David Copperfield Bio, Wiki, Age, Height, Family, Wife, Magic, Illusions, Net Worth

David Copperfield Biography

David Copperfield (born David Seth Kotkin) is an American Multiple Award-winning Magician and Illusionist well-known for his illusion and storytelling. One of his well-known illusions is the reappearance/vanishing of the Statue of Liberty (1983). He is on the Forbes list and there he is described as the most successful (commercially) magician.

David Copperfield Age

Copperfield was born on September 16, 1956, in Metuchen, New Jersey, United States. He is therefore 66 years old as of 2022. He celebrates his birthday on the 16th of September every year.

David Copperfield Height

Copperfield stands at an approximate height of 6 feet and 0 inches.

David Copperfield Family

Copperfield was born to his late parents, Hyman Kotkin (father) and Rebecca Kotkin (mother). His dad was born in 1922 and passed away in 2006, whereas his mom was born in 1924 and passed away in 2008. Copperfield’s dad was the owner of a men’s haberdashery called, Korby’s, in Warren, NJ, His mother worked as an insurance adjuster and was a native of Jerusalem. Copperfield’s grandparents (paternal) were Jewish emigrants from Ukraine. There is no ingotmation regarding whether Copperfield has any siblings.

David Copperfield Fiancee / Children

Copperfield is engaged to his lovely fiancee, Chloé Gosselin, who is a famous French fashion model/designer. They had their engagement in the year 2006. Chloé is 38 years old as of 2022 having been born on August 22, 1984, in Dreux, France.

Why Is David Copperfield Afraid Of Marriage

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Copperfield was asked about marriage and he stated that he is afraid! A reason for that was because “he doesn’t want to become lazy!”. He said that he “thinks” that that was what would happen to him when he ties the knot. He added that marriage to him is like a “formality”. Also, he said that he has several married-couple friends, who began taking things for granted after tying knots, so that’s what he actually doesn’t want! – he doesn’t want to lose Chloé. Chloé on the other hand was compliable with Copperfield’s views, and she stated that she has no problem with that.

David Copperfield Children

Copperfield and his fiancee Chloé take great pride in being dad and mom to their one daughter called Sky, who is 13 years old as of 2023 having been born on February 11, 2010. The news about having a daughter together was made public in August 2011 by The New York Post. Copperfield is also a father to 2 other kids; Dylan Jacob Kotkin (son) and Audrey Anna Kotkin (daughter).

David Copperfield Ex-Fiancee

Copperfield was married to Claudia Schiffer, a German supermodel. They first met at a Berlin celebrity gala in the year 1993. At the time, Copperfield brought Claudia on stage to engage in his flying illusion and a mind-reading act. Copperfield proposed to her in January 1994, and they got engaged. At the engagement party, Claudia went on stage with Copperfield a number of times to pretend as his special guest assistant in illusions, even being sawn in half.

Claudia and Copperfield appeared together in a 1994 documentary, David Copperfield: 15 Years of Magic. There Claudia acted as a reporter interviewing Copperfield. In the documentary ending, Claudia and Copperfield reprised their performance of the “Flying” illusion. After six years of their engagement, they separated in September 1999. In the announcement of their separation, they gave the reason for that that they had different work schedules.

In the year 1997, Copperfield and his ex-fiancee Claudia sued Paris Match for $30 million over an article suggesting their relationship was fake and that Schiffer was paid to pretend to be Copperfield’s fiancée. They won an undisclosed amount and a retraction from the magazine in the year 1999.

David Copperfield Net Worth

Copperfield has an estimated net worth of $1 Billion which he has earned through his successful career as a Magician and Illusionist.

David Copperfield Earnings

According to Forbes magazine, Copperfield made a lot of money in different years. In 2003, he earned $55 million, which made him the 10th highest-paid famous person in the world. These numbers are before taxes and deductions for his agents and lawyers. In 2004 and 2005, he earned $57 million each year, and in 2009, he made $30 million from his performances. Copperfield does more than 500 shows every year all around the world.

By the year 2006, he had sold 33 million tickets and made over $4 billion, which is more money than any other entertainer has ever made on their own. It’s a big difference! In 2015, Forbes said he made $63 million in the previous year, and they ranked him as the 20th highest-earning famous person in the world.

