David Copperfield – Biography

David Kotkin, also known as David Copperfield, is an American Magician. He is one of the most inspiring personalities worldwide and has also been featured in Forbes.

His work in the entertainment industry is not restricted to a specific domain. Instead, he has worked in multiple domains. He is known as a storyteller and illusionist and has also given numerous memorable appearances on Television.

We are all fascinated by the great works that this individual has provided to society in general. It is always great to know more about the man, the myth, and the legend. That is why we have dug into his history and have really looked at how his life progressed unto the present day.

This biography will discuss some of the significant aspects of David’s life.

Early life and Academics

David Copperfield was born on 16th September 1956 in New Jersey. He was born to Rebecca Kotkin and Hyman Kotkin. His parents were both working parents, and he belonged to a Jewish family. David’s mother worked as an insurance adjuster while his father operated Korby’s. Korby’s was a men’s haberdashery in New Jersey.

His family had roots in Ukraine because his mother was born in Jerusalem, while David’s paternal grandparents were immigrants from Ukraine. David had a keen interest in magic since his early life. Although he graduated from Metuchen High School in 1974, he began taking an interest in magic when he was just 10 years old.

Initially, David began practicing magic in his neighborhood. He was known as Davino, The Boy Magician. At the age of 12, he formally decided to enroll himself in The society of American Magicians. Surprisingly he was just 12 years old when he enrolled himself in the community of American Magicians and was the youngest person admitted.

David was fond of creativity, and hence, he began attending camps due to his interest in creativity and magic. He attended multiple day camps in Warren, New Jersey. At these camps, David started practicing ventriloquism together with magic.

David learned many new tricks and techniques through these camps. He always enjoyed peeking into stage shows, especially those which featured musicals. By the age of 16, David had gained expertise in magic and began teaching a course in magic at New York University

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David’s Career

The first part that many of us would like to have an overview of would be his career. We all know the individual because of his many different performances. But how did he begin his career? What really set it all off? Where did he begin it all?

David had already begun his career when he started teaching at New York University. However, there was much more ahead. At the age of 18, David played a role in the musical titled The Magic Man, held in Chicago.

After this musical role, David adopted the name David Copperfield inspired by one of the novels by Charles Dickens. David’s debut in Television is attributed to Joseph Cates, the producer of Broadway shows and television specials.

After that, David made back-to-back appearances on TV. He gave around 18 TV specials and 2 documentaries from 1977 to 2001. Copperfield’s work was not restricted to any specific genre. Instead, he has also worked in horror films. He played the character of The Magician in a horror film named terror Train in the year 1980. In addition to this, he has also given multiple illusion appearances in walking through the Great Wall Of China in 1986, the vanishing and reappearance of The Statue of Liberty in 1983 and levitating over the Grand Canyon in the year 1984.

Personal Life

Changes in David’s personal life began in 1993. In 1993, David met a German supermodel Claudia Schiffer at a Berlin celebrity gala event. At the event, David brought Schiffer on the stage for the mind-reading act and illusion. After a year, both Schiffer and David became engaged in January 1994.

Apart from being a part of his personal life, Claudia was also a part of David’s professional life. She appeared with David in a documentary named David Copperfield: 15 Years Of Magic. David and Claudia were together for around 6 years, after which they announced their breakup in the year 1999.

Fast forward to the year 2010, when David’s girlfriend, a French fashion model and 28 years junior to him, gave birth to his daughter named Sky. This news became public in 2011 in The New York Post. Apart from Sky, David has two other children, a son and a daughter.

David’s business has always been concentrated on making property. Hence, most of his business interests revolve around property and restaurants. Following are some of David Copperfield’s business interests.

• Musha Cay and the Islands of Copperfield Bay

Copperfield invested in eleven Bahamian islands named Musha Cay. He renamed the islands of his name and transformed them into private resorts. Many renowned guests have been to the Islands of Copperfield Bay. These include Oprah Winfrey and John Travolta

• Gambling In Maryland

Copperfield was fond of gambling since his career debut days. Hence, he aimed to expand gambling in Maryland. In 2012, residents of Maryland confirmed this news by stating that they had received a call from Copperfield through which he expressed interest in expanding gambling in the state.

Awards and Achievements

Due to an extensive career in Television, movies, and documentaries, Copperfield has achieved multiple awards and is also named in some of the Guinness World Records. Following are some of David’s awards.

• Magician of the Century by The Society of American Magicians.

• Nominated 38 times for Emmy awards and won 21 times.

• Received the medal of Chevalier of Arts and Letters.

• Received Living Legend Award from Library of Congress.

Copperfield holds 11 Guinness world records, including the following

• Most giant illusion ever staged.

• Highest annual earnings for a magician.

• Largest Broadway attendance in a week.

• Highest career earning as a Magician.

• Most tickets are sold around the world for a solo entertainer.

• Most magic shows are performed in a year.

• Largest magic work archive.

• The largest international television audience for a magician.