What is Brian Koppelman’s Net Worth?
Brian Koppelman is an American television and film writer, producer, and director who has a net worth of $20 million. With his frequent collaborator David Levien, he co-wrote such films as “Rounders,” “Ocean’s Thirteen,” and “The Girlfriend Experience” and co-directed “Knockaround Guys” and “Solitary Man.” Koppelman and Levien also co-created and wrote for the television series “Tilt,” “Billions,” and “Super Pumped.”
Early Life and Education
Brian Koppelman was born on April 27, 1966 in Roslyn Harbor, New York to Jewish parents Brenda and Charles. His father was a musician, music producer, and businessman. Koppelman has a younger sister named Jennifer who went on to become a lawyer, radio and television host, and author. For his higher education, Koppelman went to Tufts University, and then earned his JD from the Fordham University School of Law.
Career Beginnings in the Music Industry
As a teenager, Koppelman managed local bands on Long Island, booking them for nightclubs. As a college student at Tufts, he executive-produced the first album by singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman. Later, Koppelman worked as an A&R man for such record labels as Giant Records, SBK Records, and EMI Records.
Tracy Chapman Discovery
One of Brian’s classmate’s at Tufts was Tracy Chapman. Tracy frequently performed at venues around the university. Koppelman’s father ran the independent music publishing company SBK. Brian introduced Tracy to his father, who arranged to see her perform after being told about the nature of her lyrics and musical talent. After the performance, the senior Koppelman spent six months convincing her to sign a record deal with Elektra Records. He was eventually successful and she would go on to become a star just a few years later with her self-titled debut album, which featured the single “Fast Car.”
Film Writing and Directing
In the late 1990s, Koppelman transitioned from the music industry to the film industry. With David Levien, he wrote the screenplay to the 1998 drama “Rounders,” about two friends who enter high-stakes poker in order to pay off a huge debt. Directed by John Dahl, the film stars Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Malkovich, and John Turturro. Koppelman’s next film was the 2001 action crime thriller “Knockaround Guys,” which he both co-wrote and co-directed with David Levien. The film stars Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, Seth Green, Dennis Hopper, and John Malkovich. Koppelman went on to co-write the 2003 legal thriller “Runaway Jury” with Levien, Rick Cleveland, and Matthew Chapman. An adaptation of the John Grisham novel of the same name, the film stars John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, and Rachel Weisz. Koppelman next co-wrote the remake of the vigilante action film “Walking Tall” with Levien, David Klass, and Channing Gibson. Starring the Rock and Johnny Knoxville, it was released in 2004.
Following “Walking Tall,” Koppelman and Levien co-wrote the screenplay for Steven Soderbergh’s heist comedy “Ocean’s Thirteen,” the third and final installment in Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s” film trilogy. Released in 2007, it was a commercial success. Koppelman and Levien reunited with Soderbergh to co-write the director’s 2009 film “The Girlfriend Experience,” starring pornographic actress Sasha Grey as a high-end Manhattan escort. The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Koppelman’s next film was “Solitary Man,” which he wrote by himself and co-directed with Levien. Starring Michael Douglas, the film premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and received strong reviews from critics. Koppelman and Levien went on to co-write the crime thriller “Runner Runner,” which was released in 2013. Directed by Brad Furman, it stars Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton, and Ben Affleck. The film earned overwhelmingly negative reviews upon its release.
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Film Producing
In addition to his own films “Knockaround Guys” and “Runner Runner,” Koppelman has served as a producer on some other films. With David Levien, he produced Neil Burger’s 2002 film “Interview with the Assassin,” and in 2006 he and Levien were among the five producers credited on Burger’s “The Illusionist.” The pair later helped co-produce Burger’s “The Lucky Ones” and Adam Salky’s “I Smile Back,” the latter an adaptation of a novel by Koppelman’s wife.
Television Career
Building off their reputation from their poker-themed film “Rounders,” Koppelman and Levien co-created the poker-themed television miniseries “Tilt.” Starring Chris Bauer, Eddie Cibrian, and Kristin Lehman, among others, the show premiered on ESPN in early 2005. Koppelman and Levien also co-wrote many episodes of the series. The duo later partnered with journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin to co-create the Showtime series “Billions,” which premiered in early 2016. Starring Damian Lewis as a voracious hedge fund manager and Paul Giamatti as the US attorney on his tail, the show became a huge hit, running for seven seasons through 2023. Meanwhile, in early 2022, Koppelman and Levien co-created the anthology drama series “Super Pumped,” also for Showtime. Based on Mike Isaac’s non-fiction book of the same name, the series focuses on the rise and fall of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Other Endeavors
Beyond his film and television work, Koppelman previously wrote for the sports and pop culture blog Grantland. In 2014, he began hosting a weekly podcast on ESPN Radio called “The Moment.” The following year, Koppelman had a short story published in the anthology book “Dark City Lights: New York Stories.” In 2016, he had a chapter published in Timothy Ferriss’s self-help book “Tools of Titans.”
Personal Life
In 1992, Koppelman married novelist Amy Levine. Together, they have two children.
All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below.