David Copperfield Career

Copperfield is a successful magician and illusionist who has won multiple awards for his incredible work. He has appeared in multiple famous TV specials and films. Copperfield is prominent for his TV shows and has been a nominee for 38 Emmys – he won 21 of them! He’s famous for combining storytelling and magic tricks. He has been doing this for more than 40 years and has achieved many great things. He was made a knight by the French government, he has won a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and he holds 11 Guinness World Records. The US Library of Congress even calls him a Living Legend!

Other than the Statue of Liberty illusion, Copperfield has also done other tricks/illusions including floating over the Grand Canyon in 1984; making a Learjet disappear in the year 1981; walking through the Great Wall of China in 1986; making an Orient Express dining car vanish in the year 1991; escaping from Alcatraz prison in the year 1987; and flying on stage for a number of minutes in the year 1992. During his leisure time, he takes care of his 11 resort islands in The Bahamas, which he named the Islands of Copperfield Bay and Musha Cay.

Early Life

According to reports, Copperfield’s journey in the entertainment world began when he was just a young boy. At the age of 8, he started doing ventriloquism with his own puppet named ‘Jerry Mahoney’. When he turned 10, he began practicing magic tricks in his neighborhood, going by the name “Davino the Boy Magician”. Surprisingly, his inspiration didn’t come from other magicians, but from famous actors like Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and Charlie Chaplin in Hollywood movies. Being shy and often keeping to himself, Copperfield saw magic as a way to fit in and, later on, to impress women.

During his childhood, he attended Camp Harmony, a day camp in Warren, New Jersey, where he discovered and developed his passion for magic and ventriloquism. He has mentioned that his experiences at the camp played a significant role in shaping his creative style, recalling a game they played where they had to search for a kidnapped guide.

He said those moments made a lasting impact on him. As he grew older, he became captivated by Broadway shows, often sneaking into performances, particularly musicals created by Stephen Sondheim or Bob Fosse. Surprisingly, at the age of 16, he was already teaching a magic course at New York University. When coming to his education, Copperfield is a proud 1974 alumnus of Metuchen High School.

David Copperfield Robbed / Attacked

Back in April 2006, something scary happened to Copperfield and his 2 assistants (ladies) after a show in West Palm Beach, FL. They were robbed at gunpoint. The 2 ladies gave the robbers their cell phones, passports, and money. However, Copperfield did something different. He said he used his magic skills to hide his things, so he didn’t give anything to the robbers. But later, he realized that was a dangerous thing to do and admitted it was risky. One of the 2 ladies managed to write most of the license plate numbers, and because of that, the suspects were eventually caught, charged with a crime, and later given a punishment.

David Copperfield House

Copperfield bought a new house in the Las Vegas neighborhood of Summerlin, in July 2016. The house cost them $17.55 million, making it the most expensive property ever sold in Las Vegas. The estate is situated in a gated community and spans 1.58 acres of land.

The house itself offers a spacious living area of 31,000 square feet and features a modern design with steel and concrete construction. It boasts a total of 9 bathrooms and 8 bedrooms. The main residence, covering 18,600 square feet, includes luxurious amenities such as a wine cellar, a full-service spa, a movie theater, 3 antique arcade exhibit rooms, a nightclub with a dance floor and a bar, and a golf simulator.

Additionally, the house features a large underground garage spanning 6,177 square feet, which includes a detailing room, as well as an interior Zen garden and a roof deck. The property also includes a beautiful four-edged infinity pool surrounded by tropical landscaping and guest quarters.

The house was designed by Swaback Partners, based in Scottsdale, and was originally built in the year 2005 by healthcare executive Kevin Hooks, who sold it to Copperfield and Gosselin. The transaction was handled by Ivan Sher of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties, and it took place shortly after the couple met with the seller. The house is located approximately 30 minutes away from the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

David Copperfield Accident / Injury

Copperfield was practicing a magic trick called “Escape From Death”, on March 11, 1984. In this trick, he was supposed to be locked up with chains and handcuffs in a tank of water. However, something went wrong during the rehearsal. He got tangled in the chains and started taking in water. Copperfield hit the sides of the tank and couldn’t breathe properly. After roughly 80 seconds, he was rescued from the water, but he was very scared and had trouble breathing. He was taken to a hospital in Burbank, where doctors discovered that he had strained his leg and arm tendons. He had to use a wheelchair for one whole week and a cane for some time afterward.

