagan’s Net Worth? You May Be Surprised

Legendary astronomer and scientist Carl Sagan imparted so much remarkable information during his time on Earth which has benefited the world over. His transcendent knowledge contributed greatly to our understanding of planetary science and hypotheses about extraterrestrial intelligence.

Fans of Sagan's wisdom may be wondering, though, if the legendary scientist was well-compensated for all of his wonderful contributions to our understanding of the universe in which we live.

While exact numbers are not fully known regarding the Sagan estate's net worth, we do have some understanding of the fame and wealth that he amassed throughout the course of his career. If you are wondering about Sagan's net worth, you are in luck, as we explore the details of Sagan's career earnings and ventures below.

Carl Sagan's death took an immense toll on his grieving family, according to an article authored by his daughter, Sasha Sagan, for Oprah.com.

According to National Today, Sagan's net worth reached $20 million, due in part to having "written over 600 scientific publications, and over 20 science and science fiction books."

Indeed, the prolific scientist was extremely busy throughout his career. Per Cornell Alumni Magazine, he became an assistant professor at Harvard University in 1962, was denied tenure there, was "rebuffed by MIT," and in 1968 accepted a role with Cornell.

In 1973, he published The Cosmic Connection and made more than two dozen appearances on late night shows in the ensuing years.

Sagan published Cosmos in 1980 in conjunction with the incredibly popular, landmark PBS series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. As if we weren't a big name in his industry already, Sagan was catapulted to superstardom, a respected name in academia and in popular science.

Indeed, Cosmos was a hit with viewers and both the book and series continue to be influential works that ensuing generations have appreciated and revered immensely.

"Although Sagan was already well known beyond Cornell, it was Cosmos, seen by more than 500 million people in 60 countries, that propelled him into the stratosphere and earned him such sobriquets as 'the prince of popularizers' and 'the cosmic explainer,'" according to Cornell Alumni Magazine.

Back to Sagan's net worth: According to Cornell Alumni Magazine, "By his 20th year in Ithaca, Sagan was growing frustrated by what he called 'the almost imperceptible level of Cornell financial support for [his] work.'"

Sagan found himself in the extremely unenviable position of growing superstardom but buried within the throes of academia, which perenially financially undermined his burgeoning career.

"Sagan pointed out that between May and December, he had contributed $31,995 to cover costs associated with office equipment and a senior research associate," per the Cornell magazine. “'By comparison, my half-time salary at Cornell for academic year 1987–88 is only $29,500. I am in the absurd situation of contributing more money to Cornell than Cornell pays me.'”

Finding himself in such a backward situation, the university eventually offered him a salary boost in exchange for lecturing work.