Career Timeline of Jerry Seinfeld: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Jerry Seinfeld made an impact.
Jerry Seinfeld is a highly successful American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer, best known for his observational comedy. He achieved widespread recognition as a semi-fictionalized version of himself in the iconic NBC sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998), which he co-created and wrote with Larry David. Seinfeld won a Golden Globe for his role in the show, cementing its status as one of the most acclaimed sitcoms ever. Following Seinfeld, he created and produced The Marriage Ref, and hosted the web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Seinfeld also co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in the animated film Bee Movie (2007) and the Netflix comedy Unfrosted (2024).
1976: Graduation from Queens College
In 1976, Jerry Seinfeld graduated from Queens College of the City University of New York with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and theater.
1976: Start performing at open-mic nights
In 1976, after graduating, Jerry Seinfeld tried out at an open-mic night at New York City's Catch a Rising Star, which led to an appearance in a Rodney Dangerfield HBO special.
1980: Recurring role on Benson
In 1980, Jerry Seinfeld had a small recurring role on the sitcom Benson, playing Frankie, a mail-delivery boy.
January 1981: Stand-up on An Evening at the Improv
In January 1981, Jerry Seinfeld performed stand-up on An Evening at the Improv.
September 5, 1987: Stand-Up Confidential airs on HBO
On September 5, 1987, Jerry Seinfeld's first one-hour special, Stand-Up Confidential, aired live on HBO.
1987: Stand-Up Confidential release
In 1987, Jerry Seinfeld released his first stand-up special, Stand-Up Confidential.
1988: The Seinfeld Chronicles Created
In 1988, Jerry Seinfeld created The Seinfeld Chronicles with Larry David for NBC, which was later renamed Seinfeld.
1989: Seinfeld sitcom debut
In 1989, the sitcom Seinfeld, co-created and written by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, premiered on NBC.
1993: SeinLanguage Publication
In 1993, Jerry Seinfeld wrote and published the book SeinLanguage.
1993: Published SeinLanguage
In 1993, Jerry Seinfeld wrote and released the book SeinLanguage. It's primarily an adaptation of his stand-up material, published when his television show began rising in popularity.
1998: I'm Telling You for the Last Time release
In 1998, Jerry Seinfeld released the stand-up special I'm Telling You for the Last Time.
1998: Stand-up Tour
In 1998, after Seinfeld ended his sitcom, he went on tour and recorded a comedy special titled I'm Telling You for the Last Time.
1998: Seinfeld finale aired
In 1998, the final episode of Seinfeld aired. NBC offered Seinfeld $110 million to continue the show for another season, but he declined.
1999: Auctioned Breitling Chronomat Watch
In 1999, Jerry Seinfeld auctioned a Breitling Chronomat watch as part of the "Famous Faces, Watch Auction For Charity" event in New York City. The watch sold for $11,000.
2000: Political Contributions to Bush and Gore Campaigns
In 2000, Jerry Seinfeld made political contributions to both George W. Bush's and Al Gore's presidential campaigns.
2001: Created Good+Foundation
In 2001, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld created the charitable organization Good+Foundation after their first child was born. The foundation grants donations of products and services to programs that address family poverty.
2002: Halloween Publication
In 2002, Jerry Seinfeld wrote and published the children's book Halloween.
2002: Authored Children's Book Halloween
In 2002, Jerry Seinfeld wrote the children's book Halloween, which was illustrated by James Bennett.
2002: Comedian Documentary
In 2002, a documentary titled Comedian chronicled Jerry Seinfeld's process of developing and performing new stand-up material.
February 2004: Wrote Article for Automobile
In February 2004, Jerry Seinfeld wrote an article for Automobile, reviewing the Porsche Carrera GT.
2004: Highest Paid Celebrity
According to Forbes magazine, Jerry Seinfeld's cumulative earnings from Seinfeld as of 2004 were $267 million, placing him at the top of the celebrity earnings list that year.
2004: Contributions to Democratic Primary Candidates
In 2004, Jerry Seinfeld contributed to four Democratic Party primary candidates.
2006: Earned $60 Million
Jerry Seinfeld earned $60 million in 2006 from syndication deals and stand-up performances.
2007: Bee Movie release
In 2007, Jerry Seinfeld co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in the DreamWorks animated film Bee Movie.
