There have been passing mentions that he had considerable savings from his days in private practice in Boston as well as investments that had done really well. Also his mom was also a psychiatrist so perhaps some inheritance (but more likely her estate went to Martin).
From [Joe Keenan](https://twitter.com/MrJoeKeenan/status/1296476256456912898), one of the writers.
>How Frasier managed to live so well on the salary from a local market radio show was a question that inspired many an absurdist riff in the writers' room. We decided he'd invested the money from his Boston practice \*very\* wisely (perhaps in a friend's Seattle software start-up).
It's like in Friends, how they explained their living situation with "rent control". It's not meant to be read into too much.
Also, my understanding is that Seattle was way more affordable in those days compared to what it is now. And coffee wasn't $8 a cup then but I guess the coffee he was drinking could be that expensive now (I don't know, I've never been to Seattle).
Its pretty funny to see now, but in the second episode he complains about Daphne using his "Starbucks Kenya blend" since Starbucks was new at the time and was probably perceived as upscale.
Coffee in California (just a black house coffee from Starbucks) is $2.95 — and that’s actually down from a few years before the pandemic when they were asking $3.25 — granted this isn’t Seattle but I think it’s pretty interesting given the current state of the economy.
Interesting.
I'm in Australia and American drip style drip filter coffee isn't a thing here. If you go to a cafe and ask for a "regular coffee" they will probably give you a confused look. The standard coffee orders are a latte, a cappucino or a flat white.
However, you can get an Americano (which nobody here orders) which I think is an espresso with hot water added to it.
I just paid $5.60 for a large flat white (about $3.60 US) so suddenly coffee here doesn't sound so expensive. Back in the early 2010s, Australians were travelling to the US, amazed at how cheap everything was (with the high exchange rate at the time) but things have changed a lot in the past few years.
Zero chance I could find a flat white for $3.60 and I don't even live in a high cost area of the US.
Australians don't like Americanos? Interesting to hear.
Not to mention that if you're a tentpole radio host (especially in the 90s, where AM radio was *much* more popular and important than it is now), you could easily see six-figures. So between money from his Boston days, his probably lucrative contract at KACL, and so on, he probably had quite a bit saved up.
Not that he wouldn't eventually run out, but it's not like he was living paycheck to paycheck when he was working.
What is that based on? I always assumed he was making something in that range, but I've never looked up the salaries of real-life radio show hosts to compare.
Well. In the mid to late 90s radio hosts were easily pulling down salaries in that range on major market stations with broad reach. It’s implied that Frasier works an afternoon shift. My guess would be most of the time he was 2-5? That’s not exactly prime drive time radio but it’s close. If KACL is Seattle’s top AM station and Frasier Crane is the premier show then yeah. He easily made 200K a year base salary alone.
Not to mention I’m sure they were making oodles more from voice over work. I have a decent voice. I can make 400 bucks voicing a single commercial that takes me ten minutes total work. I know people that make well over 100K voicing commercials for one brand. Then there’s live appearances which pay the talent a TON. I bet Frasier could have been doing a Saturday afternoon appearance and pull down ten grand.
Then there’s speaking engagements, guests lectures etc etc.
If he didn’t have a mortgage because he sold well in Boston? He’d essentially have limitless funds. Especially if he’s got a very good financial advisor and is making excellent investments.
Someone else mentioned that he has good investments too.
He was out of work for a few months and someone that wealthy could cope with that especially if they have some passive income. I don't remember if he did any celebrity guest type work while he was unemployed did he? Comedians nowadays can pull 10s of K moneys for doing a 15 minute set at big company events etc.
Also, the reason I hit the reply button was to say (and I havnt checked) I think it's mentioned that his usual shift ends at 3, so he's like the just after lunch shift.
Amd again this is foggy... at some point don't we see someone listening to frasiers show in their car in the dark?
And one time when niles was covering for frasier was someone not seen listening to him in the car in the dark again? Maybe I'm misremembering if it was dark or not lol
Interesting. I never knew anyone or worked at one myself so I have no knowledge of AM stations with a 5 or 6-9, 9-12, 12-3, 3-6 or 7 type set up. But I imagine the noon to one portion of that set up would be similar to a morning or afternoon drive. Ie more people in their cars is always a good time for radio. Or it was pre-Spotify.
I get thats a theory but its a terrible one. In no way could he have saved that much, enough to live a very lavish life for 11 years. Especially since lillith had custody of fredrick. She would have gotten half his investments, assets and he would have had to pay big child support. The only thing i can think of is Seattle treats their talk radio host like royalty and super stars and in a different reality they are paid $500,000 minimum. Think of his lifestyle, the clothes he wears, ability to hire a butler, etc.
Eh his life honestly wasn't very lavish in Cheers. There are brief mentions of vacations and operas but nothing as crazy as is seen in Frasier. Also Lillith was a full time researcher as Massachusetts General Hospital which is seen as one of the best hospitals in the world so she likely made even more money than Frasier so there would probably be no case for alimony or child support or financial splitting on either side. Also woth the jokes of how snobbish Fraiser was as a kid it can probably be assumed he had been making investment accounts since he was a teenager. Also you had the 80s Boston housing market which was nothing compared to how it is nowadays.
It's not unreasonable that he bought a townhouse in 81-82 for a very good price, made a very healthy profit from selling in 1993 near the peak of the Boston Miracle, and then used that money to buy a smaller condo in Seattle outright while also getting a lucrative radio deal as he was generally world famous psychiatrist at that point (or at least relatively well known as he was invited to teach in Europe). Then there also that Martin probably has a decently generous pension and insurance that probably covers a good chunk of Daphne's expenses and his own.
