Net Worth Ranker
What Is Paige Dunham’s Net Worth?
Paige Dunham, an American film producer, businesswoman, and advocate for divorced women, has accumulated a net worth of $20 million. This valuation reflects her diverse professional activities and financial decisions throughout her career.
Early Career and Marriage to Jeff Dunham
Born on March 13, 1968, in Savannah, Georgia, Paige Dunham spent her formative years on Amelia Island, Florida, where her family operated a dance school. Her involvement in the family business instilled in her a strong work ethic and business acumen. Later, her family relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida, where she completed her final two years of high school. Paige pursued higher education at Clemson University in South Carolina, where she majored in business. This educational background equipped her with the foundational knowledge necessary to navigate the business world.
Paige’s career took a significant turn in 1994 when she married comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham. Recognizing her business skills, she immediately integrated herself into his professional life. In the same year, Paige established a database for Jeff’s online fan club, an innovative move that significantly enhanced his fan engagement. This database proved instrumental in Jeff’s recognition as Best Male Stand-Up Comic at the 1997 American Comedy Awards. Beyond the database, Paige managed Jeff’s merchandise, created newsletters, and launched an online store, demonstrating her diverse skill set and business acumen.
Business Ventures and Philanthropy
In 1999, Paige founded Brasma Publications, showcasing her entrepreneurial spirit. She hired an illustrator and published a book by Jeff Dunham about one of his characters, “Dear Walter…” in 2003. The book contributed to the growth of Jeff Dunham’s brand. In 2006, she established the Jeff and Paige Dunham Foundation. The foundation collected $1.00 from each ticket sold at Jeff Dunham’s shows, channeling the funds to benefit people in need. Paige’s approach included selling meet-and-greets at Jeff’s shows and auctioning memorabilia on eBay, further boosting the foundation’s resources. The Dunham’s presented a check for $35,000 to the Ronald McDonald House of Houston in 2006 to aid Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. After Paige and Jeff’s divorce, she rebranded the foundation as the Paige Dunham Foundation and continues to manage it to this day. Her philanthropic activities demonstrate her commitment to social responsibility and her ability to mobilize resources for charitable causes.
Transitioning into the film industry, Paige executive produced “The Face of Love” in 2013 and “Last Days in the Desert” in 2015. These ventures added to her financial portfolio and expanded her professional reach.
Personal Life and Advocacy
Paige’s personal life also played a role in shaping her career. After college, she returned to West Palm Beach, where she had her first daughter, Bree Aleece, in 1991. She met Jeff Dunham in 1992, and they married in 1994. Their daughters, Ashlyn Evelyn, was born in 1995, followed by Makenna Paige in 1997. Jeff Dunham filed for divorce in 2008, which was finalized in 2012. Following the divorce, Paige became an advocate for divorced women, providing support and resources to help women navigate the challenges of separation. She also dedicates time to various children’s charities, further emphasizing her commitment to social welfare. As a runner, Paige ran the San Francisco half marathon, raising $6,000 for the National Institute for Mental Health, showcasing her dedication to mental health awareness.
Legal Issues
In 2015, a legal dispute arose when Jeff Dunham’s second wife, Audrey Dunham, sued Paige Dunham for registering the websites AudreyDunham.com, AudreyDunham.net, AudreyDunham.us, and AudreyDunham.biz. Audrey reportedly requested the transfer of these domain names, but Paige allegedly responded with a demand for tens of thousands of dollars for each domain. Audrey then filed a lawsuit seeking damages up to $100,000 per domain name, along with a claim of unfair competition. The specifics of the resolution of this lawsuit are not detailed here, but it represents a potential impact on Paige Dunham’s financial and legal standing.
