Jordan Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist and professor of psychology who has become one of the most influential public intellectuals in the world. He rose to fame in 2016 after releasing a series of videos criticizing Canadian bill C-16 which added gender identity and expression to the Canadian Human Rights Act. Since then, he has built a massive following online, selling millions of books, filling stadiums on speaking tours, and building a wildly successful Patreon account. But how much does Jordan Peterson actually earn from his various endeavors? Let’s take a close look at the data and estimates around Peterson’s income sources.
Book Sales
Peterson’s first book, 12 Rules for Life, was published in 2018 and went on to sell over 5 million copies worldwide. His second book, Beyond Order, sold around 1.5 million copies after being released in 2021. We can estimate his earnings from book sales as follows:
| Book Title | Copies Sold | Standard Royalty Rate | Estimated Earnings |
| 12 Rules for Life | 5 million | 10% | $5 million |
| Beyond Order | 1.5 million | 10% | $1.5 million |
Assuming a standard 10% royalty rate on print books, Peterson has likely earned around $6.5 million so far from his book sales alone. This doesn’t include potential earnings from ebook sales, foreign translation rights, or upcoming releases.
YouTube Earnings
Peterson has over 4 million subscribers on YouTube across two channels. Social media influencers with this size following can earn anywhere from $3-5 per 1000 video views. Peterson’s videos routinely get 500k to over 1 million views. If we estimate his average views per video at 750k, and a $4 RPM, he could be earning around $3000 per video on average.
Uploading around 2-3 videos per week, his potential YouTube earnings are around $350,000 per year. This is a conservative estimate and could be higher depending on factors like CPM rates, sponsorship deals, etc. Still, YouTube ads represent a significant income stream for Peterson.
Speaking Fees
Peterson typically charges $50,000 to $100,000 for speaking appearances and public talks at events and conferences. He also runs an annual lecture series called ’12 Rules for Life’ where ticket prices cost several hundred dollars per person.
In 2018, Peterson gave around 60 in-person lectures and speeches. Assuming an average fee of $75,000 per event, that’s $4.5 million in potential speaking income that year. The number of events varies year-to-year but likely represents Peterson’s single largest income stream based on available estimates.
Patreon Earnings
Peterson has made as much as $80,000 per month from his Patreon account where fans donate monthly to gain access to exclusive content. In December 2018, he had over 10,000 patrons and reached his peak income.
While the patron count has dropped since then to around 5000, estimating $40,000 per month in income from Patreon is reasonable. This equates to approximately $500,000 per year.
Other Income Sources
In addition to his primary income streams, Peterson likely earns smaller amounts from:
– Consulting and private counseling services
– Stock investments
– Real estate investments
– Company partnerships and sponsorships
– Merchandise sales from his online store
– Podcast advertising revenue
Estimating these other sources add another $200,000 or so to his annual income is reasonable.
Total Jordan Peterson Income Estimate
Based on all known income sources, a reasonable conservative estimate of Jordan Peterson’s total annual earnings is around:
$4.5 million in speaking fees
+ $500,000 from Patreon
+ $350,000 from YouTube
+ $200,000 from other sources
= $5.55 million per year
This estimate aligns with reported data that Peterson earned around $5 million in a recent 12 month period. Given his books sales and continued popularity, it’s likely his total income is still around this range, if not higher.
How Does Peterson Use His Income?
So what does Jordan Peterson do with the millions he earns each year? Here are some of the ways he allocates the money:
– Funding his podcast/YouTube equipment and production team
– Donating to charity – Peterson is a supporter of charities like Doctors Without Borders
– Travel costs for speaking events
– Office space and administrative staff salaries
– Investment into his business ventures and intellectual property
– Personal expenses like housing, taxes, etc.
He also previously sought treatment at a rehab facility in New York which likely cost a significant amount.
Peterson does not live an overly lavish lifestyle from outside appearances. His main residence is still in Toronto, Canada where housing costs are high but not extravagant for his income level. He does not flaunt expensive cars or other luxury purchases either.
Based on his public persona, Peterson seems to funnel much of his income back into his business and work output rather than personal extravagances. Managing his media company and brand is likely a full-time endeavor with significant expenses required.
How Does Peterson’s Income Compare to Other “Intellectual Dark Web” Figures?
The Intellectual Dark Web refers to a loose collection of public thinkers, academics, and media personalities who create controversial content. This includes figures like Sam Harris, Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, and others. Here’s how Peterson compares financially to some of these IDW figures:
- Joe Rogan: $100 million/year from his hugely popular podcast
- Ben Shapiro: $20-25 million/year from his podcast, speaking, and media company
- Sam Harris: $5-10 million/year primarily from his podcast subscription model
So Peterson earns in the same ballpark as other notable IDW figures like Harris and Shapiro from their various independent media endeavors. However, Joe Rogan’s earnings from his podcasting empire dwarfs all of them.
Future Earning Potential
At age 60 currently, Peterson is likely still in his peak earning years given his massive popularity and name recognition. He will continue earning significant income from books, speaking events, Patreon, and YouTube in the near future.
However, there is always the chance that his popularity and relevance could fade over time. Most influencers have a limited peak window of intense fame and attention. If he is unable to maintain his connection to his audience, his earning power could diminish in the coming decade.
But for now, Peterson is still positioned to keep earning tens of millions per year. He has hinted at launching an online university which, if successful, could add even more to his income. He also has decades worth of lecture and interview content that could be repackaged into new books or courses later on.
If Peterson manages his exposure and brand effectively going forward, his income has the potential to keep growing. But any major controversy could quickly erode his appeal. Ultimately, predicting long-term earnings for any public figure is difficult – nothing is guaranteed.
Conclusion
Although an exact figure is impossible to calculate, reasonable estimates put Jordan Peterson’s current annual income around $5-6 million per year. The majority comes from book royalties, speaking fees, Patreon donations, and YouTube ad revenue. He outearns many other academics and public intellectuals due to his controversial opinions and ability to monetize his platform. While his popularity could fluctuate in the future, for now Peterson is firmly in the ranks of the highest paid thinkers and internet influencers alive today. His continued success will depend on delivering value to his loyal audience.