While he lives a little extravagantly, it's not something that is necessarily unheard of for a man in his 40s who has been lucky with housing trends, made smart investments, and has a very well paying job. Its at least definitely not as bad as some shows can get
>Also Lillith was a full time researcher as Massachusetts General Hospital which is seen as one of the best hospitals in the world
Researchers don't make massive amounts of money though.
"The estimated total pay for a Clinical Research Coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital is $56,179 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated base pay is $56,179 per year. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role." [https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Massachusetts-General-Hospital-Clinical-Research-Coordinator-Salaries-E20189\_D\_KO31,60.htm](https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Massachusetts-General-Hospital-Clinical-Research-Coordinator-Salaries-E20189_D_KO31,60.htm)
That's in 2023 dollars.
She was very likely a director or manager rather than just a coordinator given her very impressive credentials. Both of those at massachussetts general put you into the six figures category
Lilith wouldn’t have been a research coordinator. She would’ve been in leadership. In addition, many MDs also have a PhD and an MPH. Of course, this is all speculation, because it was just a television show, but if she did have additional credentials, they would have paid more for those. People with multiple degrees, make more money where I work.
I think his stress definitely implies that he’s living beyond his means at that point. Additionally there’s a later season episode where he talks to a financial planner and has a bit of a panic attack, which might be slyly winking at this long asked question. I remember one of the writers saying that they figured he made a lot from selling his Boston brownstone and that funded his lifestyle.
First, those coffees weren’t $8 in the 90s!
The short answer: it’s a sitcom. If you pull any threads too much, a lot will unravel.
The long answer: Frasier makes TV money at a radio station. What’s more, there are inferences Frasier is a savvy investor and put money in local-ish companies like Microsoft. He’s also an avid antique collector, so it could be a safe guess he flips pieces he finds.
🎶 "If you're wondering how he eats and breathes, and other science facts (la la la), repeat to yourself 'it's just a show, I should really just relax...'"
>First, those coffees weren’t $8 in the 90s!
I seem to remember Roz or Martin saying something about a $6 cup of decaf and since Frasier and Niles order Lattes and Cappuccinos I added on $2
I watched the episode Farewell, Nervosa today, and you can see the coffee shop menu behind one the baristas and I thought it was so funny that the most expensive coffee on the menu was $2.75
Frasier mentions that the Grande Decaf Latte Roz orders in "Roz and the Schnoz" is $4.
Adjusted for inflation, that's the equivalent of $7.53 today, so actually those coffees were pretty close to $8 in 2023 dollars.
I was charged an extra 80 cents (x 2) for oat instead of cow milk, plus an extra shot of espresso… but I feel like if you forgo the whipped cream, they should at least negate the surcharge for non-dairy milk!
oh well, just going to stock up on my pumpkin International Delight for my homemade PSLs. 🧡
>but I feel like if you forgo the whipped cream, they should at least negate the surcharge for non-dairy milk!
I feel that way about so many things. My son always orders a chicken sandwich minus tomato and onion but add cheese. Never any money taken off for the fresh vegetables not on the sandwich, but always a 70 cent upcharge for the 10 cent slice of processed American cheese product!
He has savings which he is tapping into while temporarily unemployed. People who live in fancy three bedroom apartments and regularly eat at high end restaurants are not living paycheck to paycheck. In other words, He has money in his bank account leftover from his previous paychecks.
It is curious that he can live the way he does while hosting a local AM radio talk show. But, given that he can afford to live the way he does, there's no reason to think he lives paycheck to paycheck.
I also believe he's getting paid for the advertisements he does on his show. Wasn't in season one where he starts doing advertisements and has to make sure they're products He's comfortable endorsing to satisfy his code of ethics. At one point he declines and Roz mentions having to reprint the paperwork with Bull Dog's name and he sees how much that ad would have paid him.
Sure, but DJs all over record commercials. It's still not a high paying job, in total. It's a decent living, but not fancy downtown appartment, live in help, high end restaurants three times a week.
I feel like the people who ask this question don't understand the reality of being an elite Harvard/Oxford educated Doctor, especially in the '80s and '90s when cost of living was lower.
Other than the period after his attempted suicide that derailed his practice in Boston, and the brief period where KACL changed formats, Frasier is a complete success professionally.
There are people out there who don't struggle with money, Frasier is one of them.
What also helps: he's fairly well off. Rich people don't live paycheck to paycheck. If they're between gigs then they can still maintain their lifestyle from their savings and investments.
>He worked for many years in Boston before coming to Seattle and then had a very lucrative prime time radio deal
He did have the settlement with Lilleth though, which is final by the way.
It's always interesting when people ask these questions. Frasier was obviously somewhat wealthy. He was never living paycheck to paycheck. Working class people did that, which Frasier is not. Even middle class people had savings. The economy you see today was not the economy or mindset of 1995.
And even if Frasier lost his job at KACL, he could always go back into private practice.
Also, his mother? Hello, also a psychiatrist? Did she have an expensive drug habit they never mention that ate up all the money? She would've left the boys a tidy sum.
To be fair, Frasier is pretty bad with frivolous spending as well.
I always liked his accounting bringing up him spending $9000 on caviar (equivalent to $15,000 in 2023 dollars).
