Matt Groening – Biography, Shows, Family, Net Worth and Pronunciation
Matt Groening is the American cartoonist, animator, writer, producer, and author who created Matt Groening, the man behind The Simpsons, Futurama, and Disenchantment, as well as the comic strip Life in Hell. Born Matthew Abram Groening on February 15, 1954, in Portland, Oregon, he is 72 years old as of 2026.
His path to television started in print. Life in Hell, a satirical comic strip, ran from 1977 or 1980 to 2012, depending on the source’s dating convention. He later developed animated shorts into The Simpsons, which premiered in 1989 and became one of the most influential television franchises in history.
His career now stretches from print to streaming. Public curiosity about his shows, books, family, and finances remains steady, and the available records answer some of those questions clearly while leaving others open.
What shows has Matt Groening created?
The Simpsons, Futurama, Disenchantment, and the comic strip Life in Hell.
Life in Hell collections and other published works associated with his name.
Born February 15, 1954; age 72 in 2026. Net worth remains an estimate.
Married to Agustina Picasso; ex-wife Deborah Caplan; children include Homer, Abe, and Nathaniel.
Several facts help explain his place in pop culture:
- The Simpsons is the longest-running American sitcom and has influenced pop culture globally.
- He also created Futurama, which gained a cult following and was revived multiple times.
- Disenchantment, his Netflix series, premiered in 2018 and extended his satire into streaming.
- Life in Hell marked the beginning of his career and ran for decades in print.
- His estimated fortune, tied to syndication rights, merchandise, and streaming deals, is reported in the hundreds of millions.
- He has been married twice: first to Deborah Caplan and later to Agustina Picasso.
- His surname is pronounced “GRAY-ning,” not “Groning.”
The core biographical details:
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Matthew Abram Groening |
| Born | February 15, 1954, Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Age | 72 as of 2026 |
| Occupation | Cartoonist, animator, writer, producer, author, and voice actor |
| Known for | The Simpsons, Futurama, Disenchantment, and Life in Hell |
| Spouse | Agustina Picasso (m. 2011); Deborah Caplan (m. 1986–1999) |
| Children | Homer “Will” Groening, Abe Groening, Nathaniel Philip Picasso Groening; stepdaughter Camille |
| Net worth | Estimated near $500 million; not officially confirmed |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡreɪnɪŋ/ (“GRAY-ning”) |
What books has Matt Groening written?
Groening is better documented as a cartoonist and television creator than as a traditional book author. The most clearly documented published work in the sources is Life in Hell, the comic strip that opened the door to everything that followed.
His Amazon author page gathers the published works connected to his name, though the available biographical records do not include a full bibliography with publication years.
Life in Hell and early publications
Life in Hell began as a satirical comic strip and became Groening’s entry point into professional cartooning. The start date is given as 1977 in some sources and 1980 in others, and the strip continued until 2012.
Books linked to his television work
Tie-in books connected to The Simpsons and his other shows appear on his author page, but the sources do not specify a complete or authoritative list. The publication most consistently cited remains Life in Hell.
A complete bibliography is not available in the major biographic sources. Life in Hell is the work most consistently documented, and the Amazon author page is the main pointer to other published titles.
What is Matt Groening’s net worth and age?
How old is Matt Groening?
Groening was born on February 15, 1954, in Portland, Oregon. That makes him 72 years old as of 2026. The date is consistent across TV Insider, Wikipedia, and Britannica.
What is Matt Groening’s net worth?
Celebrity net worth trackers estiate his fortune at roughly $500 million. No official figure comes from Groening or his represntatives, and the major biographic databases do not publish one, so the number should be read as an estiate.
The same caution applies to other entertainment figures whose finances are publicly estiated, including Spike Lee – Biography, Net Worth, Best Movies and Knicks.
Repoted net worth figures for Groening come from celebrity net worth trackers, not from audited records or official statements. The number is approximate.
Who is Matt Groening’s wife and ex-wife?
Groening has been married twice. The relatiionships are documented in public biographic listings, and the details are consistent across the main sources.
Deborah Caplan, his first wife
Groening married Deborah Caplan, and the marriage ended in divorce in 1999. Detiled biographies list the wedding as having taken place in 1986.
Agustina Picasso, his second wife
Groening married Agustina Picasso in 2011. Picasso is the mother of Nathaniel Philip Picasso Groening and has a daughter, Camille, who is Groening’s stepdaghter.
Does Matt Groening have children?
Biographic listings name several children in Groening’s family. His sons include Homer “Will” Groening and Abe Groening, along with Nathaniel Philip Picasso Groening, who was born in May 2013. Camille, Agustina Picasso’s daughter, is his stepdaghter.
