The Metuchen native made about $64 million last year, more than twice as much as Penn & Teller
David Copperfield conjured up $64 million in income last year, making him the world's riches magician, according to a report on Forbes.com.
Born David Seth Kotkin, the 60-year-old Copperfield is a Metuchen High School graduate. He made than twice as much as his next closest competitor on Forbes' list.
Copperfield performed about 638 shows at at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in the past year. The owner of 11 private islands in the Bahamas, Copperfield also does private shows, the report said.
Copperfield, the first illusionist to get a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, began practicing magic as an 8-year-old in Metuchen.
Copperfield made far more than the duo of Penn & Teller, which pulled in $31.5 million. Penn & Teller headline a magic and comedy show at The Rio in Las Vegas. They also have a television show, "Fool Us,' which the CW network renewed for a fourth season earlier this week.
Criss Angel places third on the list with an estimated income of $19 million. Angel operates out of Luxor in Las Vegas. His "Criss Angel Believe" show ended its 3,000 performance run there earlier this year. A second show, "Mindfreak Live" kicked off in late June.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.