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“Screw you guys, we’re billionaires!” Okay, so Trey Parker and Matt Stone didn’t actually say that, but they might as well have.
The masterminds behind South Park have officially joined the billionaire boys club thanks to a massive $1.5 billion streaming deal with Paramount Global. This five-year pact will keep the notoriously irreverent animated series pumping out 10 new episodes annually on Paramount+ through 2030, earning the duo at least a cool $250 million each year.
Forbes now estimates their individual net worths at a staggering $1.2 billion.
The deal comes after a public spat between the creators and Paramount over delays caused by the Skydance Media acquisition. Parker and Stone didn’t hold back, calling the merger a “s— show” on X (formerly Twitter). And, true to form, the season 27 premiere wasted no time skewering the network, featuring Donald Trump in bed with Satan and a thinly veiled jab at Stephen Colbert.
This latest windfall is just another chapter in Parker and Stone’s shrewd business saga. Their 2007 decision to retain 50% of all digital revenue “in perpetuity” proved to be a stroke of genius.
Previous deals with Hulu and HBO Max laid the groundwork for this mega-deal with Paramount, which has seen their annual payout steadily climb from $155 million to the current $250 million. All proceeds flow through Park County, their privately held production company, which has strategically used debt to fuel its growth, including a recent $800 million credit line.
Industry insiders speculate the company could fetch $3 billion in a future sale.
As for the future of South Park? Attendees at Comic-Con got a playful tease when Stone joked, “No politics.”
And when asked about Donald Trump’s reaction to his recent portrayal, Parker quipped, “We’re terribly sorry.” Knowing these two, we can’t wait to see what they cook up next.