June 2, 2008: Performance in New York City
On June 2, 2008, Jerry Seinfeld performed in his hometown of New York City at the Hammerstein Ballroom to benefit Stand Up for a Cure, a charity aiding lung cancer research.
June 2008: Earnings from June 2008
In June 2008, Jerry Seinfeld earned $10 million for appearing with Bill Gates in Microsoft's advertisements for Windows.
August 2008: Pitchman for Windows Vista
In August 2008, it was reported that Jerry Seinfeld would be the pitchman for Windows Vista, as part of a $300-million advertising campaign by Microsoft.
September 2008: Windows Vista ads airing
In mid-September 2008, the ads featuring Jerry Seinfeld for Windows Vista began airing. They were later cut from television.
June 2009: Highest Paid Comedian
Between June 2008 and June 2009, Jerry Seinfeld earned $85 million, making him the world's highest-paid comedian during those 12 months.
2009: Seinfeld Appears at David Lynch Foundation Benefit
In 2009, Jerry Seinfeld appeared at a David Lynch Foundation benefit for Transcendental Meditation, where Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr also appeared.
2010: The Marriage Ref series debut
In 2010, Jerry Seinfeld created and produced the reality series The Marriage Ref.
2011: The Marriage Ref series end
In 2011, the reality series The Marriage Ref, created and produced by Jerry Seinfeld, ended.
December 2012: Seinfeld Promotes Transcendental Meditation
In December 2012, Jerry Seinfeld, who has practiced Transcendental Meditation for 40 years, promoted the technique's use in treating post-traumatic stress disorder with Bob Roth of the David Lynch Foundation on Good Morning America.
2012: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee series debut
In 2012, Jerry Seinfeld created and hosted the web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
June 2013: Seinfeld appeared on Wale's Album
In June 2013, Jerry Seinfeld was featured on the rapper Wale's album, The Gifted, specifically on the song "Outro About Nothing."
2013: Annual Income of $32 Million
In 2013, Forbes documented Jerry Seinfeld's annual income as $32 million. In mid-2013, Seinfeld disputed Forbes's claims regarding his income and net worth on The Howard Stern Show.
2014: Hosted Don Rickles: One Night Only
In 2014, Jerry Seinfeld hosted the special Don Rickles: One Night Only at the Apollo Theatre. The event celebrated Don Rickles and his career, but also served as a roast among friends including Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Nathan Lane, Regis Philbin, Robert De Niro, and Martin Scorsese.
2014: Speech at the Clio Awards Ceremony
In 2014, Jerry Seinfeld received coverage for his speech at the Clio Awards ceremony, where he received an honorary award. Media reporters said that he "mocked" and "ripped apart" the advertising industry, with his statement that "I love advertising because I love lying" receiving particular attention.
2014: Invited Woody Allen to be on show and revealed Joan Rivers was supposed to be a guest
In 2014, Jerry Seinfeld told David Letterman that he invited Woody Allen to be on the show, but hadn't heard back. That same year, he also revealed that Joan Rivers was supposed to be a guest on the show before she died due to a botched medical procedure.
February 15, 2015: Guest Appearance on Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special
On February 15, 2015, Jerry Seinfeld made a guest appearance on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special, where he hosted the "Questions from the Audience" segment. The segment included cameos from Michael Douglas, John Goodman, James Franco, Larry David, Ellen Cleghorne, Dakota Johnson, Tim Meadows, Bob Odenkirk, and Sarah Palin.
May 20, 2015: Guest Appearance on David Letterman's Final Late Show Episode
On May 20, 2015, Jerry Seinfeld made a guest appearance on David Letterman's final Late Show episode. He joined other guests including Alec Baldwin, Barbara Walters, Steve Martin, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Peyton Manning, Tina Fey, and Bill Murray who all participated in The Top Ten List segment, "Things I've Always Wanted to Say to Dave."
November 5, 2015: Seinfeld at "Change Begins Within" Benefit Concert
On November 5, 2015, Jerry Seinfeld attended the David Lynch Foundation's benefit concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City called "Change Begins Within" to promote transcendental meditation for stress control.
2015: Seinfeld avoids performing on college campuses
In 2015, Jerry Seinfeld expressed that he avoids performing on college campuses due to students being too easily offended by his comedic routines.
2015: Highest-Paid Comedian
Jerry Seinfeld was ranked by Forbes as the highest-paid comedian for 2015.
