Sam Riegel’s net worth is best estimated at about $3 million in 2026, with a reasonable range of $2 million to $8 million. He has earned money through voice acting, Emmy-winning voice direction, writing, producing, live appearances, and his role as a co-founder of Critical Role. His exact ownership, compensation, assets, and debts have not been disclosed, so no public source can verify a precise total.
Riegel is also the husband of cinematographer Quyen Tran. The couple have two children and generally keep details about them private. On screen, he is best known as a founding cast member of Critical Role; in animation and games, his credits include Donatello, Phoenix Wright, Teddie, and numerous directing assignments.
Updated August 8, 2026.
Sam Riegel Net Worth Summary
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Estimated net worth | About $3 million in 2026 |
| Reasonable range | $2 million to $8 million |
| Full name | Samuel Brent Oscar Riegel |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Voice actor, voice director, writer, producer |
| Wife | Quyen Tran |
| Children | Two |
| Known for | Critical Role, voice acting, voice direction |
| Major recognition | Daytime Emmy for directing Danger & Eggs |
| Main wealth sources | Production, acting, directing, writing, royalties, appearances |
Why the Estimate Is $2 Million to $8 Million
The $3 million midpoint is an estimate, not a disclosed balance sheet. Online profiles commonly repeat a $2 million figure, but they do not show contracts, tax returns, property records, investment accounts, or a valuation of Riegel’s interest in Critical Role. Repeating that number as an exact fact would create false certainty.
The lower end of the range recognizes a long professional career but also the costs that stand between gross earnings and net worth. Agents, managers, taxes, business expenses, and the uneven nature of entertainment work can materially reduce what a performer keeps.
The midpoint reflects several established income channels operating at once. Riegel has decades of acting and directing credits, an Emmy-winning directing career, production credits on an Amazon-distributed animated series, and a continuing role in a creator-owned media company. That profile supports more than a calculation based only on voice-session fees.
The upper end allows for the possibility that retained company equity, producer compensation, royalties, investments, or property add meaningful value. It is deliberately capped because Critical Role does not publish each founder’s ownership percentage or personal distributions. The company’s success cannot simply be assigned to one cast member’s bank account.
For that reason, about $3 million is a conservative working estimate. A range of $2 million to $8 million better communicates the uncertainty than a single unsupported number.
How Sam Riegel Makes Money
Critical Role production and performance
Riegel is one of Critical Role’s original founders and primary performers. The company describes itself as independent and creator-owned. Its business extends beyond a weekly tabletop show to streaming, podcasts, publishing, merchandise, live events, memberships, licensed products, and animated television.
Those channels can support compensation for performing, writing, production, executive work, and ownership. They do not reveal Riegel’s personal earnings. Revenue belongs to the business before production expenses, payroll, taxes, partners, and reinvestment are considered.
Voice acting
Riegel has worked across animation, anime dubbing, and video games. Voice performers may be paid by session, episode, project, or negotiated contract. Some work can also generate residuals, but terms differ by production and union agreement.
His recognizable roles include Donatello in the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, Phoenix Wright in several Ace Attorney games, Teddie in the Persona series, and characters in One-Punch Man, Blue Exorcist, Fallout: New Vegas, and Bugsnax. A large catalog creates repeat employment and professional leverage, though credit counts alone cannot prove a fortune.
Voice direction
Directing is a central part of Riegel’s career, not a side note. His official Critical Role biography lists directing work on DuckTales, Elena of Avalor, Sofia the First, DC Super Hero Girls, Kid Cosmic, and other productions.
He won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program for Danger & Eggs. Awards do not carry a known automatic payment, but they can strengthen a director’s reputation and ability to secure future assignments.
Writing, producing, and executive work
Riegel is an executive producer on The Legend of Vox Machina, the animated adaptation distributed by Prime Video. Executive-producer compensation varies widely and is not public here. The credit nevertheless shows that his work around Critical Role includes development and production responsibilities beyond appearing at the table.
