David Copperfield (illusionist)

David Copperfield
Copperfield in 2010
Born
David Seth Kotkin

(1956-09-16) September 16, 1956 (age 67)
OccupationMagician
Years active1972–present
Partner(s)Claudia Schiffer (1994–1999)
Chloé Gosselin (2006–present)[1]
Children3
Websitedavidcopperfield.com

David Seth Kotkin (born September 16, 1956), known professionally as David Copperfield, is an American magician, described by Forbes as the most commercially successful magician in history.[2]

Copperfield's television specials have been nominated for 38 Emmy Awards, winning 21. Best known for his combination of storytelling and illusion, his performances, in a career spanning more than 40 years, has earned him 11 Guinness World Records,[3] a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame[4] and a knighthood by the French government.[5] He has been named a Living Legend by the US Library of Congress.[6]

His illusions have included the disappearance of a Learjet (1981), the vanishing and reappearance of the Statue of Liberty (1983), levitating over the Grand Canyon (1984), walking through the Great Wall of China (1986), escaping from Alcatraz prison (1987), the disappearance of an Orient Express dining car (1991) and flying on stage for several minutes (1992).

As of 2006, he has sold 33 million tickets and grossed over US$4 billion, more than any other solo entertainer in history by a large margin.[2][3][7] In 2015, Forbes listed his earnings at $63 million for the previous 12 months and ranked him the 20th highest-earning celebrity in the world.[8]

In 2006 he bought 11 resort islands in The Bahamas, which he renamed Musha Cay and the Islands of Copperfield Bay.[9]

  1. ^ "Why David Copperfield Is Afraid of Marriage". Oprah.com. July 17, 2012
  2. ^ a b "Houdini in the Desert". Forbes.com. May 8, 2006
  3. ^ a b Guinness World Records 2006, p. 197 ISBN 1-904994-02-4
  4. ^ "Magic Web Channel hall of fame – David Copperfield". Magic Web Channel. September 16, 1956. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
  5. ^ "Reappearing Act: Inside The Multimillion Dollar World Of Illusionist David Copperfield". Forbes.com. September 5, 2013
  6. ^ "Living Legends". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
  7. ^ "Forbes 400 Richest Americans: Ones to Watch – David Copperfield". Forbes. 2013.
  8. ^ "The World's Highest-Paid Celebrities van". Forbes. November 15, 2015.
  9. ^ David, Richard (May 6, 2011). "David Copperfield's Caribbean Island". Departures. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2011.

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