June 2016: Earnings from June 2016
Jerry Seinfeld was the second-highest-paid comedian in 2016.
January 2017: Signed Deal with Netflix
In January 2017, Jerry Seinfeld signed a deal with Netflix that included placing Seinfeld and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee on their streaming service, as well as two new stand-up specials and the development of scripted and non-scripted comedy programming.
January 2017: Went on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
In January 2017, Jerry Seinfeld went on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and joined Dave Chappelle and Jimmy Fallon in honoring outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama. They also played a game of Catchphrase, which Obama and Fallon won to Seinfeld's dismay.
June 2017: Highest Paid Comedian (again)
Jerry Seinfeld's income between June 2016 and June 2017 was $69 million. He was ranked by Forbes as the highest-paid comedian in 2017.
September 19, 2017: Netflix released stand-up comedy special Jerry Before Seinfeld
On September 19, 2017, Netflix released Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up comedy special Jerry Before Seinfeld. It follows Seinfeld as he returns for a stand-up routine at the New York City comedy club, Comic Strip Live, where his career started.
2017: Jerry Before Seinfeld release
In 2017, Jerry Seinfeld released the stand-up special Jerry Before Seinfeld.
2019: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee series end
In 2019, Jerry Seinfeld's web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee ended.
October 2020: Joined Steve Martin at The New Yorker Festival
In October 2020, Jerry Seinfeld joined Steve Martin in a discussion about comedy at The New Yorker Festival. They discussed subjects ranging from the creative process, Netflix, and The Oscars, to their comedy backgrounds, and the future of comedy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 2020: Released Book Is This Anything?
In October 2020, Jerry Seinfeld released his book titled Is This Anything?. The book chronicles 45 years of his comedy work, containing many of his best bits from various decades.
2020: 23 Hours to Kill release
In 2020, Jerry Seinfeld released the stand-up special 23 Hours to Kill.
2020: Is This Anything? Publication
In 2020, Jerry Seinfeld wrote and published the comedic compilation book Is This Anything?
2023: Seinfeld Visits Abducted and Missing Families Forum
In 2023, Jerry Seinfeld visited the headquarters of Abducted and Missing Families Forum, where he listened to stories from representatives of the families and abductees who returned from Hamas captivity.
June 2024: Seinfeld Heckled During Comedy Show in Sydney
In June 2024, Jerry Seinfeld was heckled by protesters during a comedy show in Sydney, Australia, to which he responded with humor.
2024: Declared a Billionaire
In 2024, Bloomberg declared Jerry Seinfeld a billionaire, with a net worth standing at more than $1 billion, thanks to various syndication deals his sitcom signed, with $465 million coming from those deals, making him one of the richest celebrities.
2024: Seinfeld Claims Political Correctness is Destroying Comedy
In 2024, Jerry Seinfeld claimed in an interview with The New Yorker that political correctness was destroying comedy, but later walked back those comments on the "Breaking Bread" podcast.
2024: Unfrosted release
In 2024, Jerry Seinfeld co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in the Netflix comedy Unfrosted.
Mentioned in this timeline
Bill Gates is an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded...
Home Box Office HBO is a flagship American pay television...
John Mulaney is an American stand-up comedian actor writer and...
Howard Stern is a renowned American radio personality recognized for...
Michelle Obama is an American attorney author and former First...
George W Bush served as the rd President of the...
Trending
34 minutes ago Brittney Griner's Impact: Rejuvenation with Atlanta Dream and Olympic Aspirations
34 minutes ago Meek Mill Addresses Diddy Party Experience, Denies Rumors, and Slams Lawsuit.
2 hours ago Bobby Rahal's Steakhouse and Easy Rider Diner Closing: Restaurant Industry Updates
2 hours ago French Open 2025: Alcaraz, Sinner favorites, Nadal's tribute, Swiatek's record attempt.
2 hours ago Elena Rybakina Advances to Strasbourg Final, Set to Face Liudmila Samsonova
3 hours ago Margot Robbie shines in Malibu Chanel shoot and reveals favorite cocktail.
Popular
Jupiter the fifth planet from the Sun is the Solar...
Cristiano Ronaldo often nicknamed CR is a highly decorated Portuguese...
Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter was an influential Australian zookeeper...
LeBron James nicknamed King James is a professional basketball player...
Kash Patel is an American lawyer and former federal prosecutor...
Pope Francis is the current head of the Catholic Church...