Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which would later become Marvel Comics. He was the primary creative leader for two decades, leading its expansion from a small division of a publishing house to a multimedia corporation that dominated the comics and film industries.
In collaboration with others at Marvel – particularly co-writers/artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko – he co-created iconic characters, including superheroes Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, the Wasp, the Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, and Black Widow. These and other characters’ introductions in the 1960s pioneered a more naturalistic approach in superhero comics.
In the 1970s Lee challenged the restrictions of the Comics Code Authority, indirectly leading to changes in its policies. In the 1980s he pursued the development of Marvel properties in other media, with mixed results. Following his retirement from Marvel in the 1990s, Lee remained a public figurehead for the company, and frequently made cameo appearances in films and television shows based on Marvel characters, on which he received an executive producer credit.
He continued independent creative ventures into his 90s until his death in 2018. Lee was inducted into the comic book industry’s Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995. He received the NEA’s National Medal of Arts in 2008. The Stan Lee Foundation was founded in 2010 to focus on literacy, education, and the arts.
Stan Lee had an estimated net worth of $50 million at the time of his death.
Net Worth: | $50 Million |
Date of birth: | December 28, 1922 |
Date of death: | November 12, 2018 |
Country: | United States of America |
Source of wealth: | Writer and producer |