David Attenborough has become a staple in many households across the country, giving an in-depth insight into the natural world and the animals we survive alongside.
After beginning his career in 1950, the TV legend has hardly been off viewers' screens – meaning he has earned a staggering money pot to show from his achievements.
The naturalist – who turns 98 in May – is reported to have earned around £4 million last year, according to the latest accounts for his firm David Attenborough (Productions) Limited which have been filed this week.
On top of the already staggering figure, Attenborough's company is also said to be sitting on a cash reserve of £2.3 million, in case he finds himself in a sticky financial spot.
Attenborough is said to have faced a tax bill of more than £833,028, meaning the firm's income for last year was around five times that figure.
According to The Mirror, a note on his tax books read: “The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year.
David is said to be sitting on a seven-figure cash reserve
BBC
“Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the profit and loss account because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible.”
Throughout his career, he has travelled the world to make his groundbreaking documentaries such as Natural World, Great Barrier Reef, Frozen Planet, Planet Earth, The Blue Planet and 42 others.
Accompanying his hefty TV presence, Attenborough has also penned 29 books, with his latest being A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future, which was published in 2020.
His fortune and drive to succeed are all documented in his company David Attenborough (Productions) Limited, where his son Robert and daughter Susan are also shareholders – with Attenborough owning 54 percent.
His latest documentary Mammals begins this Sunday
BBC
Despite being nearly 98, this hasn’t stopped the biologist from doing what he loves, with his latest series Mammals starting this weekend.
It comes 22 years after his acclaimed series Life of Mammals and will discuss how safari holidays and tourists have been impacting wild animals and their habitats.
The official synopsis reads: “David Attenborough narrate a look into the lives of mammals, exploring how the have adapted to their changing surroundings and have found ways to create homes in the wild.
“The first episode focuses on animals that thrive in the dark, from leopards that use night vision to hunt their prey to bats using echolocation to navigate the night skies.”
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David Attenborough filed a staggering seven-figure sum last year
GETTY
Discussing one of the episodes, Attenborough said: “In areas of high tourism, research has shown that the survival of cheetah cubs is also greatly reduced.
“It must surely be possible to respect the animals’ need for space and at the same time enable human visitors to have a meaningful glimpse of the wild world. That is what must be achieved if cheetahs are to have a future on the African plains."
