Chevy Chase’s net worth is estimated at $50 million, accumulated through his foundational role in launching Saturday Night Live, a string of blockbuster film comedies in the 1980s, and decades of residual income from syndication. Chase was the breakout star of SNL’s inaugural season (1975–1976), then transitioned to feature films including the National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise and Caddyshack, before returning to television with NBC’s Community (2009–2014).
Updated March 2026: According to Marca, Chase’s estimated net worth remains approximately $50 million as of early 2026. He was the subject of the CNN documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not in 2026. In 2025, he publicly expressed hurt at being excluded from NBC’s SNL 50th Anniversary Special, per Variety.
Cornelius Crane “Chevy” Chase was born on October 8, 1943, in Lower Manhattan, New York City. He grew up in Woodstock, New York, in a household with notable social connections — his father, Edward Tinsley Chase, was a book editor and author, and his mother, Cathalene Parker, was a concert pianist with family connections to the Vanderbilt lineage. Chase’s parents divorced when he was four years old.
Chase’s education was marked by disciplinary trouble. He was expelled from the Riverdale Country School in the Bronx before completing his secondary education. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Bard College in 1967. In the late 1960s, Chase worked as a writer and performer in New York’s comedy underground before joining the National Lampoon Radio Hour and its stage productions, according to Wikipedia.
Chase joined Saturday Night Live as a writer and featured performer for its first season (1975–1976), quickly emerging as the show’s first star through his deadpan “Weekend Update” commentary and his Gerald Ford pratfall impressions. He won two Emmy Awards for writing during this period. Despite leaving after just one season, Chase had established enough visibility to launch a major film career.
His most commercially successful film was Vacation (1983), based on John Hughes’s National Lampoon story, which earned $61 million at the domestic box office and spawned four sequels. Chase also starred in Caddyshack (1980), Fletch (1985), and Three Amigos (1986) alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short. At his peak in the 1980s, Chase commanded approximately $7 million per film. His career began declining in the late 1980s after a series of commercial failures including Fletch Lives and Memoirs of an Invisible Man.
He returned to prominence with the ensemble NBC sitcom Community (2009–2014), playing Pierce Hawthorne. The role re-introduced Chase to a new generation, though his time on the show ended acrimoniously in 2012 following reported on-set conflicts, including a racial slur incident. In 2024, he appeared in The Christmas Letter, according to IMDb.
Chase has been married three times. He married Susan Hewitt in 1973 (divorced 1976) and Jacqueline Carlin in 1976 (divorced 1980). His third marriage, to Jayni Luke in 1982, has lasted over 40 years. Together they have three daughters: Cydney Cathalene Chase (b. January 4, 1983), Caley Chase (b. January 19, 1985), and Emily Chase (b. September 29, 1988), according to People. He also has a son, Bryan Perkins (b. 1979), from a prior relationship. Chase became a grandfather in 2024.
Chase has publicly acknowledged substance abuse issues, including cocaine addiction during the 1980s and alcohol rehabilitation in 2016. He has been candid about receiving treatment at Betty Ford Center multiple times.
Chevy Chase’s net worth is estimated at $50 million as of 2026, according to Marca. His fortune derives primarily from his 1980s film peak, when he earned up to $7 million per picture, combined with ongoing syndication residuals from the Vacation franchise and Saturday Night Live.
Chevy Chase has been married to Jayni Luke since 1982 — a marriage of over 40 years. Luke, a production coordinator, met Chase during his Hollywood career peak. The couple has three daughters together: Cydney, Caley, and Emily. Chase’s two previous marriages, to Susan Hewitt (1973–1976) and Jacqueline Carlin (1976–1980), ended in divorce.
Chevy Chase was born on October 8, 1943, making him 82 years old as of October 2026. He was born in Lower Manhattan and grew up in Woodstock, New York. At 82, he is among the oldest living alumni of Saturday Night Live‘s original cast.
Chevy Chase stands 6 feet 4 inches tall (193 cm), according to his IMDb profile. His above-average height contributed to his physical comedy style, particularly his signature pratfalls and slapstick routines as Gerald Ford on SNL and in the Vacation films.
Yes, Chevy Chase has four children. With his current wife Jayni Luke, he has three daughters: Cydney (b. 1983), Caley (b. 1985), and Emily (b. 1988). He also has a son, Bryan Perkins (b. 1979), from a prior relationship. He became a grandfather in 2024, per People.
Chevy Chase was not included in NBC’s SNL 50th Anniversary Special in 2025. Chase told Variety that the exclusion “hurt,” while production sources cited his well-documented history of difficult behavior with cast and crew as a factor. The 2026 CNN documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not examined his career trajectory and controversies in depth.