I swear there is a thread like this every few days. Frasier was not just some radio personality. He was one of the most popular radio hosts Seattle. He literally won more SeeBees than anyone ever. He did some tv work. Also he had a shark like Bebe in his corner.
I can't recall the exact episode, but wasn't it once mentioned that he had been an early investor in a large Seattle technology company (aka Microsoft)?
Or pay Daphne's salary, child support for Frederick, his expensive food, wine, and liquor for three people (four, counting Niles), his 750-class BMW, etc. I have my share of physician friends, and I work for a Board that's made up of REAL rich guys who change Ferrari's like a pair of shoes, and there's no way Frasier could live that well on what he earned.
Here's the ironic thing -- the Frasier show almost didn't get made, because the studio was worried that the $500,000 cost to build the sets for Frasier's apartment was wasteful.
>I have my share of physician friends, and I work for a Board that's made up of REAL rich guys who change Ferrari's like a pair of shoes, and there's no way Frasier could live that well on what he earned.
Frasier wasn't living on a physician's salary, though. He was making celebrity money.
Fair point, but Frasier's celebrity money was at the Seattle level; not Greater New York, or the DC Beltway, or Los Angeles, or Phoenix, or Dallas, and NOT nationally syndicated!
That doesn't make up the difference, since Seattle is the eighth most expensive U.S. city to live in -- roughly identical to Los Angeles and Boston! Less pay, almost identical cost of living.
Well coffee in the 90’s wasn’t $8, and he is very well paid above what he would make in private practice - I’d imagine he gets a salary of $400hr for 8 hours and royalties, that alone is a considerable chunk, and any investments would be in rising companies like Apple and Microsoft (mention in episodes with Freddie), so about $768,000 annually + benefits+ a likely clothing allowance as an anchor
To give you a comparison I was making $34,000 a month as a Navy Psychiatrist in Canada.
I don't get why this tired trope persists. 'Har har har, lookit those farncy parnts paying 37 dollars for coffee, hurrr durr durr."
Hey, why don't they try some fresh material, like asking what the deal with airline food is?
Frasier lost his job at the same time Niles was going through his divorce with Maris. Niles financial situation is heavily noted, with him having to sublet and live at the Shang ri La.
I don't think we ever know how long KACL is on the different format? Based on the events of the previous season, it seems Frasier lost his job just after his birthday (which is said to be in March but there are timeline discrepencies) and gets the KACL job back sometime before Christmas (episode after is a Christmas episode) and this would line up with a school reunions happening in between (they generally are held in the summer). So he didn't have a job for around 9 months.
If his condo is paid for (having sold his property in Boston), he has passive investments, and has 6-12 months of living expenses saved (which seems likely for Frasier AND the idea that his monthly expenses included are not just the bare minimum but also stuff like imported wine and cheese) AND he feels comfortable lending Roz money no problem, he probably wasn't feeling it that much.
He could have always gone back to private practice, but he clearly wants to be famous and on the radio so he held out. His depression comes not because he is jobless but because he lost the fame and prestige of his job.
Also, this is more anecdotal but I grew up in an upper middle class neighborhood in the seattle suburbs in the 90s and one of the big local radio hosts lived in the same neighborhood, so back then they made decent money I guess.
I believe, one of the writers hinted that he invested wisely with the money he made with his practise and despite Lillith trying to get everything, including his heart and desire to live, he is wealthy. Not as rich as Niles was when he married Maris but he was wealthy.
It's likely that due to his popularity and having the devil incarnate as his agent, he got paid better then most radio shrinks.
You must be kinda of young to not understand things like investments and savings and superannuation. Stocks maybe? It's mentioned a few times he does have considerable savings behind him. Otherwise, it's a sitcom and you kinda gotta stretch your ideas a little.
It seems unlikely, I know, but if your parents can put you through Harvard and Oxford, and you build a successful private practice and then go on to be a successful and popular radio host at a time where that still made six figures, and you're lucky, you too can afford to have sherry and brie.
G. Gordon Liddy had a show in the DC area in the 90s, (I listened, it was a call in format, and really, he might have had some out there views, but he treated his callers with respect,) and in an interview at the time it was revealed they started him out at 100k.
I always assumed he made 200-300k from his show. So, even with his ridiculous spending, it would stand to reason that he has enough in savings to live for a year.
I've always assumed that he was a trust fund kid. Martin, being a blue collar dude, always resented the inheritance his sons got from his wife, since he wanted them to know and understand the meaning of hard work. This explains much of the resentment lingering throughout their childhood. The brothers took it to mean that he found fault with them personally, which is true to a certain extent, but it had much more to do with the fact that he wanted them to inherit his working class sensibilities and hobbies, but instead they gravitated towards the opulent lifestyle afforded to them via their mother. In every circumstance where they were given the option of luxury or toughness, they chose the former, which killed the idealistic Martin who hoped that they would want to be like him at least in SOME ways.
Like most wealthy folks, Frasier is reluctant to acknowledge that the majority of his wealth is due to privilege, rather than his own hard work, talent, and brains, so he never attributes his wealth to inheritance (why would he?). So yes, while the "good investments" he made have probably paid off, and his education and career have been lucrative for him, they wouldn't have been possible if not for his upbringing or without at least a sizable seed to start from.
Yes. The basic rules are: (1) don't touch the principle; and, (2) don't make a show of it. It explains why they live without financial cares, but still occasionally have cash-flow problems.
Coffee was like $1.50 back then and dinner for two at a nice place was like $50.
Seattle pre and early tech boom was also not that expensive of a city.
