Neil Strauss Net Worth

Early Life

Neil Strauss was born Neil Darrow Strauss on March 9, 1969, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended the Latin School of Chicago, and after graduating in 1987, he enrolled at Vassar College in New York. He later transferred to Columbia University, where he earned a Psychology degree in 1991. While he was in college, Strauss began writing for the avant-garde magazine “Ear” and editing the anthology “Radiotext(e),” a book of writings related to radio, for the publisher Semiotext(e). He later worked for “The Village Voice,” first as a copywriter, copyeditor, and fact checker, then as a critic and reporter.

Journalism Career

Jon Pareles, “The New York Times’” chief popular music critic, invited Neil to work for the newspaper as a music critic. Strauss wrote a column called “Pop Life” as well as front-page stories about topics such as music censorship and radio payola. Jann Wenner hired Neil to be a contributing editor for “Rolling Stone,” and in that role, Strauss wrote cover stories about Madonna, Kurt Cobain, Stephen Colbert, the Wu-Tang Clan, Marilyn Manson, Orlando Bloom, and Tom Cruise. He later teamed up with Manson for the 1998 book “The Long Hard Road Out of Hell.” In 1999, he appeared in Beck’s “Sexx Laws” music video alongside Jack Black, and in 2007, he guest-starred in an episode of HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Pickup Artistry/The Game

Neil left “The New York Times” to ghostwrite the 2004 book “How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale” for Jenna Jameson. Around this time, he joined the seduction community and created the persona of a pickup artist named “Style.” He wrote a 2004 “New York Times” article about his experiences, and the following year, he published “The New York Times” bestseller “The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists.” The book was described as “one of the most explosive and controversial books of the year—guaranteed to change the lives of men and transform the way women understand the opposite sex forever.” The book sold 2.5 million copies worldwide. In 2016, it was announced that James Franco had been cast in a film adaptation of the book. After publishing “The Game,” Neil took a break from the pickup artist life to settle down with Lisa Leveridge, the guitarist for the Courtney Love band The Source. A “Sunday Mirror” article suggested that Lisa left Neil for singer Robbie Williams in early 2006. Strauss denied that Williams was involved but later confirmed that he and Leveridge had split up.

Other Work

In 2007, Neil founded Stylelife Academy, a dating coaching business. That year he also published the book “Rules of the Game,” and in 2008, he wrote, produced, and starred on a television series of the same name as well as serving as a director on the show. In 2006, Strauss co-wrote, directed, and starred in the short film “Shoot,” and collaborated with musician Dave Navarro and TV writer Cliff Dorfman to create the FX drama “The Product.” In 2012, Neil released the board game “Who’s Got Game? The Game with Benefits” as a follow-up to “Rules of the Game.” Strauss has also published the books “Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life” (2009), “Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead: Journeys Into Fame and Madness”(2011), “The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships” (2015), “I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons” (with Kevin Hart, 2017), “Survive All Apocalypses: From Machine Uprisings to Bear Markets” (2021), and “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” (with Rick Rubin, 2023).

Personal Life

Neil met model Ingrid De La O in 2010, and they married on August 31, 2013. His bachelor party was funeral-themed and took place at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where he laid his ‘Style’ persona to rest. In March 2015, Strauss announced on his website that he and Ingrid had welcomed a child, and he shared information about his forthcoming book, “The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships.” Neil and Ingrid divorced in October 2018.

Awards

Strauss has won the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award twice, for his “Rolling Stone” coverage of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s death and for an Eric Clapton profile that was featured in the Arts & Leisure section of “The New York Times.” In 2010, he won the Literary & Historical Society of University College Dublin’s James Joyce Award. Neil has also received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for the search-and-rescue work he did while he was writing the 2009 book “Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life.”