In the year 1989, while Copperfield was performing a rope trick at a show in Memphis, he accidentally cut off the tip of his finger with sharp scissors. He was quickly taken to the hospital, where doctors were able to reattach the fingertip.

During a live performance in Las Vegas on December 17, 2008, one of Copperfield’s assistants, Brandon, was pulled into a big spinning fan that Copperfield walks through as part of his act. Brandon suffered several broken bones in his arm, cuts on his face that needed stitches, and severe bleeding. Copperfield had to stop the show and offered refunds to the audience members.

David Copperfield Philanthropy

Copperfield started a program called Project Magic in March 1982. This program helps people who have lost or damaged their ability to move their hands and fingers by using magic tricks as a form of therapy. The program has been approved and received honors from the American Occupational Therapy Association. It is used in more than 1,100 hospitals across 30 nations. In April 2008, Copperfield appeared on Oprah Radio and spoke with host Dr. Mehmet Oz about how magic can assist individuals with disabilities.

In the year 2007, Copperfield organized and performed at a charity show in Los Angeles to support UNICEF. Many famous guests were present at the event. During the show, Copperfield used one of his illusions, called the ex-Orson Welles Buzz Saw, to seemingly cut British TV presenter Cat Deeley in half. In the year 2019, when Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas, Copperfield coordinated relief efforts and used his own airplane to transport supplies to those affected.

David Copperfield Controversies / Lawsuits

In the year 2007, Copperfield faced accusations of sexual assault from Lacey L. Carroll. However, a federal grand jury closed the investigation in January 2010 without filing charges. In the same month, the Bellevue City Prosecutor’s Office charged Lacey with prostitution and making a false rape accusation in another case. Lacey filed a civil lawsuit against Copperfield, but it was later dropped in April 2010. In January 2018, Copperfield was accused of drugging and assaulting a teenager in the year 1988, to which he responded with a statement.

On July 11, 1994, Copperfield sued magician Herbert L. Becker to stop the publication of Becker’s book that exposed the secrets behind magic tricks. Becker won the lawsuit. In 1997, Becker sued Copperfield and Lifetime Books for $50 million, claiming a breach of contract in relation to his book. Copperfield settled before the trial, and the publisher lost the case.

In August 2000, Copperfield unsuccessfully sued Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company to recover a ransom payment of $506,343 made in Russia to regain control of his equipment. In 2004, John Melk, co-founder of Blockbuster Inc., sued Copperfield for fraud, alleging that Copperfield hid his identity during the purchase of Musha Cay island. The case was settled in 2006, with the settlement terms undisclosed.

On November 6, 2007, Viva Art International Ltd and Maz Concerts Inc. sued Copperfield for breach of contract, seeking $2.2 million. There was also a dispute over equipment held by the Indonesian promoter. The parties resolved the conflict in July 2009. In 2018, a lawsuit claiming injury to a British tourist during a 2013 performance was resolved in Copperfield’s favor. He was found “not liable.”

David Copperfield Statue of Liberty

On April 8, 1983, Copperfield performed a famous trick on TV. There was a big curtain in front of a group of 20 tourists sitting on Liberty Island. The curtain was attached to two tall structures on the sides. Copperfield had help from Jim Steinmeyer and Don Wayne. They raised the curtain and then lowered it again after a few seconds.

When the curtain went down, the audience saw that the spot where the Statue of Liberty was supposed to be was empty. A helicopter flew overhead and showed from above that the statue seemed to have disappeared. Only the lights around where the statue should be were still there. Copperfield talked to the camera and explained why he did this trick.

Copperfield wanted people to imagine how it would feel if there was no liberty or freedom in the world today. He wanted them to think about what life would be like without the rights and freedoms we enjoy. Then Copperfield made the statue reappear.

