Rob Minkoff is a renowned American filmmaker with a net worth of $30 million, whose work has become the staple of Disney productions. He was a character animator for several movies, but is best known for his collaborative effort on “The Lion King” with Roger Allers. Furthermore, Minkoff has also directed “The Haunted Mansion,” “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” and “Stuart Little” and its sequel. Rob Minkoff Net Worth.
| Name | Robert Ralph Minkoff |
| Birth Date | August 11, 1962 |
| Birth Place | Palo Alto, California, United States |
| Profession | Director, Producer, Screenwriter |
| Wife | Crystal Kung Minkoff |
| Net Worth | $30 million |
Early Life and Career
Rob Minkoff was born to Tola and Jack Minkoff in Palo Alto, California, in 1962. He attended Palo Alto High School in his teenage years, before moving on to the Character Animation department of the California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita, from which he graduated in the early 1980s.
While studying at CalArts, Walt Disney Animation Studios recognized Minkoff’s potential and hired him as an in-between artist for “The Black Cauldron.” He then moved on to supervising animation for “The Great Mouse Detective,” and followed that with character design for “The Brave Little Toaster.”
He also wrote the song “Good Company” for “Oliver & Company” in 1988. Moving into the late 80s, he provided character animation for “The Little Mermaid,” and from 1989-1990, directed two Roger Rabbit shorts:
“Tummy Trouble” and “Roller Coaster Rabbit.” After that, he got involved in the pre-production script development for 1991’s “Beauty and the Beast,” before directing the 1992 Mickey Mouse short “Mickey’s Audition.”
It was “The Lion King” that broke through.
In 1994, Rob Minkoff experienced a defining moment in his career with the co-direction of the iconic Walt Disney Animation Studios feature film, “The Lion King,” alongside Roger Allers. This masterpiece achieved an outstanding success at the box office, earning an astounding $763 million and becoming the highest-grossing film of the year.
It also earned the accolade of highest-grossing animated film in history, receiving four Oscar nominations and taking home two for the works of Hans Zimmer’s original score and Elton John and Tim Rice’s song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.”
Following the commercial and critical success of “The Lion King,” Minkoff ventured into the realm of live-action with “Stuart Little” (1999). The film, which was adapted from E.B. White’s 1945 novel, starred Hugh Laurie, Geena Davis, Jonathan Lipnicki, and featured the voices of Michael J. Fox, Nathan Lane, and Jennifer Tilly.
The family movie was rewarded with an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects (which was won by “The Matrix”), and spawned a sequel, “Stuart Little 2” (2002). A year later, he released “The Haunted Mansion,” which featured Eddie Murphy, Marsha Thomason, Terence Stamp, Nathaniel Parker, and Jennifer Tilly, and was based on the Disney theme park attraction.
After a five-year hiatus, Minkoff directed his first non-family film, the martial arts movie “The Forbidden Kingdom” (2008), which starred Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and was based on the 16th-century novel “Journey to the West.”
With a box office total of $128 million, it proved to be a financial success. His next work, “Flypaper” (2011) however, failed to achieve similar results; the crime comedy film, starring Ashley Judd and Patrick Dempsey, only showed at one theater, and received mixed reviews from critics.
Live-Action Directing
Minkoff experienced a significant amount of success following the release of “The Lion King,” resulting in his first live-action movie, “Stuart Little,” released in 1999. The movie featured the star power of Hugh Laurie, Geena Davis, and Jonathan Lipnicki, and boasted the voices of Michael J.
Fox, Nathan Lane, and Jennifer Tilly, amongst others. “Stuart Little” earned a good return at the box office, as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects, although it was eventually beaten by “The Matrix.”
The movie was later followed by a sequel, “Stuart Little 2,” which was released in 2002, followed by the horror comedy “The Haunted Mansion” a year later. Eddie Murphy, Marsha Thomason, Terence Stamp, Nathaniel Parker, and Jennifer Tilly were all featured in the movie.
Minkoff made his first venture away from family films in 2008 with the wuxia film “The Forbidden Kingdom,” starring martial arts superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li, loosely adapted from the 16th-century novel “Journey to the West.”
It became a box-office success, earning $128 million on a budget of $55 million. Unfortunately, his follow-up movie, the crime comedy “Flypaper,” starring Ashley Judd and Patrick Dempsey, did not receive such positive feedback. Critically panned, it was only released in one theater and was an overall commercial flop.
Return to Animation
After his unfortunate venture with “Flypaper,” Minkoff returned to children’s animation with “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” (2014). The film, based on characters from “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends,” featured Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Stephen Colbert, Allison Janney, Ariel Winter, and Leslie Mann in the voice cast.
In 2015, he produced a Netflix series based on the film titled “The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show.” On the same platform, Minkoff directed the animated original series “Llama Llama,” adapted from the late Anna Dewdney’s popular picture book series.
For the Nick Jr. network, he co-created “Rainbow Rangers,” a computer-animated show following the adventures of seven young girls in the kingdom of Kaleidoscopia.
In 2021, Rob Minkoff and Mark Koetsier took Chris Bailey’s place as directors of the animated feature “Blazing Samurai”. Boasting an all-star cast featuring Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Samuel L. Jackson, Michelle Yeoh, and George Takei, this motion picture is a remake of Mel Brooks’ acclaimed 1974 Western comedy “Blazing Saddles”. Moreover, Minkoff is directing the upcoming movie “Chinese Odyssey”, and producing “Wolf Totem” and “Silkworms” as well.
Personal Life
In 2003, Minkoff and Crystal Kung crossed paths at an office party, later going to the premiere of “Finding Nemo” for their first date. Three years later, the couple became engaged on Valentine’s Day, and they exchanged vows in 2007.
Minkoff and Kung have been blessed with two children – Max and Zoe. Moreover, Kung is a 76th-generation descendant of the renowned Chinese philosopher, Confucius.
Real Estate
In 2010, Crystal and Rob purchased a property in Bel Air for $2.3 million, demolishing the existing structure and replacing it with a lavish 7,200 square-foot mansion. Today, their investment is worth an estimated $14 million.
Net Worth
By 2023, Rob Minkoff’s estimated wealth had reached a staggering $30 million. His primary source of income comes from his work in the film industry and he is thought to make more than $50,000 each month.
His wife, Crystal Kung Minkoff, has an estimated net worth of $30 million. Additionally, Kung is set to receive about $100,000 for her first season of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.