In 2023, he earned $25 million from all his various sources of income. That was enough to make him one of the 10 highest-paid social media stars on the planet for the year. He earned $50 million in 2024, enough to make him the third highest-paid social media star on the planet for the year. His 2024 tour grossed $60 million after selling 733,000 tickets to 256 shows.
Early Life
Matt Rife was born on September 10, 1995, in Columbus, Ohio, and was raised in North Lewisburg. He has three older stepsisters and one younger stepsister. When Rife was about a year and a half old, his father, Michael, died by suicide. Rife first became interested in a comedy career when he was 14 and performed in his high school’s talent show. A year later, he began performing professionally.
Television Appearances
Rife first appeared on the small screen in 2014, playing Danny in three episodes of “Average Joe.” The next year, he made his first of two appearances on the Disney XD series “Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything” and began making recurring appearances on the sketch comedy and improv game show “Wild ’n Out.” In 2016, Rife played Jesse in seven episodes of “WTH: Welcome to Howler.” He went on to host the reboot of the MTV program “Total Request Live” in 2017. Also that year, Rife competed on MTV’s “The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars,” the first season of a recurring special miniseries of the reality game show “The Challenge.”
Stand-up Comedy Specials
Two years after competing on the NBC program “Bring the Funny,” where he made it to the semi-final showcase, Rife released his first self-produced stand-up comedy special, “Only Fans.” He followed that with two specials in 2023: the self-titled “Matthew Steven Rife,” which came out on Valentine’s Day, and “Walking Red Flag,” which was released in June.
Film Career
Rife made his film debut in the 2015 film “Room 236.” Two years after that, he appeared in the short film “Sophomore Year.” In 2018, Rife was in the horror film “Black Pumpkin” and the short film “The Debt.” He appeared in another short, “American Typecast,” in 2019. Rife had his biggest year on film yet in 2021, appearing in four titles: the COVID-19-related anthology film “After Masks,” the thriller “The Elevator,” the horror film “Death Link,” and the rom-com “Just Swipe.” In early 2022, Rife starred in the BET+ dramedy film “North of the 10,” playing one of five friends seeking to become a viral video sensation on the South Side of Chicago. The same year, he appeared in the horror film “Wolf Mountain,” with Tobin Bell, Danny Trejo, and Keli Price. Rife’s other film credits include “Karma’s a Bitch,” “Candy Flip,” “Trapped Inn,” “Don’t Suck,” and “The Private Eye.”
TikTok
Rife has become very popular on the video hosting service TikTok. Mostly posting videos of his stand-up comedy, he has amassed over 17 million followers on the platform.
Influences
Rife has stated that his biggest comedy influences are Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle. He has also cited among his favorite comedy stars Adam Sandler, Robin Williams, David Spade, and Jim Carrey.
Personal Life
Previously, Rife was in a brief relationship with British actress Kate Beckinsale. He has not dated that often, as he says his busy schedule keeps him single. Rife lives in Los Angeles, California. Rife struggles with depression and anxiety, things he brought up in his 2021 comedy special “Only Fans.” He says he only gets a few hours of sleep a night.
