How Actress Marsai Martin Went From From ‘Black-ish’ to Business Mogul
By Talia LeacockApril 28 2025, Published 8:53 p.m. ET
The Breakdown: Marsai Martin entered Hollywood as a child star, but she’s quickly established herself as a mogul in the making. From her award-winning run on Black-ish alongside industry veterans like Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson to becoming the youngest executive producer with her film Little, Martin is building an impressive resume and a fortune to match.
Marsai Martin first stole hearts and scenes as the adorably sassy Diane Johnson on ABC’s sitcom Black-ish. The role launched her career, earned her nine NAACP Image Awards and three BET Awards, and established her reputation as a brilliant actress.
Martin has made great use of that momentum, building a resume of acting and production credits. But just how much has her hard work paid off?
Let’s take a look at Marsai Martin’s net worth, the ventures that have added to her fortune, and the parents who raised her to be a star.
What is Marsai Martin’s net worth?
Marsai Martin has been flexing her acting chops since she was in kindergarten. She was five years old when she got her first gig in a commercial for Choice Hotels. By the time she was 10, she had landed the role on Black-ish. She’s been working and cashing checks steadily since, and while the estimates vary, Marsai Martin’s net worth is between $1.5 million and $5 million.
A good chunk of that cash would have come from her Black-ish salary. But she’s got other sources of income too. Her resume includes voice acting in PAW Patrol: The Movie (2021), Spirit Untamed (2021), and G20 (2025). At 13, Martin became the youngest executive producer in Hollywood with the production of Little (2019). The movie, which starred Martin herself, alongside Issa Rae and Regina Hall, was a box office success, grossing $48.8 million.
Marsai Martin
Actress, producer, entrepreneur
Net worth: $5 million
Marsai Martin is an award-winning actress, producer, and entrepreneur best known for her role in Black-ish and Little. She made history as Hollywood’s youngest ever executive producer when she was just 13 years old.
Birth name: Caila Marsai Martin
Birthdate: August 14, 2004
Birthplace: Plano, Texas
Mother: Carol Martin
Father: Joshua Martin
Like any good businesswoman, Marsai Martin has diverse streams of income.
Continuing her production dreams, Martin founded a production company — Genius Entertainment — at just 14 years old. The company currently has several projects in the works. Martin’s entrepreneurial ventures also include a press-on nail line called Mari by Marsai.
Martin has also leveraged her massive fan base through strategic brand partnerships. In 2022, she was the face of Make Up For Ever’s HD Skin Foundation launch. She also has an ongoing partnership with Hollister, featuring in ad campaigns and supporting the relaunch of their ambassador program.
Marsai Martin isn’t just making money; she’s making impact too.
While Martin is certainly making big moves as an actor, producer, and entrepreneur, her goals aren’t just about making money. She takes on projects where she feels she can make a difference. With her production company, for example, she’s excited to make films that create a platform for representation and authentic storytelling.
Her partnerships are proof of her desire to make a difference too. In 2022, she collaborated with Verizon Media’s platform, In the Know, to produce Money with Marsai Martin, an online series aimed at improving Gen Z’s financial literacy. She’s also big on philanthropy and is an ambassador for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America.
Marsai Martin’s parents have been her biggest support — and her employees too.
Despite her youth, Martin has shown talent, ambition, and work ethic beyond her years. Some of that can be credited to her parents’ support. Her dad Joshua and mom Carol have done everything they can to position her for success, including moving their family to Los Angeles in 2013.
As she’s grown older, they’ve nurtured her ideas and vision and even serve as president and vice president of her production company. But while Martin’s parents are technically her employees, they strike a balance between parental guidance and professional support. Her father told Blackfilm.com, “We’re always listening to what she wants to do and as parents…we’re always trying to push her to be better than she was the day before.”
Marsai Martin is a seasoned professional and she’s only going up from here.
It’s clear that Martin’s parents have done a great job of pushing her to her full potential and raising her to be a brilliant example for young girls everywhere, including her own little sister Cydni. From her on-screen roles and production work to her entrepreneurial vision and philanthropic initiatives, Marsai Martin is a mogul in the making.