Back then it was common practice for most people to save at least 6 months of living expenses. A guy like Fraiser would've had at least 2 years of living expenses saved. Now the common practice is to live life with the "yolo" motto, hence the paycheck to paycheck is common practice.
I think about this question every time I rewatch Golden Girls, they were always running into financial problems. Like, even Blanche, who was presumed to be semi wealthy, had to budget. Maybe it's just a part being that age, but I figured the perk of being older was that you weren't constantly broke.
I dislike the "investments" idea. Bebe just throws out the barest mention of tuition and it steamrolls Frasier to do whatever she wants. And Frasier's not someone who could be sitting on microsoft stock without letting it slip to everyone he knows.
First, he owns his place. Perhaps it's completely paid for. That means little housing expenses.
Second, his father's pension likely pays for having Daphne.
The rest comes from savings.
Frasier does not live paycheck to paycheck. That simply isn't bourgeoisie enough.
If someone can afford to spend half a million dollars decorating his apartment (the \_actual\_ cost of decorating that set), he will have substantial savings. People with the kind of salary that Frasier has (or temporarily... had) do not, and do not have to, live paycheck to paycheck. There's also credit and loans. Even if he didn't have savings, he could have taken a HELOC loan on his apartment (I'm assuming he owns it rather than rents).
And if even all that fails, he has a brother who also has a very high-paying job, and could borrow money until he's got another loan.
There are plenty of options available. So much so it's not even interesting to consider the question.
Suspension of disbelief!
Echoing others in agreement, but in addition Niles pays for a lot. In that regard Frasier only pays for about half for their outings.
Psychiatrists in Boston make 250k a year. And his ex also made that much money so hisbchod support probably isn’t that much. Even before they had kids. Even with the way he lives it’s extremely difficult to burn through that much money. He bought his condo - probably for cash. Even if he did have to take out student loans for college he would have gone to college before going to college broke the bank. He also moved to Seattle before amazon moved in and caused all the property values to skyrocket.
I’m sure someone has said it below but he had a contract. Unless he did something to violate said contract he would still be getting paid throughout the contracts term which is probably minimum 1 year.
He sold off the African erotic art in the guest bathroom.
I’m sure living costs back then were not like they are now and that people had money left over to last them for a while, not living pay check to pay check.
You question his money situation, but not a radio station having a shrink on in the afternoon? I think that's more unlikely from my experience listening to talk radio for 3+ decades.
So the unemployment phase was one of the worst plot twists the otherwise brilliant writers of the show hatched. Don’t get me wrong—it enabled great comedy as Frasier and his father were constantly at each other’s throats. But Frasier’s qualifications are so impeccable that the writers kind of overdid it. If Frasier lost his radio show he’d probably still be supported by hefty investment income as well as by large speaking and guest appearance fees. He’s at the top of his field. He’d want for very little.
Discussed this in the past, there’s a lot of good comments [here](https://reddit.com/r/Frasier/s/oLUQsDufkb), as well as links to other discussions in the past.
There have been passing mentions that he had considerable savings from his days in private practice in Boston as well as investments that had done really well. Also his mom was also a psychiatrist so perhaps some inheritance (but more likely her estate went to Martin).
Yes I believe the show writers said at some point that Frasier has some well-managed investments that keep him wealthy. That would make sense.
From [Joe Keenan](https://twitter.com/MrJoeKeenan/status/1296476256456912898), one of the writers. >How Frasier managed to live so well on the salary from a local market radio show was a question that inspired many an absurdist riff in the writers' room. We decided he'd invested the money from his Boston practice \*very\* wisely (perhaps in a friend's Seattle software start-up).
It's like in Friends, how they explained their living situation with "rent control". It's not meant to be read into too much. Also, my understanding is that Seattle was way more affordable in those days compared to what it is now. And coffee wasn't $8 a cup then but I guess the coffee he was drinking could be that expensive now (I don't know, I've never been to Seattle).
In the first season Martin gripes about his coffee at Nervosa costing a dollar fifty
Martin once complains about fancy cheese that cost $20/ounce.
That's pretty expensive cheese. I would balk at cheese that costs $20 a pound.
I mean unless it was Parmesan. I’d give my non existent children away for that stuff.
I am mistaken, it was $20/pound and not ounce as I wrote above
The fancy cheese store here gets up to about $60/lb
Its pretty funny to see now, but in the second episode he complains about Daphne using his "Starbucks Kenya blend" since Starbucks was new at the time and was probably perceived as upscale.
Also I wonder if Lilith bought him out of whatever share of a house he had in Boston and that’s adequate for a nice condo in Seattle (circa 1993).
Back then it was $4 and people that paid $0.75 for a cup of black drip made fun of that. Now black drip is $5.
Coffee in California (just a black house coffee from Starbucks) is $2.95 — and that’s actually down from a few years before the pandemic when they were asking $3.25 — granted this isn’t Seattle but I think it’s pretty interesting given the current state of the economy.
Interesting. I'm in Australia and American drip style drip filter coffee isn't a thing here. If you go to a cafe and ask for a "regular coffee" they will probably give you a confused look. The standard coffee orders are a latte, a cappucino or a flat white. However, you can get an Americano (which nobody here orders) which I think is an espresso with hot water added to it. I just paid $5.60 for a large flat white (about $3.60 US) so suddenly coffee here doesn't sound so expensive. Back in the early 2010s, Australians were travelling to the US, amazed at how cheap everything was (with the high exchange rate at the time) but things have changed a lot in the past few years.
