John “Chickie” Donohue is a former American military man, entrepreneur, writer, and Beer Run hero. His real story has long been an example of mutual assistance and friendship. In 2022, even more people learned about the epic trip to Vietnam thanks to the film adaptation from Apple TV+. Questions about Chickie’s net worth, how much did he earn from the sale of the book and how much was he paid for the right to use it for the filming of the film, became relevant again?
John “Chickie” Donohue Income
John was born into a family of poor immigrants from Ireland. His parents could not provide him with a beautiful and rich life, so he started working very early. When he was 18 years old, the guy went to serve in the US Army. He didn’t make a lot of money there, but he got a financial foundation and a lot of experience. Later he worked as a sailor. It was on one of the ships in the position of fireman that he sailed on his beer tour.
The trip made him famous, but not rich. How Donohue acquired Doc Fiddler’s Bar is unknown. He owned it for several years. A sailor who sails all over the world earns good money. Perhaps he decided to invest them in a business and settle on the shore. Most likely, before the release of the book, the man was engaged in small business. This allowed him to be a member of the middle class.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever was published in 2017 when Chickie was 76 years old. He started work on the edition earlier, but still did it in his old age. In retirement, he had an average income. He lived not luxuriously, but with dignity. The commercial success of the book netted him and Joanna Molloy (co-author) several hundred thousand dollars in net income.
How much did he earn for the movie?
Chickie Donohue has been the subject of several documentaries. He received small fees for them. In 2021, the film adaptation process of this incredible adventure has begun. The film was filmed on Apple TV+. They made a generous payment to John for the right to show his story to the audience. The amount of the fee remains a secret, but can be up to $500,000.
Subsequently, audience interest in Beer Run forced the showrunners to reconsider their approach to filming. They decided to raise the budget and invite famous actors (Zac Eforn and Russell Crowe). Did this result in an increase in the payout to Donohue? Most likely yes, but not much.
Chickie Donohue Net Worth
During his long life, John has collected a lot of capital, but he was able to use most of it only in retirement. Its net worth can reach $1 million. The exact amount directly depends on how much money he received for the film. He no longer has a stable income (other than an average pension). His capital is stable. Now he spends money not on himself, but on his family.
There is no more accurate assessment of the wealth of a beer lover on the Internet. This is due to the fact that all of his contracts have non-disclosure clauses. If you heard about the net worth from anyone other than Donohue himself, know that this is just a guess.
| Monthly Income | unstable |
| Annual Income | unstable |
| Actual Net Worth | $1m |
| One Year Net Worth Forecast | $1m |