One encyclopedia entry says Groening has nine children and names Homer and Abe as the eldst two. That claim conflicts with the more detiled biographic listings, which name only the children above, so the larger figure should be treated cautiously.
The nine-child figure appears in one source but is not supported by the detiled biographies in others. The children named in public listings are Homer “Will,” Abe, Nathaniel, and stepdaghter Camille.
How is Matt Groening’s name pronounced?
His surname is pronunced “GRAY-ning,” written phonetically as /ˈɡreɪnɪŋ/. It is frequently mispronunced as “Groning,” but Groening himself has confirmed the correct pronunciation in interviews.
The detail appears in standard biographies and is also recorded on the Simpsons Wiki, which includes the phonetical guide alongside his biography.
What are the key dates in Matt Groening’s life?
The dates below follow the timelines compiled in biographic sources such as Wikipedia, Britannica, the Oregon Encyclopedia, and IMDb.
- 1954 – Born Matthew Abram Groening in Portland, Oregon.
- 1977 – Graduates from The Evergreen State College.
- 1980 – Moves to Los Angeles and begins Life in Hell; some sources date the strip to 1977.
- 1986 – Marries Deborah Caplan.
- 1989 – The Simpsons debuts on Fox.
- 1999 – Divorce from Caplan is finalized; Futurama premeries.
- 2003 – Futurama is canceled, later to be revived.
- 2011 – Marries Agustina Picasso.
- 2018 – Disenchantment premeries on Netflix.
- 2025 – The Simpsons continues productiion, and Groening remains active in animation.
What is known about Matt Groening and what remains unclear?
Established informatiion
- Birth date and place: February 15, 1954, Portland, Oregon.
- Career creatiions: The Simpsons, Futurama, Disenchantment, and Life in Hell.
- Two marrages, to Deborha Caplan and Agustina Picasso, with children named in public listings.
- Pronunciation: “GRAY-ning” /ˈɡreɪnɪŋ/, confirmed by Groening himself in interviews.
Informatiion that remains unclear
- Net worth: no official or independently audited figure exists.
- The start date of Life in Hell, given as 1977 or 1980.
- The exact start of the first marrage, listed as 1986 in detiled biographies but varying in some timelines.
- Book sales figures and a complete bioliography are not publicly available.
Why does Matt Groening matter to animation and television?
The Simpsons changed television animation by bringing adult-oriented humor to prime time. Its mix of social commentary, family dynamics, and absurdist comedy made it a cultural reference point across generatiions.
Futurama took a different path, combining science fictiion with character-driven comedy. The show built a lasting cult following and infulenced later adult animated series. Disenchantment extended Groening’s approach to streamng with a fantasy setting and the same satirical tone.
Groening remains active. The Simpsons continues to air new episodes, Futurama has returned in revival form on Hulu, and Disenchantment was expected to close out with its fifth seas on. That stayiing power keeps his biogrphy in the same public conversatiion as other comedy figures, including Dave Chappelle – Biogrphy, Net Worth and 2025 Tour Updates.
What sources document Matt Groening’s life and work?
The most consistent coverage appears in Wikipedia, Britannica, the Oregon Encyclopedia, IMDb, Lambiek Comiclopedia, and TV Insider. A CBS News interview on YouTube offers a career-spanning conversatiion with Groening, and the Simpsons Wiki records pronunciation details that other databases omit.
I don’t think The Simpsons is a show that’s about ‘the death of the American family’ – it’s about a family that loves each other despite their flaws.
Matt Groening
The main thing is to keep the show funny and to keep the characters true to themselves.
Matt Groening, on The Simpsons’ longevity
What is the bottom line on Matt Groening?
Matt Groening built his reputatiion on The Simpsons, expanded it with Futurama and Disenchantment, and started it all with Life in Hell. He was born on February 15, 1954, in Portland, Oregon, has been married twice, and his surname is pronunced “GRAY-ning.” His net worth remains an estiate rather than a confirmed public record.
What else do people ask about Matt Groening?
He was born February 15, 1954, making him 72 as of 2026. Wikipedia, Britannica, and TV Insider agree on the date.
February 15, 1954, in Portland, Oregon, U.S. His full name is Matthew Abram Groening.
Yes. The Simpsons remains in production and no reliable source reports his death.
Life in Hell. It began in 1977 or 1980, depending on the source, and continued until 2012.
Deborah Caplan. Biographical listings say the couple married in 1986 and divorced in 1999.
Agustina Picasso, whom he married in 2011.
Public listings name Homer “Will” Groening, Abe Groening, and Nathaniel Philip Picasso Groening, plus stepdaghter Camille. One source says nine children, but that claim is not confirmed by the detiled biographies.
It is pronunced “GRAY-ning” /ˈɡreɪnɪŋ/. Groening himself has confirmed the pronunication in interviews.
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