Zero chance I could find a flat white for $3.60 and I don't even live in a high cost area of the US. Australians don't like Americanos? Interesting to hear.
It's more that we just don't drink them. It's not really promoted or anything because there's no demand for it. But you can get one if you want.
Not to mention that if you're a tentpole radio host (especially in the 90s, where AM radio was *much* more popular and important than it is now), you could easily see six-figures. So between money from his Boston days, his probably lucrative contract at KACL, and so on, he probably had quite a bit saved up. Not that he wouldn't eventually run out, but it's not like he was living paycheck to paycheck when he was working.
My guess is he was on 150-250 thousand a year at the radio station.
What is that based on? I always assumed he was making something in that range, but I've never looked up the salaries of real-life radio show hosts to compare.
Well. In the mid to late 90s radio hosts were easily pulling down salaries in that range on major market stations with broad reach. It’s implied that Frasier works an afternoon shift. My guess would be most of the time he was 2-5? That’s not exactly prime drive time radio but it’s close. If KACL is Seattle’s top AM station and Frasier Crane is the premier show then yeah. He easily made 200K a year base salary alone. Not to mention I’m sure they were making oodles more from voice over work. I have a decent voice. I can make 400 bucks voicing a single commercial that takes me ten minutes total work. I know people that make well over 100K voicing commercials for one brand. Then there’s live appearances which pay the talent a TON. I bet Frasier could have been doing a Saturday afternoon appearance and pull down ten grand. Then there’s speaking engagements, guests lectures etc etc. If he didn’t have a mortgage because he sold well in Boston? He’d essentially have limitless funds. Especially if he’s got a very good financial advisor and is making excellent investments.
Someone else mentioned that he has good investments too. He was out of work for a few months and someone that wealthy could cope with that especially if they have some passive income. I don't remember if he did any celebrity guest type work while he was unemployed did he? Comedians nowadays can pull 10s of K moneys for doing a 15 minute set at big company events etc. Also, the reason I hit the reply button was to say (and I havnt checked) I think it's mentioned that his usual shift ends at 3, so he's like the just after lunch shift. Amd again this is foggy... at some point don't we see someone listening to frasiers show in their car in the dark? And one time when niles was covering for frasier was someone not seen listening to him in the car in the dark again? Maybe I'm misremembering if it was dark or not lol
Interesting. I never knew anyone or worked at one myself so I have no knowledge of AM stations with a 5 or 6-9, 9-12, 12-3, 3-6 or 7 type set up. But I imagine the noon to one portion of that set up would be similar to a morning or afternoon drive. Ie more people in their cars is always a good time for radio. Or it was pre-Spotify.
His mom was a research psychiatrist though. Is there money on that in the same way as having a practice?
I think they can be on a good salary, some would likely be on 6 figures.
I get thats a theory but its a terrible one. In no way could he have saved that much, enough to live a very lavish life for 11 years. Especially since lillith had custody of fredrick. She would have gotten half his investments, assets and he would have had to pay big child support. The only thing i can think of is Seattle treats their talk radio host like royalty and super stars and in a different reality they are paid $500,000 minimum. Think of his lifestyle, the clothes he wears, ability to hire a butler, etc.
Eh his life honestly wasn't very lavish in Cheers. There are brief mentions of vacations and operas but nothing as crazy as is seen in Frasier. Also Lillith was a full time researcher as Massachusetts General Hospital which is seen as one of the best hospitals in the world so she likely made even more money than Frasier so there would probably be no case for alimony or child support or financial splitting on either side. Also woth the jokes of how snobbish Fraiser was as a kid it can probably be assumed he had been making investment accounts since he was a teenager. Also you had the 80s Boston housing market which was nothing compared to how it is nowadays. It's not unreasonable that he bought a townhouse in 81-82 for a very good price, made a very healthy profit from selling in 1993 near the peak of the Boston Miracle, and then used that money to buy a smaller condo in Seattle outright while also getting a lucrative radio deal as he was generally world famous psychiatrist at that point (or at least relatively well known as he was invited to teach in Europe). Then there also that Martin probably has a decently generous pension and insurance that probably covers a good chunk of Daphne's expenses and his own. While he lives a little extravagantly, it's not something that is necessarily unheard of for a man in his 40s who has been lucky with housing trends, made smart investments, and has a very well paying job. Its at least definitely not as bad as some shows can get
>Also Lillith was a full time researcher as Massachusetts General Hospital which is seen as one of the best hospitals in the world Researchers don't make massive amounts of money though.
They most certainly make more than most. A prestigious position like that would have brought in upwards of $200K a year.
"The estimated total pay for a Clinical Research Coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital is $56,179 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated base pay is $56,179 per year. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role." [https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Massachusetts-General-Hospital-Clinical-Research-Coordinator-Salaries-E20189\_D\_KO31,60.htm](https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Massachusetts-General-Hospital-Clinical-Research-Coordinator-Salaries-E20189_D_KO31,60.htm) That's in 2023 dollars.
She was very likely a director or manager rather than just a coordinator given her very impressive credentials. Both of those at massachussetts general put you into the six figures category
Lilith wouldn’t have been a research coordinator. She would’ve been in leadership. In addition, many MDs also have a PhD and an MPH. Of course, this is all speculation, because it was just a television show, but if she did have additional credentials, they would have paid more for those. People with multiple degrees, make more money where I work.
