AS wheeler dealer Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses, Sir David Jason would famously predict: "This time next year, we'll be millionaires."
But while his get-rich-quick schemes failing spectacularly in the sitcom, the legendary actor easily achieved the dream in real life.
The 83-year-old has amassed a whopping £8million fortune since he catapulted to fame as the legendary market trader.
This week documents filed by Companies House revealed his business Peglington Productions is still banking more than £1million a year.
The actor’s star power has increased significantly since his debut in 1981 as the legendary Peckham wheeler-dealer in the BBC sitcom.
At the height of his fame, David was reportedly netting £100k per episode for Only Fools and Horses.
The 83-year-old – who was knighted in 2005 for his services to acting and comedy – has gone on to star in a number of big TV shows including Open All Hours and A Touch of Frost.
And his newly filed accounts show Sir David is still making a cushty profit – raking in more than £2.1m in two years.
Lovely Jubbly!
But while he's top of the 'nice little earners' list,Sir David isn’t the only star from the beloved show who’s rolling in it, as our rich list reveals…
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Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) £3.6m
10
10Nicholas’ fortune is a far cry from his character Rodney Trotter who struggles to make ends meet as a market trader, alongside his brother Del Boy.
He went on to star in other major sitcoms including Goodnight Sweetheart and Butterflies and is currently starring in the Frasier reboot.
The 61-year-old actor reportedly has £3.6m sitting in his business account Enigmania Limited after denying that he is planning to retire from acting following the tragic death of his son.
In September 2020, beloved Archie tragically died from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at the tender age of 19. In a statement, Lyndhurst said he and his wife were "utterly grief stricken”.
Cassandra (Gwyneth Strong) 700k
She is famed for playing the role of Cassandra Trotter, the wife to Rodney, and long-suffering sister-in-law to Del Boy.
Unlike her husband, Cassandra is sensible and sceptical of Del Boy’s hair-brained schemes.
Since her last Only Fools appearance nearly 20 years ago, Gwyneth, 63, has racked up a long list of television credits including roles in Silent Witness, Casualty, Midsomer Murders, New Tricks, Doctors, A Touch of Frost, The Great Train Robbery and many more.
In September 2016, she landed a major role in TV soap EastEnders playing Geraldine Clough, the leader of a female darts team from The Feathers pub.
She is estimated to be worth around £700k.
Racquel (Tessa Peake Jones) £2.5m
After joining the series in 1988, the London-born actress was the love of Del Boy’s life for 15 years, and mum to only son Damien.
After Only Fools she was a regular in Doctors and also played cantankerous housekeeper Mrs Maguire in Grantchester for eight years from 2014.
Tessa bought her first home in Cricklewood, West London, for £23,000 when she was 23.
She was married to fellow actor Douglas Hodge for 27 years, before they split in 2013. The couple share two children.
Tessa recently revealed that her Only Fools character raked in plenty of repeat fees, with 80 per cent of her original fee each time it was shown on the BBC, but that deal ended when UK Gold took the episodes over.
She said the show paid well enough “to pay a mortgage and bills… but you weren’t on silly money,” adding Grantchester gave her “more security".
Now 66, she also revealed that she is part of WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality), as she is in the age group left out of pocket by changes to pensions.
Trigger (Roger Lloyd-Pack) £1.5m
The late actor may have played ‘dopey’ Trigger in the popular BBC sitcom but he was actually pretty savvy off-screen.
Roger, who also starred in the Vicar of Dibley, was one of the bigger earners list with a £1.5million fortune.
He sadly passed away last January at the age of 69 from pancreatic cancer.
As he did not leave a will his estate – worth £1,464,636 – was shared between his widow Jehane Markham, and his four children – actress Emily Lloyd and sons Spencer, Hartley and Louis.
The large sum would be enough to buy 150,000 new brooms that his character famously recycled over a long career as a road sweeper.
Boycie (John Challis) £497k
Only Fools and Horses legend John Challis died from cancer in September 2021.
Probate figures show he left a gross estate of £497,000.
After his affairs were settled, the remaining £469,000 went to his fourth wife Carol.
John became a household name as cigar-smoking, second-hand car dealer Terrance Aubrey Boyce.
His antagonistic relationship with Del Boy and Rodney Trotter often saw him in the Nag’s Head swigging cognac, and he was given his own spin off show, The Green, Green Grass, in 2004.
The number of deaths linked to the show led Sir David Jason, who played Del Boy to write it was 'jinxed' by a death curse.
Grandad (Lennard Pearce) £40k
He was one of the original cast in the BBC sitcom and starred in three series.
Unfortunately, the 69-year-old died unexpectedly from a heart attack halfway through filming the fourth series in 1988 – leaving the entire cast and crew devastated.
Historic probate documents show Lennard Pearce, who played Grandad, died on 15 December 1984 with an estate "not exceeding" £40k.
The star's death shocked the cast at the time and was even written into the show with Del Boy and Rodney attending his funeral.
Uncle Albert (Harry Merryfield) £591k
The funeral episode saw the introduction of Harry 'Buster' Merryfield, who played Grandad's brother Uncle Albert in the show for many years before his death in June 1999.
Buster didn't go through probate, but his earnings were inherited by his wife Iris Merryfield.
She died in November 2002 with public records showing an estate totalling £654,304, but with a net value of £590,978 which was divided among members of her family.
Mike (Kenneth Macdonald) £106k
Another of the fallen stars is Kenneth Macdonald, who played Mike, the barman of the Nag's Head, for many years.
He died suddenly from a heart attack in August 2001 while on holiday in Hawaii. He was just 50 years old at the time.
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Documents show he didn't make a will but probate was granted to his wife Sheila. He left behind an estate of £106,030, with the net value of £89,740.
In David’s Jason’s book, Only Fools And Stories, he paid tribute to Kenneth calling him a ‘sweet and kind’ man.
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