Sinbad Net Worth: Sinbad is a Michigan-born actor and comedian who has a net worth of $4 million. Sinbad first gained fame as a stand-up comedian then as an actor. Sinbad became a household name appearing on "The Cosby Show" spin-off "A Different World" in the late 1980s. After leaving "A Different World" he went on to co-star or star in various films and television series. He starred in his own series, "The Sinbad Show" for one season. Most recently he was part of the cast of "Celebrity Apprentice". At the peak of his career in the mid 90s, Sinbad appeared in movies like "Jingle All The Way" alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, "Houseguest", "Coneheads" and more. He is still a highly in-demand traveling comedian.
Early Life: David Adkins, better known by his professional stage name Sinbad, was born in Benton Harbor, Michigan, on November 10, 1956, to Louise and Rev. Dr. Donald Beckley Adkins. He grew up with his five siblings—Donna, Dorothea, Mark, Michael, and Donald—in Michigan, and attended Benton Harbor High School. He graduated from high school in 1974, and continued his education at the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado, from 1974 to 1978. While at college, he lettered two seasons for the basketball team.
After college, Sinbad joined the United States Air Force and served as a boom operator on KC-135 Stratotankers. He spent time assigned to the 384th Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas. While there, he frequently traveled to downtown Wichita and performed stand-up comedy. In 1981, he competed in the Air Force's Talent Contest as a comedian. He frequently acted out and would go AWOL, and was almost dishonorably discharged for his behavior. Ultimately, according to him, he was eventually discharged from the Air Force for "parking [his] car in the wrong position".
Career: He chose his stage name "Sinbad" inspired by Sinbad the Sailor. Following his exit from the military, he tried to jumpstart his entertainment career by appearing on "Star Search". He actually was quite successful on the show, even beating out fellow comedian Dennis Miller to make it all the way to the finals. Ultimately though, he lost to John Kassir. His time on "Star Search" helped him gain broader recognition though, and he was eventually cast on the short lived sitcom "The Redd Foxx Show", as the character Byron Lightfoot. Then, in 1987, he was cast on the show "A Different World" in 1987. Sinbad had previously made a brief, one time appearance on "The Cosby Show" as the car salesman Davis Sarrette, but this time on "A Different World" he played the character Coach Walkter Oakes. He stayed as a member of the cast from 1988 until 1991.
As he popularity grew, Sinbad earned the chance to premiere his own show on Fox. "The Sinbad Show" first aired in September 1993. The sitcom features Sinbad as the character David Bryan, a 35 year old bachelor who decides to take in two foster children. Part of the storyline was inspired by his own personal life; around that time, in real life Sinbad had actually received joint custody of his two children, Royce and Paige, and was learning a lot about single parenting and fatherhood. Although "The Sinbad Show" earned him a nominated for the Favorite Television Actor Award at the 1995 Kids' Choice Awards, it was not renewed for a second season and was ultimately cancelled in April 1994.
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In addition to his television acting gigs, Sinbad has also acted in several films. He co-starred with Phil Hartman in the comedy "Houseguest" (1995), as well as the films "First Kid" (1996), "Jingle All the Way" (1996), "Good Burger" (1997), "Crazy as Hell" (2002), and "Stompin'" (2007), among others. He also ventured into the world of hosting, when he hosted "It's Showtime at the Apollo" from 1989 to 1991, and again in 2005. He was also the emcee at the 2000 Miss Universe Pageant.
Outside of his acting pursuits, Sinbad continued to stay engaged in the world of stand-up comedy. In 1990, he filmed his first stand-up comedy special for HBO, "Sinbad: Brain Damaged". He followed this up in 1993 with his special "Sinbad – Afros and Bellbottoms", for which he won a 1995 Image Award. His other comedy specials include "Sinbad – Son of a Preacher Man" (1996) and "Sinbad – Nothin' but the Funk" (1998).
Personal Life: In 1985, Sinbad married Meredith Fuller. They divorced in 1992, but remarried ten years later in 2002. They have two children together.
Financial Problems: Unfortunately, Sinbad has battled with the IRS over various tax issues for nearly a decade. In May 2013, he was forced to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. In the filing Sinbad claims that he had just $131 thousand in assets and $10.99 million in debt. In total he owed $375,000 to American Express, $30,000 to Bank of America, $2.3 million to the state of California and $8.3 million to the IRS. The $8.3 million debt covers taxes owed for the years 1998-2006. As for his assets, Sinbad claimed his monthly income is $16,000, he still owns a 2007 BMW 750 and a 2010 Lincoln Navigator. Chapter 13 bankruptcy means Sinbad's debts will be re-organized, not completely wiped clean as would be the case with Chapter 7. Chapter 7 is much worse for an individual's credit and is only an option when the debtor has no assets or income.
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