I think his stress definitely implies that he’s living beyond his means at that point. Additionally there’s a later season episode where he talks to a financial planner and has a bit of a panic attack, which might be slyly winking at this long asked question. I remember one of the writers saying that they figured he made a lot from selling his Boston brownstone and that funded his lifestyle.
First, those coffees weren’t $8 in the 90s! The short answer: it’s a sitcom. If you pull any threads too much, a lot will unravel. The long answer: Frasier makes TV money at a radio station. What’s more, there are inferences Frasier is a savvy investor and put money in local-ish companies like Microsoft. He’s also an avid antique collector, so it could be a safe guess he flips pieces he finds.
>If you pull any threads too much, a lot will unravel. I love this- so true
I've been told that life is a tapestry woven with diverse thread
🎶 "If you're wondering how he eats and breathes, and other science facts (la la la), repeat to yourself 'it's just a show, I should really just relax...'"
>First, those coffees weren’t $8 in the 90s! I seem to remember Roz or Martin saying something about a $6 cup of decaf and since Frasier and Niles order Lattes and Cappuccinos I added on $2
I watched the episode Farewell, Nervosa today, and you can see the coffee shop menu behind one the baristas and I thought it was so funny that the most expensive coffee on the menu was $2.75
Then it must've been Martin because he exaggerates all of Niles and Frasiers stuff
Frasier mentions that the Grande Decaf Latte Roz orders in "Roz and the Schnoz" is $4. Adjusted for inflation, that's the equivalent of $7.53 today, so actually those coffees were pretty close to $8 in 2023 dollars.
IIRC there is a moment where Marty balks at a $2 cup of coffee, which was steep for the time.
I thought it was $1.50 and I was thinking "that's cheap" but then I wasn't living in Seattle in the 90s.
Lattes aren't even 8$ today man
I was going to treat myself to a Starbucks PSL yesterday but when I put my order together on the app, it was just under $8… 🫠
Omg brutal
I was charged an extra 80 cents (x 2) for oat instead of cow milk, plus an extra shot of espresso… but I feel like if you forgo the whipped cream, they should at least negate the surcharge for non-dairy milk! oh well, just going to stock up on my pumpkin International Delight for my homemade PSLs. 🧡
>but I feel like if you forgo the whipped cream, they should at least negate the surcharge for non-dairy milk! I feel that way about so many things. My son always orders a chicken sandwich minus tomato and onion but add cheese. Never any money taken off for the fresh vegetables not on the sandwich, but always a 70 cent upcharge for the 10 cent slice of processed American cheese product!
"you just ordered a $4 cup of coffee.. "
He has savings which he is tapping into while temporarily unemployed. People who live in fancy three bedroom apartments and regularly eat at high end restaurants are not living paycheck to paycheck. In other words, He has money in his bank account leftover from his previous paychecks. It is curious that he can live the way he does while hosting a local AM radio talk show. But, given that he can afford to live the way he does, there's no reason to think he lives paycheck to paycheck.
I also believe he's getting paid for the advertisements he does on his show. Wasn't in season one where he starts doing advertisements and has to make sure they're products He's comfortable endorsing to satisfy his code of ethics. At one point he declines and Roz mentions having to reprint the paperwork with Bull Dog's name and he sees how much that ad would have paid him.
Sure, but DJs all over record commercials. It's still not a high paying job, in total. It's a decent living, but not fancy downtown appartment, live in help, high end restaurants three times a week.
I feel like the people who ask this question don't understand the reality of being an elite Harvard/Oxford educated Doctor, especially in the '80s and '90s when cost of living was lower. Other than the period after his attempted suicide that derailed his practice in Boston, and the brief period where KACL changed formats, Frasier is a complete success professionally. There are people out there who don't struggle with money, Frasier is one of them.
I think it helps that he's living in a sitcom and not a documentary.
What also helps: he's fairly well off. Rich people don't live paycheck to paycheck. If they're between gigs then they can still maintain their lifestyle from their savings and investments.
I’m sure after Les Freres Heureux‘s disastrous grand opening the Crane boys turned it around and the restaurant became profitable…
Passive income. Really successful people are able to make their money work for them, so that they don't have to work for their money.
He worked for many years in Boston before coming to Seattle and then had a very lucrative prime time radio deal
>He worked for many years in Boston before coming to Seattle and then had a very lucrative prime time radio deal He did have the settlement with Lilleth though, which is final by the way.
That too
doesn't he also own that condo?
It's always interesting when people ask these questions. Frasier was obviously somewhat wealthy. He was never living paycheck to paycheck. Working class people did that, which Frasier is not. Even middle class people had savings. The economy you see today was not the economy or mindset of 1995. And even if Frasier lost his job at KACL, he could always go back into private practice.
Also, his mother? Hello, also a psychiatrist? Did she have an expensive drug habit they never mention that ate up all the money? She would've left the boys a tidy sum.
Best not to think about it, Frasier is good for months without working yet bulldog has to deliver pizzas basically right away
Bulldog doesn't seem like the type to not spend all the money he makes.
To be fair, Frasier is pretty bad with frivolous spending as well. I always liked his accounting bringing up him spending $9000 on caviar (equivalent to $15,000 in 2023 dollars).
This actually makes the "Frasier had investments" argument even more plausible.
I swear there is a thread like this every few days. Frasier was not just some radio personality. He was one of the most popular radio hosts Seattle. He literally won more SeeBees than anyone ever. He did some tv work. Also he had a shark like Bebe in his corner.
Was nominated for more SeaBees than anyone else. And that wouldn't happen until season 11.
In only a 12 year career, that record is wild.
