Age, Biography, and Wiki
Tommy Chong, born Thomas B. Kin Chong, is 86 years old as of 2025. He was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and grew up in Calgary. His mixed heritage, with a Scottish-Irish mother and a Chinese-born father, influenced his unique comedic style. Chong's early life was marked by dropping out of high school at 16 to pursue a career in music, joining the rhythm and blues band the Shades, which later evolved into Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers.
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 24 May 1938 |
| Age | 87 Years |
| Birth Place | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Country | Canada |
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific details about Tommy Chong's height and weight are not widely documented, his iconic status as a cultural figure has overshadowed such physical attributes, focusing instead on his contributions to comedy and cannabis culture.
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Dating & Relationship Status
Tommy Chong has been married to Shelby Chong since 1975. She is also a comedian and has appeared in various Cheech & Chong films. The couple has three children together and is known for their enduring marriage in the entertainment industry.
Thomas B. His mother was a Canadian of Scottish and Irish ancestry, and his father was a Chinese immigrant who arrived in Canada during the 1930s. After arriving in Canada, the senior Chong first lived with an aunt in Vancouver. Tommy had an older brother, Stan (1936–2018).
As a youth, Tommy Chong moved with his family to Calgary, settling in a conservative neighbourhood Chong has referred to as "Dog Patch". He has said that his father had "been wounded in World War II and there was a veterans' hospital in Calgary. He bought a $500 house in Dog Patch and raised his family on $50 a week." In an interview, Chong later described how he dropped out of Crescent Heights High School "when I was 16 but probably just before they were going to throw me out anyway." He played guitar to make money. "I discovered that music could get you laid, even if you were a scrawny, long-haired, geeky-looking guy like me."
Chong was charged for his part in financing and promoting Chong Glass/Nice Dreams, a company started by his son Paris. His case never went to trial, as his attorney negotiated a plea agreement with the US Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania's Office. He admitted to distributing 7,500 bongs and water pipes on the Internet through Nice Dreams. Chong agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute drug paraphernalia in exchange for non-prosecution of his wife, Shelby, and his son, Paris. Chong cooperated with the government and was the first of the Operation Pipe Dreams defendants to plead guilty.
During its investigation of Nice Dreams, federal agents posed as head-shop owners from Beaver County in western Pennsylvania. They asked Paris Chong to sell them pipes through the mail to a fictitious shop in the town of Beaver Falls, 31 mi from Pittsburgh. Paris Chong had been prohibited from selling to Pittsburgh or anywhere in Western Pennsylvania because of the successful federal prosecution of Akhil Kumar Mishra and his wife, Rajeshwari, who had two head shops in the city. Accounts differ as to who in Nice Dreams went against Chong's prohibition, or even if it had been made up by the defence, but the sales did take place to the agents. This enabled the U.S. Attorney to show jurisdiction in Pennsylvania for Chong's illegal activities, as opposed to California, which was the base for Nice Dreams.
In 1975, Chong married Shelby Fiddis in Los Angeles. They had three children, including the actor Precious Chong. They also adopted Marcus Wyatt (b. 1967) in 1978. Marcus took the surname of his adoptive parents and siblings when he turned eighteen.
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| Husband | Maxine Sneed (m. 1960-1970) Shelby Chong (m. 1975) |
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Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, Tommy Chong's net worth is estimated at $20 million. His wealth is attributed to his successful career in comedy, acting, and business ventures, particularly in the cannabis industry with his brand "Chong's Choice".
Career, Business, and Investments
- Early Career: Chong began his career in music, playing in bands like the Shades and Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers. He reached fame with Cheech Marin as part of the duo Cheech & Chong, creating iconic comedy albums and films like "Up in Smoke" and "Nice Dreams".
- Acting and Film: After Cheech & Chong, Chong continued to act in films and TV shows, including his role as Leo on "That '70s Show".
- Cannabis Business: Chong's Choice, his cannabis brand, is a significant source of income, capitalizing on the legalized cannabis industry.
- Writing and Advocacy: Chong is also known for his writing, having authored the best-selling book "The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint".
Thomas B. Kin Chong (born May 24, 1938) is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, musician and activist. He is known for his role/inspiration in the marijuana industry, his marijuana-themed Cheech & Chong comedy albums and movies with Cheech Marin, and playing the character Leo on Fox's That '70s Show. He became a naturalized United States citizen in the late 1980s.
