Summary

• Many fans of The Simpsons wonder how the family affords everything despite their monetary worries.
• One fan theory from reddit user awkwardhipsters suggests that Homer Simpson is still a partial owner of the Denver Broncos in The Simpson's universe.
• Marge Simpson also receives a monthly stipend from her inheritance from her father, possibly giving the family two additional sources of income.

The Simpsons brings real family concerns to an absurd animated world, grounding its goofy comedy with genuine problems like marital stress, work woes, and monetary problems. Homer Simpson's finances are often a central issue around which several Simpsons episodes have centered. But a keen fan theory correctly predicted the family is actually fairly well-off and never actually in need of additional cash. While this is true, thanks to a throwaway gag from the show's strongest season, Homer Simpson may not actually need Marge Simpson's secret nest egg to support the family.

In the time since the show first debuted in 1989, the high costs of raising a family in Middle Class America have skyrocketed. Marge largely operates as a stay-at-home mom (although she often picks up work at various points during the series). Homer's boss Mr. Burns (who's become more of a joke) is typically shown to be greedy, finding any way to pay his employees as little as he can. Many episodes of The Simpsons see Homer take on additional work hours or entirely new jobs to better his family's life, particularly when they gain a new passion (such as Lisa's horseback riding or advanced musical teaching, as seen in Season 3's "Lisa's Pony" and Season 30's "Girl's in the Band" respectively).

Updated December 26, 2023, by Joshua M. Patton: Until very recently, fans of The Simpsons were left to ponder just how Homer Simpson was able to be a sole breadwinner for the family, especially when he's not the most dedicated worker. There have been countless theories trying to solve that particular logic problem. Other viewers simply don't care, since too-expensive homes are a staple of television shows. The Simpsons' family home makes more sense than the massive New York apartment in Friends, after all. A recent revelation about Marge's family does answer the question of how the Simpsons can afford their lifestyle, but it doesn't discount this fan-theory.

Homer Simpson's Best Boss Was a Supervillain

Despite this, the family is also often seen with surprising amounts of cash; Homer is able to drop ridiculous amounts of money with little provocation in episodes like Season 6's "Itchy & Scratchy Land" and Season 7's "The Day The Violence Died." A fan theory from Reddit user awkwardhipsters suggests that the family's true wealth is a quiet consequence of Season 8's "You Only Move Twice" (a great episode for football fans looking for off-season entertainment). The episode had Homer relocate the family to the idyllic Cypress Creek after getting a job with Hank Scorpio. Homer adjusted well and got along famously with his boss -- unaware that Scorpio was also a megalomaniacal villain bent on world domination. Homer even inadvertently assisted in Scorpio's plans, becoming responsible for the death of a James Bond-esque secret agent.

Homer was eventually to give up his position for the sake of his family and return to Springfield, but he received one final present from Scorpio. Having heard that Homer's dream was to one day own the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, Scorpio buys the Denver Broncos and gifts them to him. Although Homer was disappointed in this at the time, the Broncos would go on to win three Super Bowls after the episode aired, and the team is worth billions of dollars today (although they don't have the Twitter presence of the Pittsburgh Steelers). It's not clear if Scorpio purchased the entire franchise or if he gave Homer a stake in the ownership of the team. Either way, it would be enough to set Homer and the family up for a half-dozen lifetimes.

Does Homer Simpson Still Own the Denver Broncos In the Simpsons' Universe?

Estimated Value of the Denver Broncos Since Homer Became an Owner:

The fan theory suggests that Homer still owns at least some portion of the team, and his annual wages from even just being part-owner would likely pay for most things. In effect, the Simpsons have a limitless bank account, explaining how the family sends Lisa to an Ivy League school with no apparent problem in Season 29's "Mr. Lisa's Opus." This also explains why they never truly lose their house regardless of risk, how they pay for the medical bills from Homer's constant injuries that may have made him stupid, and why Homer is able to take extended periods off of work for a slew of other jobs and not suffer any notable additional financial strain.

The Simpsons' belief that they never have enough money instead stems from Homer's general ignorance combined with America's obsession with material growth and consumption. Whenever he gets paid by the Nuclear Power Plant, Homer assumes that's all the cash on hand -- leaving the family anxious about any additional costs. But if Homer does indeed still own the Broncos, then the family is far more well off than they realize. While their savings account might be empty, their tie to a professional sports team means they're never out of assets. This is a quietly great explanation for how the family can continue to live a fairly comfortable life despite Homer never getting a notable permanent promotion at work since Season 1's "Homer's Odyssey," and adds a fun new layer to The Simpsons overall.

In 2022, the Walton family -- of WalMart fame -- purchased the team for $4.65 billion dollars. If Homer Simpson had just a tenth of a single percentage point as an owner, such a sale would've gotten him $4.6 million. The NFL ownership group doesn't really make a "wage" from their holdings. In fact, running a football team is a costly and massively difficult endeavor, of the kind that Homer Simpson is simply not built for. Rather, the owners share "national revenue," split evenly among the group. However, owning a football team, even a small stake, could finance everything the Simpsons need to live. From licensing and sponsorhsip deals to simply using the ownership stake as collateral for an ongoing line of credit, there are many ways Homer could earn passive income from it and, potentially, not even know it.

Marge Simpson Is Also Really Rich

In Season 34's "Homer's Adventure Through the Windshield Glass," a major revelation about the family's finances is revealed. Marge Simpson has a secret account that administers a portion of her late father Clancy Bouvier's trust to her each month. Homer discovers this when he goes to the bank to get a safety deposit box, only to be told his family already has one. Still, while this does explain some of the Simpsons' financial security, it doesn't cover things like Ivy League college tuition or some of the other more extravagant and lavish purchases the family makes. Marge gets $1000 per month, which can go a long way but doesn't make the Simpsons all that rich.

Yet, since this episode revealed that Homer isn't exactly a wizard at paying attention to the income and expenses of the family, it's still possible he's making money from the Broncos and doesn't know it. Sure, such a thing would stretch the limits of believability, especially since this is hundreds of millions of dollars over the past quarter of a century. Still, on a list of unbelievable things in The Simpsons, Homer having millions in the bank barely makes the list.

The second half of Season 35 of The Simpsons debuts on Sunday, February 18, 2024, while the rest of the series streams on Disney+.