Evel Knievel: Facts About His Stunts and Net Worth

Evel Knievel captured the American imagination with motorcycle jumps and a larger‑than‑life persona, but behind the leather suit was a man of contradictions and hard facts. This guide sorts the legend from the ledger — his stunts, his finances, and the man himself.

Broken bones claimed: 433 ·
Net worth at death: $50,000 ·
Most famous jump distance: 129 feet over 13 buses ·
Year of death: 2007

Seven facts that define the daredevil’s story, from birth to death and the numbers in between.

Why Was Evel Knievel So Famous?

His early life and influences

• Born Robert Craig Knievel in Butte, Montana, on October 17, 1938 (Official site)
• A 1956 motorcycle crash, according to his official biography, helped launch his daredevil identity (Official site)
• His early years included stints as a salesman and a ski jumper before he turned to professional stunt work

Knievel’s fame didn’t come from a single event. He built it through relentless self-promotion and a series of televised jumps that turned him into a symbol of American bravado. As Britannica notes, he was “the most famous daredevil in the world” during the 1970s.

Rise to fame through iconic stunts

• 1967: Caesars Palace fountain jump – he crashed badly but the footage made him a national name
• 1973: Jumped over 50 stacked cars (Britannica)
• 1975: Jumped 13 buses at Wembley Stadium – his best-known successful stunt

The pattern: each crash or near-crash generated more media attention than a clean landing would have. Knievel understood that drama sold tickets.

The implication: the very risks that nearly killed him were the engine of his celebrity.

What Was Evel Knievel’s Biggest Stunt?

The jump over 13 buses at Wembley Stadium

• Date: September 1975
• Distance: 129 feet over 13 London double-decker buses
• Outcome: He landed successfully but was injured on the landing; still considered his greatest commercial success

That jump cemented his reputation worldwide. It was broadcast live and drew a massive television audience.

Attempted jump of the Snake River Canyon

• Date: September 8, 1974, Twin Falls, Idaho
• Vehicle: A rocket-powered “Skycycle” instead of a motorcycle
• Outcome: The parachute deployed prematurely, and he crashed into the canyon bottom; he survived with minor injuries

The NPR described the event as “one of the most hyped and ultimately disastrous moments in entertainment history.” The jump site is still promoted as a heritage attraction by Visit Southern Idaho.

The pattern: Knievel’s biggest stunts were also his most financially risky. The Snake River Canyon attempt nearly bankrupted him, but the publicity kept his name alive.

The catch: a spectacular failure often paid better than a quiet success.

How Much Was Evel Knievel Worth When He Died?

Evel Knievel’s peak earnings

• At his peak in the mid-1970s, Knievel earned around $2 million per year from appearances and endorsements
• He sold millions of dollars in merchandise: toys, lunchboxes, trading cards
• A merchandising pioneer, he licensed his name and image to dozens of products

Financial troubles and net worth at death

• By the time he died in 2007, his net worth was estimated at just $50,000 (Official site)
• Multiple lawsuits from stunts that went wrong drained his earnings
• A lavish lifestyle, including homes in California and Florida, plus legal fees, left him near broke

The trade-off: Knievel lived like a star but died with little to show for it. His financial story is a cautionary tale about the gap between appearing rich and being rich.

How Many Bones Did Evel Knievel Actually Break?

Non-medical claim of 433 bones

• Knievel often said in interviews that he had broken “every bone in my body” and claimed a total of 433 fractures
• This number became part of his legend, repeated in news articles and biographies

Actual documented fractures

• The Smithsonian Institution states that Knievel suffered 35 to 40 broken bones during his career
• Many of these were severe: multiple leg and arm fractures, a fractured pelvis, and several concussions
• He spent a total of over three years in hospital beds recovering from injuries

The catch: the 433 figure is almost certainly a myth. The human skeleton has only 206 bones, and repeatedly breaking the same bone doesn’t count as a new break. Knievel’s showmanship extended to his injury count.

What this means: the gap between 433 and 35–40 is itself a measure of how thoroughly Knievel marketed his own suffering.

What Were Evel Knievel’s Last Words?

His final moments

• Knievel died on November 30, 2007, aged 69, from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at a hospice in Florida (Official site)
• His last words, reportedly to his wife and son Robbie, were: “I’m ready to go, I’m ready to go.”

Legacy and memorial

• A public memorial service was held in Butte, Montana, attended by thousands
• He is buried in Butte with a gravestone that reads “The Legend Lives Forever”
• His legacy includes an annual “Evel Knievel Days” festival in Butte

Why this matters: his last words reflect the same readiness for risk that defined his career. He accepted death as part of the bargain.

Was Evel Knievel a Good Guy?

His charitable acts

• He raised millions for charity through his jumps, including for the Jimmy Fund and other children’s causes
• He donated motorcycles and memorabilia to fundraisers

Controversies and legal issues

• In 1977, Knievel was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon after attacking a former business partner with a baseball bat; he served six months in jail
• He had multiple arrests for drunk driving and domestic disputes
• In his later years, he expressed regret for his violent behavior and said he wished he could have been a better role model

The implication: Knievel was not a simple hero or villain. He was deeply flawed, capable of generosity and cruelty. For fans, the complexity is part of why his story endures.

Timeline of Evel Knievel’s Life

• 1938: Born in Butte, Montana (Official site)
• 1967: First major jump at Caesars Palace (crash) (Britannica)
• 1973: Jumped over 50 stacked cars (Britannica)
• 1974: Attempted Snake River Canyon jump (failed) (NPR)
• 1975: Jumped over 13 buses at Wembley Stadium (Britannica)
• 1977: Final major jump
• 1990s: Declining health and legal problems
• 2007: Died at age 69 (Official site)

The pattern: nearly four decades of jumps, crashes, lawsuits, and comebacks — each phase feeding the next.

What’s Confirmed and What’s Unclear

The catch: even basic biographical numbers — bones, money, jumps — blur when you try to pin them down.

Quotes from Evel Knievel and His Biographer

“I’m ready to go, I’m ready to go.”

— Evel Knievel, reportedly his last words

“I’ve broken every bone in my body.”

— Evel Knievel, in numerous interviews (though the number is disputed)

“He was a master of self-promotion. He understood that the show was as important as the stunt.”

— Biographer

The pattern: Knievel’s own words — both defiant and resigned — shaped the myth as much as his jumps did.

The Man Behind the Myth

Evel Knievel lived a life that blurred the line between success and failure, prosperity and bankruptcy, heroism and notoriety. He left behind a legacy that still influences stunt performers and extreme sports athletes. For anyone studying the cost of fame, the lesson is clear: the jumps you see on screen are only half the story. The real toll is measured in hospital beds, legal settlements, and a bank account that ended at $50,000.

For aspiring daredevils, the blunt truth is that the myth of the invincible showman covers a human body that breaks, a reputation that fractures, and a fortune that can vanish. The choice is whether to follow the legend or the man.

The pattern: even the answers to common questions reveal how much of the Knievel story rests on claims rather than records.

Related reading

• Bonnie and Clyde True Story – Another American outlaw legend, fact-checked.
• Arthur Guinness: Separating the Man from the Myths – How myths build around historical figures.

The connection: both stories, like Knievel’s, force readers to ask which parts of a legend are real.