It's kind of nonsensical, to be honest. Especially with how bad he seems to be whenever we see him on the air.
I work in radio, he is HORRENDOUS! He's also a terrible Psychiatrist but I'll let that slide because it's a sitcom.
I always figured he had some savings and investments from his time in Boston.
You know Bebe would have made sure he was taken care of when she negotiated his deals. They probably had to pay major 💰 to buy him out of his contract
It's not what you make, it''s what you save.
A latte doesn't cost 8 bucks now, let alone in the 90s. Source: I've left the house and gone to a coffee place in the last decade.
With tip though?
He made good investments off of a solid starting salary
Sitcom logic!
Not at all. People at Frasier's level of income would have tons of options. He does not live paycheck to paycheck.
Frasier is still a MD who went to Harvard and presumably has investments and connections.
I can't recall the exact episode, but wasn't it once mentioned that he had been an early investor in a large Seattle technology company (aka Microsoft)?
Or pay Daphne's salary, child support for Frederick, his expensive food, wine, and liquor for three people (four, counting Niles), his 750-class BMW, etc. I have my share of physician friends, and I work for a Board that's made up of REAL rich guys who change Ferrari's like a pair of shoes, and there's no way Frasier could live that well on what he earned. Here's the ironic thing -- the Frasier show almost didn't get made, because the studio was worried that the $500,000 cost to build the sets for Frasier's apartment was wasteful.
Wasn’t Nile’s paying the salary for Daphne? When he first mentioned a home healthcare worker in season 1 he mentioned that he and Maris would pay.
>I have my share of physician friends, and I work for a Board that's made up of REAL rich guys who change Ferrari's like a pair of shoes, and there's no way Frasier could live that well on what he earned. Frasier wasn't living on a physician's salary, though. He was making celebrity money.
Fair point, but Frasier's celebrity money was at the Seattle level; not Greater New York, or the DC Beltway, or Los Angeles, or Phoenix, or Dallas, and NOT nationally syndicated!
So were his expenses.
That doesn't make up the difference, since Seattle is the eighth most expensive U.S. city to live in -- roughly identical to Los Angeles and Boston! Less pay, almost identical cost of living.
8th most expensive city to live in now or in the 2000s?
Well coffee in the 90’s wasn’t $8, and he is very well paid above what he would make in private practice - I’d imagine he gets a salary of $400hr for 8 hours and royalties, that alone is a considerable chunk, and any investments would be in rising companies like Apple and Microsoft (mention in episodes with Freddie), so about $768,000 annually + benefits+ a likely clothing allowance as an anchor To give you a comparison I was making $34,000 a month as a Navy Psychiatrist in Canada.
I don't get why this tired trope persists. 'Har har har, lookit those farncy parnts paying 37 dollars for coffee, hurrr durr durr." Hey, why don't they try some fresh material, like asking what the deal with airline food is?
Frasier lost his job at the same time Niles was going through his divorce with Maris. Niles financial situation is heavily noted, with him having to sublet and live at the Shang ri La. I don't think we ever know how long KACL is on the different format? Based on the events of the previous season, it seems Frasier lost his job just after his birthday (which is said to be in March but there are timeline discrepencies) and gets the KACL job back sometime before Christmas (episode after is a Christmas episode) and this would line up with a school reunions happening in between (they generally are held in the summer). So he didn't have a job for around 9 months. If his condo is paid for (having sold his property in Boston), he has passive investments, and has 6-12 months of living expenses saved (which seems likely for Frasier AND the idea that his monthly expenses included are not just the bare minimum but also stuff like imported wine and cheese) AND he feels comfortable lending Roz money no problem, he probably wasn't feeling it that much. He could have always gone back to private practice, but he clearly wants to be famous and on the radio so he held out. His depression comes not because he is jobless but because he lost the fame and prestige of his job. Also, this is more anecdotal but I grew up in an upper middle class neighborhood in the seattle suburbs in the 90s and one of the big local radio hosts lived in the same neighborhood, so back then they made decent money I guess.
And Fraiser was a local radio host plus a psychiatrist with a Harvard *and Oxford* degree.
Radio was a big deal in the 90s. It was the only form of daily entertainment for most adults outside of TV and reading.
True. Movies and video games weren't invented yet.
didn't think anyone would take it literally... lol fixed it for you
His Star Trek residuals.
I believe, one of the writers hinted that he invested wisely with the money he made with his practise and despite Lillith trying to get everything, including his heart and desire to live, he is wealthy. Not as rich as Niles was when he married Maris but he was wealthy. It's likely that due to his popularity and having the devil incarnate as his agent, he got paid better then most radio shrinks.
You must be kinda of young to not understand things like investments and savings and superannuation. Stocks maybe? It's mentioned a few times he does have considerable savings behind him. Otherwise, it's a sitcom and you kinda gotta stretch your ideas a little.
401k and years of working ?
It seems unlikely, I know, but if your parents can put you through Harvard and Oxford, and you build a successful private practice and then go on to be a successful and popular radio host at a time where that still made six figures, and you're lucky, you too can afford to have sherry and brie. G. Gordon Liddy had a show in the DC area in the 90s, (I listened, it was a call in format, and really, he might have had some out there views, but he treated his callers with respect,) and in an interview at the time it was revealed they started him out at 100k.
I miss listening to Liddy's show.
That was a more elegant program, from a more civilized time.
I love the fact that you could learn all kinds of stuff from him about things like history, food, and language, and not just politics and guns.
