What Is Dan Bilzerian’s Net Worth?
The net worth of Dan Bilzerian, an American venture capitalist, actor, social media icon, and gambler, stands at $100 million. Initially, Dan aspired to be a Navy SEAL, experienced a moderately successful acting career, and gained wealth through poker before achieving global fame through his vast social media following and notoriously extravagant lifestyle. He now boasts over 33 million followers on Instagram alone.
Fame for Dan Bilzerian largely stems from his opulent and often controversial lifestyle, which he showcases on his well-followed Instagram account. Known for throwing lavish parties, displaying his wealth, and sharing posts featuring firearms, women, and high-stakes poker, Bilzerian asserts that he built his fortune from winnings in high-stakes private poker games, although the legitimacy of his claims has faced scrutiny. His poker career has considerably contributed to his notoriety. Apart from poker, Dan has also pursued acting, featuring in movies like “Olympus Has Fallen” (2013), “Lone Survivor” (2013), and “The Equalizer” (2014). Nonetheless, his social media influence and public image have largely eclipsed his film career.
Dan’s father, Paul Bilzerian, was recognized as a corporate takeover expert who was later convicted of fraud and served time in prison. Bilzerian has endured backlash for his perceived misogynistic attitudes and advocacy for a life of excess.
Early Life
Born as Daniel Brandon Bilzerian on December 7, 1980, in Tampa Bay, Florida, Dan’s father, Paul Bilzerian, was a notable private equity and corporate takeover authority during the 1980s. Dan’s heritage includes Armenian descent from his father. When Paul Bilzerian was just 36, he had already amassed a self-made fortune of $40 million. However, following an indictment for tax and security fraud in 1988, when Dan was eight years old, everything changed. In 2001, Paul declared bankruptcy, reporting assets of merely $15,000 against over $140 million in debt. Dan’s mother goes by the name Terri Steffen, and he has a brother named Adam, who is also involved in poker. During their peak, the family resided in the largest house in Tampa, a sprawling 28,000-square-foot mansion with ten bedrooms, which ultimately faced foreclosure in 2016 after Paul moved to the Caribbean to avoid arrest. Before his indictment, Paul allegedly established trust funds for both Dan and Adam. It remains uncertain to what degree these funds have supported Dan’s current lavish lifestyle or if any were gained through his father’s questionable dealings.
Dan Bilzerian’s Early Career
In 1999, Dan enlisted in the Navy. He began SEAL training in 2000 and completed two hell weeks, but he was dismissed from the program shortly before graduation due to a conflict with one of his instructors, reportedly over a safety concern at the gun range. After his Navy exit, Dan pursued his education at the University of Florida, majoring in Criminology and Business.
Poker Career
In 2009, at 29 years old, Dan embarked on a professional poker journey. He secured a 180th place finish at the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event, marking his most prominent performance in an officially recognized event, with winnings exceeding $36,000.
Currently, Dan is known as a skilled poker player. While his official winnings from sanctioned events are modest, he asserts that he has secured millions, and possibly tens of millions, in private games.
In
In 2011, Dan, along with ten other celebrities such as Tobey Maguire and Nick Cassavetes, was required to repay the winnings they had earned from Ponzi scheme perpetrator Bradley Ruderman after he was sentenced to prison. This repayment was aimed at aiding the victims Ruderman had defrauded during his criminal activities. That same year, Dan took a stand for Alex Rodriguez, publicly defending him against allegations of illegal gambling.
During an iconic event, Dan is said to have won an astounding $12.8 million, which included $10.8 million from a single heads-up, no-limit hold ’em game with stakes between $5,000 and $10,000. Following this victory, he quickly hopped on a private jet to Mexico for a celebration. In 2014 alone, he asserts that his poker winnings reached $50 million. On at least three different occasions, however, he has also faced losses exceeding $3 million. “Bluff Magazine” honored him with the title of “Funniest Poker Player on Twitter,” and he is a co-founder of Victory Poker.
Ignite
Dan Bilzerian is the operator of Ignite, a company that markets electronic cigarettes, CBD oils, vodka, water bottles, and various other products. Reports indicated that the company incurred losses of over $50 million in 2019, primarily attributed to marketing and office rental costs. According to “Forbes,” many of Dan’s extravagant possessions and properties are financed through the corporate expenses of Ignite International Ltd.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Acting Career
Besides his poker endeavors, he has taken part in films such as “Olympus Has Fallen,” “Lone Survivor,” “The Other Woman,” “Extraction,” “The Equalizer,” “Cat Run 2,” and “War Dogs,” released in 2016.
Legal Issues
Bilzerian filed a lawsuit against the producers of “Lone Survivor,” claiming he lent the company $1 million in return for at least eight minutes of screen time and 80 words of dialogue. Ultimately, his role amounted to less than a minute with just one line of dialogue in the final cut. He sought $1.2 million in damages, which was his original loan amount plus 20%. The lawsuit was later retracted as Dan gained significant publicity from the situation, reportedly making $1.5 million on his investment due to the film’s success.
In August 2014, Dan was banned from a Miami nightclub for allegedly kicking model Vanessa Castano in the face during a confrontation. Dan contended that Vanessa and another woman had assaulted his girlfriend. Subsequently, Castano sued him for $1 million for her injuries.
