David Copperfield Biography

David Seth Kotkin (September 16, 1956), Illusionist. Better known as David Copperfield. His place of origin was Metuchen, New Jersey, United States. He grew up in a Jewish family, his mother Rebecca, insurance agent, and his father Hyman Kotkin, owner of a haberdashery company. His mother was born in Jerusalem, while his paternal grandparents were Ukrainian Jewish immigrants.

Since he was a child he was attracted to magic shows. His family does not really know where such a taste came from. At his Metuchen High School, the clever kid sold tickets for his little magic show, he charged $ 5. He began to be recognized in his school as the magician Davino. Without finishing school, he taught magic at the University of New York, in Manhattan and left the attendees of the theater on Broadway unmoved with his act of Disappearance. His talent for magic impressed the American Magicians Society in the same way, becoming the youngest member.

He enrolled at Fordham University. He spent three years studying for his new project, a musical called The Magic Man in Chicago. As he had planned, this show was the highest grossing and most successful musical, he stayed at the Broadway in Chicago for four weeks. At this time, David Seth changed his stage name to David Copperfield, in honor of one of the protagonists of the Charles Dickens

novels.

CBS offered him a contract for a series of specials known as The Magic of David Copperfield. In 1984, this program in its version number six achieved the Emmy Award and swept the TV rating. During his eighth year on CBS, his special was broadcast for the Chinese Republic. The main event was that of the impressive 4,480-kilometer wall of China. The historic structure became the illusion of David, this excellent magician, in a rapid movement managed to cross the wall, this episode generated hundreds of reactions.

“It was not a trick, but the result of a long mental exercise” David Copperfield

David Copperfield, innovated and gave a slight change to his career, founded a Magical Project, a program that sought the rehabilitation of people with disabilities to recover motor skills. The program was accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Although, it was not very successful.

In 1993, he established a relationship with the German supermodel Claudia Schiffer, after he invited her to the stage to participate in an act of reading the mind. During the relationship, Schiffer appeared on several occasions on stage with David. This union generated exaggerated recognition and popularity. After a courtship of almost six years, in September 1999 announced their separation. Later, he started an affair with Chloe Gosselin, also a model and French fashion designer, 28 years younger than him. From this union, his daughter Sky was born in February 2010.

British chef Gavin Cox attended a David Copperfield show with his wife at a hotel in Las Vegas. Cox was chosen by the magician to participate in one of his tricks. It consisted of making him “disappear” with other 12 people to later appear behind the seats. But, unfortunately, Cox, during the act suffered a shoulder dislocation. Due to the operations performed, he suffered irreversible lesions in the brain and a disease similar to Parkinson’s. For this serious event, the magician faced a demand.

His glory ascended and spread throughout the world, becoming the most celebrated magician in history. David Copperfield made magic a worldwide spectacle and the peak of his career took place in the nineties when he performed unimaginable acts, such as disappearing the Statue of Liberty and crossing the Great Wall of China.

Definitely, his talent has been admired since the tender age of 11 years. In his 60 years of life, several media in North America gave him recognition. The so-called Wizard of the Century and the Millennium has been awarded 21 Emmys for his special television programs; 11 Guinness Records, was honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a star. All this has led to the title of Living Legend, granted by the Library of the United States Congress.

At 60, Copperfield is considered the richest and most famous magician of all time. He has a fortune of 150 million dollars, earned with his tours, his television programs and his merchandising. In his statements, he claimed to have sold more tickets to his shows than Frank Sinatra or Michael Jackson. Currently, he performs at the MGM Grand hotel and casino in Las Vegas, his show as a resident, and continues to attract hundreds of people.

As indicated by the annual publication “The list of best-paid celebrities” published by Forbes magazine, the illusionist holds the position 20 with a heritage that reaches 800 million dollars. Its capital includes 11 islands in the private Bahamas with an extension of more than 700 hectares which it has baptized as “Islands of Copperfield Bay”.