By the early 1960s, Chong was playing guitar for a Calgary soul group called the Shades. The Shades moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where the band's name changed to "Little Daddy & the Bachelors". They recorded a single, "Too Much Monkey Business" / "Junior's Jerk". Together with bandmember Bobby Taylor, Chong opened a Vancouver nightclub in 1963. Formerly the Alma Theatre, they called it the “Blues Palace”. They brought in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, which had never been to Vancouver before. Although Little Daddy & the Bachelors built up a small following, things soured when they went with Chong's suggestion and had themselves billed as "Four Niggers and a Chink" (or, bowing to pressure, "Four N's and a C") before taking on the moniker Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers.
Cheech & Chong, while a very successful comedy act, split in 1985 due to creative differences and Marin's desire to focus on a mainstream acting career. This began a difficult time for Chong. He developed an unsold pilot for CBS called The Martinez Family, which was redeveloped as the 1988 sitcom Trial and Error. In 1990, he directed, wrote and starred in the movie Far Out Man. He did not act regularly until filling the recurring role (later a regular role) as the fun-loving, aging hippie "Leo" (similar to his Chong character) on That '70s Show. Chong was absent during the fifth and sixth seasons of the show as he was serving a brief jail sentence; upon his release, he returned to the series for its final two seasons. He also played a role as a hippie in Dharma & Greg.
In April 2020, Chong's brand started working alongside the fashion brand Slicks. On December 18, 2020, Chong appeared in the online cannabis publication The Green Fund for an interview to discuss his career with Cheech & Chong and his upcoming branded dispensaries.
While Chong argued for community service and home detention at his sentencing, the district judge, Arthur J. Schwab, denied his requests and sentenced him to 9 months in federal prison, a fine of $20,000, forfeiture of $103,514, and the loss of all merchandise seized during the raid of his business. Chong served his sentence at the Taft Correctional Institution from October 8, 2003, to July 7, 2004. He was a cellmate of "The Wolf of Wall Street" Jordan Belfort, who credits him for encouraging Belfort to write his memoirs. They have remained friends.
While government officials denied that Chong was treated any differently from the other defendants, supporters felt his celebrity status was being used against him. Chong's publicist Brandie Knight said the Chong family was shocked by the raid. "We've done everything the right way, and the government is saying there is no right way," Knight said. Supporters started the "Free Tommy Chong!" movement that called for his release. They questioned why Chong was prosecuted rather than his son Paris Chong, who was CEO of the business. They also pointed to the disparity in sentences between Chong's and those of other defendants, and they protested the DEA tactics used in the investigation.
Paris Chong had started Nice Dreams in 1999. He was never charged with his crimes in relation to the investigation, as part of a plea bargain. When asked why the government had focused on Chong rather than his son the CEO, US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan said that "Tommy Chong was the more responsible corporate officer because he financed and marketed the product."
On May 7, 2008, federal agents raided Spectrum Labs in an investigation related to its "detoxification" products. The search was one of nine conducted for Operation True Test, an investigation being led by Buchanan, still the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. It targeted companies that sold so-called "masking products," intended to help drug users pass employer drug tests. No federal law bans such products; they are regulated on a state-by-state basis. Of the nine search warrants issued, none was for businesses within Buchanan's district.
Social Network
Tommy Chong maintains an active presence on social media platforms, engaging with fans and promoting his ventures. However, specific details about his followers or engagement metrics are not readily available.
At Chong's sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney for Western Pennsylvania Mary McKeen Houghton said in her arguments that Tommy Chong "used his public image to promote this crime" and marketed his products to children. U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan also was present at the sentencing in Pittsburgh and released a statement to the press stating: "There are consequences for violating the law, even if the violator is a well-known entertainer like Thomas Chong."
Of the 55 people who were subjects of the investigation, Chong was the only one without previous convictions who received jail time. When questioned on the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan noted that Chong had never gone to trial and made a plea bargain. She said, "He was a relatively new player, but he had the ability to market products like no other."
Chong claimed that federal agents had seized 8,000–10,000 copies of the yet-to-be released documentary, a/k/a Tommy Chong, from Spectrum Labs, but their attorney said no DVDs were taken. In a press release, Chong said: "[The seizure of the DVDs is] a way to punish the distributor financially. There's no way to get the DVDs back until the investigation is over." Chong said he did not have any ownership of the film. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette later amended its story, saying that an "undisclosed number of DVDs was taken". It noted the government is not required to disclose a reason for the seizure as the raid was part of "an ongoing investigation".
Chong announced on June 9, 2012, that he was battling prostate cancer. He described the cancer "as a slow stage one [that I've] had for a long time". He said that he had been drug free for about three years, during which time he began having prostate-related problems. On June 16, 2015, he said he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and was "using cannabis like crazy" to endure the treatment.
Education
Chong dropped out of high school at 16 to pursue a career in music, thus not completing formal education beyond that point.
Overall, Tommy Chong's legacy spans comedy, music, and cannabis advocacy, cementing his place as a cultural icon in the entertainment industry.
