What Was Don Cornelius Net Worth?

Don Cornelius was an American television show host and producer who had a net worth of 10 million dollars at the time of his death in 2012. On February 1, 2012, police officers found Cornelius with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was 75 years old. Don Cornelius was best known as the host of the nationally syndicated dance/music franchise Soul Train. More importantly, he was the show’s creator and owner. He sold the rights to Soul Train to a group of investors for an undisclosed amount in 2008. Those investors sold Soul Train to BET in 2016.

Don Cornelius started his career in show business in 1966 when he landed a job as an announcer, news reporter, and disc jockey at the Chicago radio station WVON. Cornelius joined the Chicago television station WCIU-TV in 1967 and hosted a news program called A Black’s View of the News. In 1970, he launched Soul Train on WCIU-TV as a daily local show. The program entered national syndication and moved to Los Angeles in 1971. Cornelius hosted Soul Train from 1971 until 1993 and produced it until he sold it to MadVision Entertainment in 2008.

Early Life

Don Cornelius was born on September 27, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois. He was raised in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago’s South Side. He attended DuSable High School and graduated in 1954. After graduation, he joined the United States Marine Corps and served for 18 months during the Korean War. After returning to the United States and leaving the military, he worked various jobs, including selling tires, cars, and insurance. He later became an officer with the Chicago Police Department. However, he was unhappy with the work and quit his job to take a three-month broadcasting course in 1966. At that time, he was married with two children and only had $400 in his bank account. However, the risk paid off, as he landed a job as an announcer, news reporter, and disc jockey at the Chicago radio station WVON.

Soul Train: The Birth of a Legacy

Cornelius joined the Chicago television station WCIU-TV in 1967, where he hosted a news program called A Black’s View of the News. Inspired by the civil rights movement and his new career in journalism, Cornelius noticed that in the late 1960s, there were very few television programs devoted to soul music. He felt the need to introduce the music of Black Americans to a larger audience and provide a larger platform for soul music. This need motivated him to create the program Soul Train in 1970. Eddie Kendricks, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Bobby Hutton, and Honey Cone were featured in the debut episode.

The Success of Soul Train

The program was a near-immediate success and entered national syndication, moving to Los Angeles in 1971. Cornelius worked as the show’s writer, producer, and host. He became well-known for his signature style, afro, smooth deep voice, and catchphrases. He always closed the show with the phrase, “And you can bet your last money, it’s all gonna be a stone gas, honey! I’m Don Cornelius, and as always, in parting, we wish you love, peace, and soul!”

Between 1971 and 1993, Soul Train featured the hottest acts of the time, including James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Michael Jackson, among numerous others. The show also acted as a launching pad for many talented dancers who went on to have successful careers. Soul Train was instrumental in showcasing Black Americans on television, helping launch the Black is Beautiful campaign in the United States and displaying Black American culture, music, and dance to a wider audience. It became universally appealing, with a massive white audience and a huge following across the country.

Later Years

Cornelius left his role as host of the show in 1993, though it continued on without him until 2006. In 2008, Cornelius sold the show to MadVision Entertainment. Outside of his work on Soul Train, Cornelius had a small number of film roles. He appeared as a record producer in the 1988 film Tapeheads. In 1987, he appeared as a fictionalized version of himself in the film The Return of Bruno, a mockumentary about the fictional singer Bruno Radolini portrayed by Bruce Willis. In the film, Cornelius hosted a show called Bless My Soul, loosely inspired by Soul Train. Cornelius appeared in an episode of Unsung in 2012, his final onscreen appearance before his death.

Personal Life and Marriage to Victoria Avila

Cornelius’s first wife was Delores Harrison. The couple had two sons together, Anthony and Raymond, before their marriage ended in divorce. He married Russian supermodel Victoria Avila-Cornelius in 2001. They remained married until 2009. The events that led to the dissolution of their marriage were dramatic. In October 2008, Cornelius was arrested at his Los Angeles home on Mulholland Drive on a felony domestic violence charge. He was charged with spousal abuse but pleaded not guilty. He was banned from going near Avila-Cornelius, who filed two restraining orders against him. Cornelius was ultimately placed on 36 months of probation, during which time Avila-Cornelius filed for divorce.

Controversial Allegations

In the years following Cornelius’s death, sexual assault allegations directed at him surfaced. In a 2022 documentary miniseries called Secrets of Playboy, Cornelius was accused of sexually assaulting two Playboy bunnies in the 1970s. The women alleged that they had been brought to Cornelius’s home for three days, where they were locked in separate rooms and assaulted. Cornelius’s son, Anthony, released a statement calling the allegations baseless and unbelievable.

Death

On February 1, 2012, police responded to reports of a gunshot heard at Cornelius’s home. They found Cornelius dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was 75 years old. An autopsy report revealed that Cornelius had been suffering from seizures during the last 15 years of his life, a complication from a brain operation he had undergone in 1982. He had reported that he never felt the same following the operation, which led him to retire from hosting Soul Train. In the final six months of his life, his health had deteriorated, ultimately leading him to take his own life.

Real Estate and Legacy

For much of his later years, Don Cornelius lived in an impressive mountaintop mansion. The 4,000-square-foot mansion with stunning views was sold a year after his death for 1.39 million dollars. While married to Victoria Avila-Cornelius, Don owned a separate LA mansion. Victoria received this mansion in their divorce.

Victoria was also the beneficiary of 300,000 dollars worth of life insurance policies connected to Cornelius. He agreed to give her these policies and the house in their divorce settlement.

Clearing Up Confusion

Q: What was Don Cornelius known for?
A: Don Cornelius was most famously known as the host and creator of the television show Soul Train, which showcased Black music, culture, and dance.

Q: How did Don Cornelius pass away?
A: Don Cornelius died on February 1, 2012, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 75.

Q: What happened to Don Cornelius’s estate after his death?
A: After his death, Cornelius’s real estate was sold, and his ex-wife Victoria Avila-Cornelius received a mansion and life insurance policies as part of their divorce settlement.

Q: What allegations surfaced after Cornelius’s death?
A: Following his death, sexual assault allegations surfaced, with two women accusing him of assaulting them in the 1970s. His son Anthony denied the claims, calling them baseless.

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