Later that year, he became involved in a lawsuit with adult film star Janice Griffith. Reportedly, he threw her off a roof and into a pool during a photo shoot for “Hustler.” Unfortunately, she sustained a broken foot after falling short of the pool and hitting the edge. She requested $85,000 from Bilzerian for her injuries, which he declined, leading Griffith to file suit against both “Hustler” and Bilzerian.
In December, Bilzerian was arrested at LAX Airport on charges related to bomb-making. However, those charges were dropped, and he was released on the same day. In February 2015, Dan entered a no contest plea to a charge of “negligently failing to extinguish a fire in the open,” resulting in a fine of $17,231.
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Social Media
Recently, Dan has garnered a significant amount of fame due to his Instagram posts, amassing over 33 million followers. His uploads depict a remarkable playboy lifestyle that could certainly make even Hugh Hefner envious. He calls himself the Playboy King of Instagram. His extravagant lifestyle is so extreme that Dan has experienced three heart attacks before reaching 32 years of age. In a featured episode of Joe Rogan’s podcast on YouTube, he talked about the beginnings of his poker career and his current way of life.
Personal Life
In June 2015, Bilzerian made public his intention to run for President of the United States. Ultimately, he endorsed Donald Trump in 2016, which became quite ironic when it was later discovered that Hillary Clinton had been using Dan’s private jet for domestic travel during much of her campaign. More details on this will follow in the article below.
In August 2018, during a trip to Armenia with his brother Adam and father Paul, Dan took his oath to gain Armenian citizenship. While there, he visited a shooting range and discharged firearms. As a response, the government of Azerbaijan issued a note of protest to the U.S. Department of State, and a court in Baku placed Bilzerian on their international wanted list, issuing an arrest warrant.
On October 1, 2017, Dan was present during the Las Vegas mass shooting. Throughout that night, he recorded several videos for Instagram. In his first video, he was seen escaping to safety. In another video he shared, he remarked, “Had to go grab a gun. I’m f—cking headed back.” However, in his last video, he was seen going home and stated, “I don’t think there’s much I can do.” This led to significant media scrutiny regarding his actions that evening.
Dan Bilzerian Real Estate
Over the past ten years, Dan has resided in Hollywood Hills, Bel Air, and Las Vegas. Primarily, he has rented his residences outside Nevada. For tax purposes, his main home is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2014, he bought a five-bedroom property in Summerlin South, Nevada for $4.1 million. The custom-built house is located in one of the city’s most exclusive communities, The Ridges, sitting adjacent to a private golf course. It features five bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a pool and spa, underground parking, an outdoor bar and grill, and a gun vault capable of accommodating up to 1,000 firearms. He sold this property in 2017 for $5.1 million.
In 2018, Dan acquired a new residence in the Las Vegas area for $8.5 million. This 5-acre estate, situated in the Spring Valley neighborhood, includes a massive 40,000-square-foot mansion. In September 2024, he listed this mansion for sale at $25 million.
The same year, Dan rented a gigantic, four-story, 12-bedroom mansion in Bel Air at an estimated $50,000 per month. Previously, he was paying $39,000 monthly for his Hollywood Hills home. His new mansion, which he plans to enhance with nightclub vibes, boasts a two-lane bowling alley, a wine cellar, a movie theater, a sports room, and five bars.
Bilzerian Family Mansion in Tampa
In the early 1990s, Dan’s father constructed a custom 28,000-square-foot mansion beside a lake, situated on 3.4 acres within a gated community in the Tampa suburbs. This residence comprises ten bedrooms, 19 bathrooms, a movie theater, and a wine room,
“`four fireplaces and a swimming pool that features both a water slide and a waterfall. An entire “athletic wing” is present, complete with an indoor basketball court, a racquetball court, and a full-fledged professional gym:
Shortly after moving in, Paul Bilzerian faced arrest and was charged with securities fraud. In 2004, the family attempted to sell the property, but when it was suggested that the sale was actually to a controlled LLC, the bank confiscated the home. The mansion remained unoccupied from 2008 onward. It was sold at a bankruptcy auction in 2016 yet continued to remain vacant. In January 2022, the home was listed for $5.133 million, with listing photos showcasing some of Dan’s childhood belongings, including Little League memorabilia, still left in his old bedroom. Just three months later, it was re-listed at $6.6 million but, as of this writing, has not yet sold.
Private Jet
Dan operates a 1987 Gulfstream G-IV private jet that can accommodate up to 22 passengers, varying by configuration. The aircraft is registered under a corporation named “GOAT Airways LLC” (likely a nod to “greatest of all time”) based in Santa Monica, California. The registration number concludes with “DB,” which many suspect is a deliberate nod to Dan Bilzerian’s initials.
During the Presidential campaign involving Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Dan’s private jet made a notable appearance. It was revealed that Clinton frequently chartered Dan’s plane via a third-party company during her campaign. Below is a photograph of Hillary disembarking from Dan’s private jet in August 2016 at an airport in Santa Anna, California:
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Car Collection
For followers of Dan’s social media, in addition to his private jet, attractive women, and firearms, he has a penchant for collecting high-end cars. His car collection features a $250,000 Rolls Royce and a $1.5 million Mercedes AMG 6×6 G63 Brabus.