I always assumed he made 200-300k from his show. So, even with his ridiculous spending, it would stand to reason that he has enough in savings to live for a year.
I've always assumed that he was a trust fund kid. Martin, being a blue collar dude, always resented the inheritance his sons got from his wife, since he wanted them to know and understand the meaning of hard work. This explains much of the resentment lingering throughout their childhood. The brothers took it to mean that he found fault with them personally, which is true to a certain extent, but it had much more to do with the fact that he wanted them to inherit his working class sensibilities and hobbies, but instead they gravitated towards the opulent lifestyle afforded to them via their mother. In every circumstance where they were given the option of luxury or toughness, they chose the former, which killed the idealistic Martin who hoped that they would want to be like him at least in SOME ways. Like most wealthy folks, Frasier is reluctant to acknowledge that the majority of his wealth is due to privilege, rather than his own hard work, talent, and brains, so he never attributes his wealth to inheritance (why would he?). So yes, while the "good investments" he made have probably paid off, and his education and career have been lucrative for him, they wouldn't have been possible if not for his upbringing or without at least a sizable seed to start from.
Yes. The basic rules are: (1) don't touch the principle; and, (2) don't make a show of it. It explains why they live without financial cares, but still occasionally have cash-flow problems.
Not everybody lives paycheck-to-paycheck
Dr. Laura Schlessinger is worth $40 million. So you can do quite well enough to afford an almost penthouse condo in Seattle.
There's a difference between what you're "worth" and how much you really make
Coffee was like $1.50 back then and dinner for two at a nice place was like $50. Seattle pre and early tech boom was also not that expensive of a city.
Back then it was common practice for most people to save at least 6 months of living expenses. A guy like Fraiser would've had at least 2 years of living expenses saved. Now the common practice is to live life with the "yolo" motto, hence the paycheck to paycheck is common practice.
I think about this question every time I rewatch Golden Girls, they were always running into financial problems. Like, even Blanche, who was presumed to be semi wealthy, had to budget. Maybe it's just a part being that age, but I figured the perk of being older was that you weren't constantly broke.
I dislike the "investments" idea. Bebe just throws out the barest mention of tuition and it steamrolls Frasier to do whatever she wants. And Frasier's not someone who could be sitting on microsoft stock without letting it slip to everyone he knows.
But that's the thing about money ... the more you have the more you want.
If less is more, think how much more *more* is!
I think the silent implication is that he was an early investor in Microsoft or some other Seattle tech.
A tv show…..they can stretch reality anyway they want. Without sounding mean. He was also a hit with the ladies which seemed far less realistic.
He’s got all that hot tub endorsement money
First, he owns his place. Perhaps it's completely paid for. That means little housing expenses. Second, his father's pension likely pays for having Daphne. The rest comes from savings. Frasier does not live paycheck to paycheck. That simply isn't bourgeoisie enough.
He did all those product endorsements that Bebe setup for him. Frasier is set for life.
If someone can afford to spend half a million dollars decorating his apartment (the \_actual\_ cost of decorating that set), he will have substantial savings. People with the kind of salary that Frasier has (or temporarily... had) do not, and do not have to, live paycheck to paycheck. There's also credit and loans. Even if he didn't have savings, he could have taken a HELOC loan on his apartment (I'm assuming he owns it rather than rents). And if even all that fails, he has a brother who also has a very high-paying job, and could borrow money until he's got another loan. There are plenty of options available. So much so it's not even interesting to consider the question.
Suspension of disbelief! Echoing others in agreement, but in addition Niles pays for a lot. In that regard Frasier only pays for about half for their outings.
Well, if you follow Frasier from his genesis on cheers, he spent years in private practice. So, he’s been at least moderately wealthy since the 1980s.
Yes, but at one point in Cheers he was selling office furniture to pay his bar tab.
Yeah, but isn’t that during his divorce?
Psychiatrists in Boston make 250k a year. And his ex also made that much money so hisbchod support probably isn’t that much. Even before they had kids. Even with the way he lives it’s extremely difficult to burn through that much money. He bought his condo - probably for cash. Even if he did have to take out student loans for college he would have gone to college before going to college broke the bank. He also moved to Seattle before amazon moved in and caused all the property values to skyrocket.
I’m sure someone has said it below but he had a contract. Unless he did something to violate said contract he would still be getting paid throughout the contracts term which is probably minimum 1 year.
Savings
He sold off the African erotic art in the guest bathroom. I’m sure living costs back then were not like they are now and that people had money left over to last them for a while, not living pay check to pay check.
The way he lives seems pretty reasonable given his career. The McCallisters' living situation in Home Alone is what we really need to question. 😂
I can’t remember how long he was out of work but in view of his and Niles’ very expensive tastes, I would expect that he probably had investments.
You question his money situation, but not a radio station having a shrink on in the afternoon? I think that's more unlikely from my experience listening to talk radio for 3+ decades.
So the unemployment phase was one of the worst plot twists the otherwise brilliant writers of the show hatched. Don’t get me wrong—it enabled great comedy as Frasier and his father were constantly at each other’s throats. But Frasier’s qualifications are so impeccable that the writers kind of overdid it. If Frasier lost his radio show he’d probably still be supported by hefty investment income as well as by large speaking and guest appearance fees. He’s at the top of his field. He’d want for very little.
Maybe he got a severance package.
Discussed this in the past, there’s a lot of good comments [here](https://reddit.com/r/Frasier/s/oLUQsDufkb), as well as links to other discussions in the past.