- Source of Wealth: Film, Television and Education
- Age: 69
- Birth Place: Odessa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
- Marital Status: Divorced (Linda Dreeszen)
- Full Name: Yakov Naumovich Pokhis
- Nationality: Ukrainian and American (dual citizenship)
- Date of Birth: January 24, 1951
- Ethnicity: Jewish
- Occupation: College Professor and Comedian
- Education: Penn College of Liberal and Professional Studies
- Children: 2 (Natasha and Alexander)
Ukrainian-American, Yakov Smirnoff has an estimated net worth of $20 million. This USSR immigrant moved to the US in 1977 and became an American citizen on the 4th of July 1986. He owns a theatre in Branson, Missouri, where he performs year-round. Smirnoff is also a professor at Missouri State University and Drury University where he teaches “The Business of Laughter.” In May 2006, Smirnoff received a master’s degree in positive psychology from the Penn College. He eventually developed a new talk show that is based on the important role that laughter plays in healthy relationships.