Big Bird Is Richer Than Romney

Big Bird has been occupying public television for 43 years, yet he's definitely part of the 1 percent.

Big Bird is richer than Mitt Romney. Sesame Workshop (successor to Children's Television Workshop), reported to the IRS a $356-million net worth as of June 30, 2011, compared to Romney's estimated worth of about $250-million.

Big Bird's nest is well feathered yet Sesame Workshop gets about $6 million a year in "government grants." (Getty Images)

Obviously, Big Bird's nest is well-feathered. His diet isn't exactly bird seed.

Despite scare headlines, (such as HuffPo's "Mitt Romney's Big Bird Attack Threatens Thousands of U.S. Jobs") this avian is no endangered species.

Sesame Workshop boasts its $356-million value even after it paid $180-million in 2000 to buy-out the rights to the Muppets from the late Jim Henson.

Sesame Workshop has a liquid cushion of over $130-million in cash and securities, while other parts of the current worth are labeled "intangible" assets. Royalty receipts alone generate $47 million a year, thanks to annual sales of $515 million in Sesame Street branded products, according to Forbes.

These products include dolls, puppets, books, music, DVD's, T-shirts, bibs, potty chairs, shampoo, video games, and more.

How does Sesame Street rank among other best-selling entertainment franchises? Forbes' article describes Sesame Street's neighborhood like this:

1. Disney Princess (Disney) $1.6 billion in 2011 retail sales
2. Star Wars (Lucasfilm) $1.5 billion
3. Pooh (Disney) $1.09 billion
4. Cars (Disney) $1.05 billion
5. Hello Kitty (Sanrio) $800 million
6. Mickey & Friends (Disney) $750 million
7. WWE (WWE) $700 million
8. Toy Story (Disney) $685 million
9. Peanuts (Iconix, Peanuts Worldwide) $600 million
10. Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop) $515 million
11. Disney Fairies (Disney) $435 million
12. Thomas the Tank Engine (Hit Entertainment) $390 million
13. Garfield (Paws Inc.) $370 million
14. Dora the Explorer (Nickelodeon) $330 million
15. SpongeBob (Nickelodeon) $330 million
16. Spiderman (Marvel/Disney) $325 million
17. Ben 10 (Cartoon Network) $295 million
18. Angry Birds (Rovio) $250 million
19. Batman (DC/Warner) $245 million
20. Barbie (Mattel) $242 million

Big Bird no more needs government funding than Barbie, Spiderman, Winnie the Pooh, or SpongeBob.

Yet the IRS filing shows Sesame Workshop gets about $6 million a year in "government grants" (which are not itemized). He doesn't need it.

Big Bird won't be carved up on anybody's Thanksgiving platter (even though he's plumper than any turkey). Public television nurtured Big Bird, but he's 8-feet tall and full-grown. It's time for him to move out of his parents' basement.

Angry Birds are doing fine without government money. So should a nice one like Big Bird.

Former Congressman Ernest Istook hosts the daily "Istook Live" radio talk show, available at www.istook.com, broadcast from The Heritage Foundation 9 a.m. to noon (Eastern) Monday through Friday. He is a distinguished fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Read more reports from Ernest Istook — Click Here Now.