Maya Angelou Net Worth: Career of Writing Poems and Books

Maya Angelou is an American poet, writer, educator, activist, public speaker, and actor. She is recognized for a list of plays, films, and television shows that span more than 50 years, in addition to publishing seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and numerous books of poetry.

Despite having written 36 books, she is most known for her 1969 autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," which shot to international blockbuster success and is still required reading in many high schools today. She worked in a number of strange fields during her early years before becoming a poet and writer.

What was Maya Angelou's net worth, and how did her remarkable career impact her estate in terms of money? Explore the figures behind the recognizable voice that has inspired countless numbers of people.

Maya Angelou Net Worth 2025

Maya Angelou net worth is estimated to be $10 million at the time of her death. Her public speaking engagements, teaching jobs, and busy writing career were the primary sources of her income. These several sources of income guarantee a stable money flow.

There are millions of printed copies of Angelou's writings, which have been translated into several languages. She gained more readers and revenue as a result of her global reach.

Personal Life

From 1951 to 1954, Maya married Enistasious "Tosh" Angelos; from 1974 to 1983, she married Paul Du Feu. Her only child, Guy B. Johnson, was born in 1945 and pursued a career in writing similar to that of his mother.

Angelou loved to cook, and she frequently threw parties at her Winston-Salem house. Maya published two volumes in 2004 and 2010 as a result of her cooking abilities: "Hallelujah! The Welcome Table" and "Great Food, All Day Long: Cook Splendidly, Eat Smart."

Early Life

St. Louis, Missouri, was the place of Maya Angelou's birth on April 4, 1928. Her father, Bailey, worked as a doorman and a navy dietitian, and her mother, Vivian, was a nurse. When Angelou was three years old, her parents got divorced. Her father then boarded a train with Maya and Bailey Jr. to move in with his mother, Annie Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas.

She was the first Black woman to conduct streetcars in San Francisco at the age of sixteen. She was drawn to the operators' uniforms and expressed her intense desire to work there, praising the women for "their little money-changing straps and with ruffles on their caps and fitted uniforms".

During the "Women Who Move the Nation" session in 2014, Angelou was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials. Guy Johnson was born to her at the age of 17, three weeks after she finished school.

Professional Career

Maya Angelou Caged Bird Poem “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” was released in 1969. She received praise and fame on a global scale as a result. The first script created by a Black woman was Angelou's Georgia, Georgia, which was filmed in Sweden and released in 1972. A Swedish film company created the picture.

As a composer, Angelou wrote movie themes and songs for vocalist Roberta Flack. She authored autobiographies, poems, TV scripts, short stories, articles, and documentaries. She created plays and was appointed guest professor at many institutions and colleges.

In the 1977 television miniseries Roots, Maya had a minor part. She received numerous honours and accolades during this time, including over thirty honorary degrees from international colleges and institutions. Being the first poet to perform an opening recitation, Angelou read her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" during Bill Clinton's 1993 presidential inauguration.

Maya Angelou I Rise poem honours self-acceptance and self-love. The poet honours her internal power and capacity to go through any challenge by expressing a range of subjects and feelings.

Maya Angelou Poems

• Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well
• And Still I RiseShaker, Why Don't You Sing?
• Mother: A Cradle to Hold Me
• Now Sheba Sings the SongI Shall Not Be Moved
• Celebrations, Rituals of Peace and Prayer
• "On the Pulse of Morning"
• The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou
• “A Brave and Startling Truth"
• Maya Angelou Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women
• "We Had Him"
• Life Doesn't Frighten Me

Death

Angelou passed away early on May 28, 2014, at the age of 86. Despite her ill health and previous cancellations of events, Angelou was writing an autobiography on her experiences with national and international leaders for her next book.

Her son Guy Johnson said at her Wake Forest University memorial service that although she spent the last ten years of her life in chronic pain from her dance career and lung disease, she wrote four novels. He continued, "She left this human plane with no loss of clarity or understanding."

Famous Maya Angelou Quotes

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is Maya Angelou Quarter worth?

Circulated samples have a modest increase in value over face value, ranging from $0.30 to $0.40. Her 2022 quarters, in uncirculated form, are reasonably priced at between $0.50 and $10, with gem examples selling for as much as $30.

Q. What are the most famous Maya Angelou love poems?

1. Remembrance, 2. When You Come, 3. Passing Time are the most famous love poems.

Q. What is the central theme of Angelou Maya Caged Bird?

The bird in a cage represents Black Americans who are imprisoned. They were kidnapped from a free society and forced into slavery in America, where they were forced to live in slavery.