Jack Kevorkian Net Worth

Jack Kevorkian, a controversial pathologist who helped over 130 terminally ill patients end their lives, earned much of his income through medical practice but also worked as an author and artist specializing in macabre oil paintings. Kevorkian became famous for his controversial advocacy of assisted suicide; an HBO movie featuring Al Pacino featured him. Kevorkian passed away at 83 in 2011.

Jack Kevorkian was the son of Armenian immigrants who fled Turkey following World War I, never marrying and rarely seeing his family, opting to live alone instead. Obsessed with death, Kevorkian used his medical training to become an expert on euthanasia and end-of-life issues; even patenting a device called Thanatron which allowed individuals to self-administer lethal doses of poison directly themselves.

Kevorkian began helping terminally ill individuals to end their lives in 1987. He wrote several books and often discussed death and dying with the media. Additionally, he ran for public office multiple times to bring attention to his cause; ultimately this lead him to legal battles with Michigan that resulted in him being found guilty of second-degree murder charges in 1999; serving more than eight years before finally being paroled out.

Kevorkian was an outstanding doctor but not wealthy. His personal life was marred by alcoholism; depression plagued his life; he even engaged in self-mutilation by cutting himself regularly.

Kevorkian made headlines after being released from prison, speaking out about assisted suicide and consulting with those looking to end their lives. He soon gained notoriety as “Doctor Death”. In 2010, Al Pacino’s film “You Don’t Know Jack” brought new awareness to Kevorkian and his advocacy of death with dignity.

Kevorkian was known to be an introverted individual. He preferred wearing surgical scrubs in public, driving an old Volkswagen van as his personal vehicle and engaging in eccentric behavior such as eating spaghetti with a fork and painting macabre images of death.

At his death, Kevorkian left behind an estimated net worth of approximately $100,000. His income came primarily from medical practice while writing books on death and dying as well as commercial work for magazines. Later in life he also sold some paintings. Although not an owner of physical assets like houses or vehicles, he did have cash saved up in savings accounts. Kevorkian died at 83 in June 2011 while suffering from pneumonia and kidney problems and was laid to rest near his Michigan home.