He ended the trick by saying that our ancestors couldn’t enjoy these rights and freedoms, but we can and our children will. The disappearance and reappearance of the statue were filmed in long takes to show that there were no camera tricks involved. This trick was featured in Season 4 of the TV show The Americans in an episode called “The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears.” It was also shown in the 2019 HBO documentary called Liberty: Mother of Exiles.

David Copperfield Magics

Secrets on the Moon

Copperfield’s magic secrets and technological advancements have been recorded on special nickel plates. These plates are made to last for an incredibly long time, even billions of years. They were included as part of the “lunar library” project by the Arch Mission Foundation. Unfortunately, during an attempted landing of the lunar module called Beresheet in April 2019, the lunar library crashed into the moon. However, there is hope that the payload, including Copperfield’s records, might have survived the crash.

“Magic Underground” Restaurant

David Copperfield had plans to open a restaurant called Magic Underground based on his magic tricks. The restaurant was intended to be located in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and there were signs indicating its upcoming arrival during the late 1990s. Signs were also displayed around Pleasure Island and outside Disney-MGM Studios. Additionally, a Magic Underground restaurant was planned for Times Square in New York City. The goal was to expand the concept to other locations like Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as well as Paris and Tokyo.

The restaurants were designed to have magic-themed decorations, with props and items displayed on the walls. Magicians would visit the tables and perform sleight-of-hand tricks for the guests. There was also going to be a larger stage for bigger magic performances.

Although the Times Square restaurant was nearly 85% completed, disagreements between the creative team and the financial team, along with significant cost overruns, caused financial problems. The investors who funded the project ran out of money, leading to the cancellation of the project. Disney also canceled the lease agreement. It’s important to note that David Copperfield himself was not an investor in the venture. The investors reportedly lost $34 million, and subcontractors placed $15 million in liens on the project.

David Copperfield Awards and Honors

Below are the honors and awards Copperfield has won over the years of his career.

• 21 Emmy Awards
• 38 Emmy nominations
• The Library of Congress’s Living Legend Award
• 1st magician in history to earn the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s star.
• Named the “King of Magic” and “Magician of the Century” by The Society of American Magicians
• 1st magician to earn the Chevalier of Arts and Letters
• The Academy of Magical Arts’s recognition of “Magician of the Year” in the years 1986 and 1979.
• Inductee of New York City’s Ride of Fame (11 September 2015).
• 23rd member of the National Museum of American Jewish Hall of Fame History (December 2020)
• The 80th most powerful celebrity by Forbes’s “The Celebrity 100” for 2009

David Copperfield Guinness World Book Of Record

Copperfield is an 11-time Guinness World Record winner. Below is the list of his records;

• Highest annual earnings for a magician (current year)
• Largest illusion ever staged
• Most magic shows performed in a year
• Most expensive poster depicting magic sold at auction
• Most tickets sold worldwide by a solo entertainer
• Largest magic work archive
• Highest career earnings as a magician
• Largest Broadway attendance in a week
• The largest international television audience for a magician

David Copperfield Illusions

Copperfield has created and performed multiple illusions over the years of his career. He says that he has plans of new illusions: vanish from the moon, straighten the Leaning Tower of Pisa, put a woman’s face on, and Mt. Rushmore. Additionally, Copperfield has plans in making an island disappear.

Below is some of the list of Copperfield’s illusions

• Laser illusion
• Squeezebox Illusion
• Portal Illusion
• Flying illusion
• Walking Through the Great Wall of China Illusion
• Clearly Impossible Illusion
• Death Saw Illusion
• Statue of Liberty Illusion

David Copperfield Movies/Films

Copperfield has appeared in several films which are;

• 7 Days in Hell (2015) – as himself
• American Restoration (2014)
• Unity (2015) – as the narrator
• The Amazing Race 24 (2014)
• Wizards of Waverly Place, episode “Harperella” (2011) – as himself
• Burt Wonderstone (2013) – as himself
• The Simpsons, episode “The Great Simpsina” (2011) – as himself (voice)
• Oh My God (2009) – as himself
• America’s Got Talent (2010) – as himself
• Scrubs, episode “My Lucky Day” (2002) – as himself
• Terror Train (1980) – as the Magician
• Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (1997) – as himself

David Copperfield Social Media Platforms

He is active on his social media accounts and often posts on his Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. He has over 159K followers on Instagram.