He has also written and created material connected to Critical Role. Depending on the agreement, writing and production can generate fees, royalties, or ownership value. No reliable public document itemizes those amounts.
Live events and appearances
Critical Role performs ticketed live shows, and cast members appear at conventions and fan events. Appearance fees, autograph sessions, and related work can provide additional income. Travel, representation, venue costs, and company arrangements mean that ticket sales should never be treated as Riegel’s personal take-home pay.
Critical Role and Business Ownership
Critical Role began as a private home game and developed into a major independent entertainment brand. The official company history names Sam Riegel among the original voice actors who founded it. He played Scanlan Shorthalt and Taryon Darrington in the first campaign, Nott the Brave/Veth Brenatto in the second, and Fresh Cut Grass in the third. He is also part of the Campaign Four cast.
The scale of the business matters to a net-worth estimate, but it must be handled carefully. Critical Role’s 2019 crowdfunding campaign for an animated special raised more than $11 million and expanded into The Legend of Vox Machina. That headline figure funded production; it was not profit distributed to the cast. Later platform and licensing agreements are also private.
The responsible conclusion is that Riegel’s founder status may be a valuable asset and may generate income. There is not enough public information to calculate that value or add the company’s gross revenue directly to his personal net worth.
Voice Acting and Directing Career
Riegel’s professional range helps explain why his income is more durable than a single famous role would suggest. He moved among theatre, animation, dubbing, games, writing, and direction instead of depending on one character.
His official biography highlights both performance and direction. As an actor, his work spans children’s television, anime, superhero games, role-playing games, and comedy. As a director, he has guided ensemble casts for Disney, DreamWorks, Cartoon Network, Netflix, and other studios. These jobs use related skills but create separate opportunities for compensation.
Critical Role then added a public-facing performer and business-builder role. The result is a career with several layers: work-for-hire acting, directing fees, creative production, possible residuals, appearances, and ownership in an operating media company.
That diversity is the strongest evidence behind the estimate. It is more meaningful than guessing a salary for one show or multiplying an assumed voice-actor rate by the number of credits.
Sam Riegel’s Wife, Quyen Tran, and Family
Sam Riegel is married to Quyen Tran, a cinematographer whose credits include Palm Springs, Maid, Unbelievable, and other film and television work. Referring to her only as “Sam Riegel’s wife” overlooks an established career behind the camera.
The couple have two children. Their names and day-to-day lives are not relevant to Riegel’s finances, so this article does not repeat unnecessary personal details about them.
Riegel and Tran were in New York during the September 11 attacks and recorded footage after the first plane struck. That experience is part of their public story, but it is unrelated to the net-worth calculation and should not be sensationalized.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sam Riegel’s net worth in 2026?
Sam Riegel’s net worth is best estimated at about $3 million, with a reasonable range of $2 million to $8 million. The exact figure is private.
Who is Sam Riegel’s wife?
Sam Riegel’s wife is cinematographer Quyen Tran. They have two children.
Does Sam Riegel own Critical Role?
Riegel is an original co-founder of Critical Role, which describes itself as independent and creator-owned. His precise ownership percentage and the current value of any stake are not public.
What did Sam Riegel win an Emmy for?
He won a Daytime Emmy for directing the animated series Danger & Eggs.
What characters does Sam Riegel play in Critical Role?
His best-known campaign characters include Scanlan Shorthalt, Taryon Darrington, Nott the Brave/Veth Brenatto, and Fresh Cut Grass. He also appears in Campaign Four.
Are Sam Riegel and Liam O’Brien married?
No. They are longtime friends and creative collaborators. Riegel is married to Quyen Tran.
Bottom Line
Sam Riegel has built a varied entertainment career and helped turn Critical Role into a creator-owned media business. That supports an estimated 2026 net worth of about $3 million, while the lack of personal financial disclosures makes a $2 million to $8 million range more honest. The durable story is not an exact dollar figure; it is the combination of acting, directing, producing, writing, appearances, royalties, and possible business equity.