What is Neil Clark Warren's Net Worth?
Neil Clark Warren is an American psychologist, theologian, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker who has a net worth of $250 million. In 2000, Neil Clark Warren co-founded eHarmony with his son-in-law, Greg Forgatch. Warren served as CEO of eHarmony until 2007, when he stepped down to become chairman. He returned as CEO in 2012, but stepped down again in 2016. Warren remains chairman of eHarmony.
In 2017, eHarmony was acquired by German media company ProSiebenSat.1 Media for $575 million. Warren and Forgatch were both shareholders in eHarmony, and they received a significant portion of the sale proceeds. However, the exact amount of money that Warren received is not publicly known.
Early Life and Education
Neil Clark Warren was born on September 18, 1934 in Des Moines, Iowa to automobile dealer Otis and homemaker Rosa. From an early age, he was interested in matters of personal relationships and compatibility. Although his parents had a long and happy marriage, Warren saw that they often had difficulty communicating with each other.
For his higher education, Warren went to Pepperdine University, from which he graduated in 1956. He went on to earn his master's degree in divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1959. Following that, Warren pursued a doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Chicago, graduating with his Ph.D. in 1967.
Teaching and Clinical Psychology
Warren began his career as a professor at his alma mater the University of Chicago. He then moved to Pasadena, California, where he became a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary before becoming the dean of the seminary's Graduate School of Psychology. Meanwhile, Warren also worked as a clinical psychologist in his own private practice, focusing on marriage compatibility. It was that experience that nurtured his interest in helping singles find lasting relationships.
eHarmony
In 1995, Warren and his son-in-law Greg Forgatch founded the seminar company Neil Clark Warren & Associates. Eventually, in 2000, the company became the dating website eHarmony. The first algorithm-based dating site, it works by matching users' core traits and values to find a couple believed to be compatible for a long-lasting relationship. Originally, prospective members of the site would complete a proprietary questionnaire to determine their profile; the questionnaire was later made optional. From its launch in 2000 to 2010, eHarmony had around 33 million members. In 2009, its cumulative revenue surpassed $1 billion. While the site did not originally offer same-sex matches, a separate site, called Compatible Partners, was launched to provide service to the LGBTQ+ community. That site eventually merged with eHarmony.
After retiring in 2007, Warren returned to eHarmony in 2012 as the company's CEO. He proceeded to close international operations that had lost profits, switch advertisers, and make many changes to the board. Warren also purchased bad stock from Technology Crossover Ventures and Sequoia Capital. In 2016, he left the company for the second time. The following year, eHarmony reportedly had 750,000 paid members and 10 million users, numbers that held steady with those reported in 2012. In 2018, the site was purchased by the German mass media company ProSiebenSat.1 via its NuCom division.
(Photo by Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Books
Warren has authored a number of books, most of them focused on helping people find compatible spouses. Titles include "Finding Contentment"; "Finding the Love of Your Life"; "Catching the Rhythm of Love"; "Falling in Love for All the Right Reasons"; "How to Know if Someone is Worth Pursuing in Two Dates or Less"; and "The Triumphant Marriage." Warren has also written dozens of articles for various publications, including the Huffington Post.
Religious Conflicts
Warren's religious views have often come into conflict with his business efforts. As a conservative Christian, he opposes same-sex marriage, which was why eHarmony did not originally offer same-sex matches. However, Warren realized he could not jeopardize major markets by discriminating against potential members, leading to the creation of the LGBTQ-friendly platform Compatible Partners.
Personal Life
Warren has been married to his wife Marylyn since 1959. They have three daughters named Lorraine, Marylyn, and Lindsay, plus nine grandchildren. The couple resides in Southern California.
Kennebunkport Mansion
In Kennebunkport, Maine, Neil commissioned a 14,000 square foot family compound set on 30 acres directly across from the famous Bush family compound. Construction was completed in 2007. When not at the mansion, the Warrens make it available for rent for as much as $140,000 per month during the summer. Here is a video tour:
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