Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is an American composer, lyricist, playwright, and actor widely regarded as one of the most transformative figures in modern musical theater. Born on January 16, 1980, in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, Miranda grew up in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. His father, Luis A. Miranda Jr., was a political consultant, and his mother, Luz Towns-Miranda, was a clinical psychologist. He attended Hunter College High School and later Wesleyan University, where he began writing his first musical.

Miranda’s career exploded onto the scene with In the Heights, a musical he began writing during his sophomore year at Wesleyan. The show premiered on Broadway in 2008 and won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. But it was his next creation that changed the landscape of American entertainment. Hamilton: An American Musical, which tells the story of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton through hip-hop and R&B music, opened on Broadway in 2015 and became a global cultural phenomenon. The show won 11 Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and its cast recording became the highest-selling cast album in decades.

Beyond Hamilton, Miranda has made significant contributions to film and television. He wrote original songs for Disney’s Moana (2016), earning an Academy Award nomination for ‘How Far I’ll Go.’ He composed the music and lyrics for Encanto (2021), whose song ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ became a number-one hit. He made his film directorial debut with Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021) and starred in the film adaptation of In the Heights (2021). He also contributed songs to the live-action The Little Mermaid (2023).

Miranda’s estimated net worth of $80 million places him among the wealthiest figures in theater history. His income streams include ongoing royalties from Hamilton, which continues to run on Broadway and tour globally, songwriting royalties from Disney films, producing credits, acting roles, and his book deals. He is one of the few artists to achieve EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), solidifying his place as one of the most accomplished entertainers of his generation.