In 1989, a little show called Seinfeld premiered. It had a rough start finding an audience, but critics praised it from the get-go. Eventually, viewers got hip to it, turning the show into a cultural staple. It ended in 1998 after nine seasons of iconic episodes. While the final airing itself doesn’t live up to the series’ standard, there are still 179 other classic episodes from which to choose.

With a show of this magnitude, one can be sure that its creator would be set for life. The creator in question in Larry David. He and Jerry Seinfeld developed this “show about nothing” together and reaped the financial rewards. Several years later, David would go on to make Curb Your Enthusiasm, a sitcom depicting a fictional version of his life. On it, his character is vulgar, insensitive, and brimming with bad ideas that typically backfire. Thankfully, the real Larry David is said to be a kinder human being with more sensitivity to those around him.

Given the image that he presents on television, there is probably a lot about him that people don’t know. The next ten entries will present lesser-known facts about the successful comedian. Some of these will seem perfectly appropriate, while a few others contradict the grouchy television persona.

He’s First Generation American On His Mother’s Side

Larry David was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1947. Many New York City residents are either immigrants or the child of immigrants. David falls into the latter, at least halfway. His father was born in the United States, but his mother is from Ternopil. The city bounced between Poland, Austria, and Russian rule for several centuries, but was a part of Austrian Poland when she was born. Since the end of World War II, the city has been a part of Ukraine and stayed with the country when it gained independence in 1991.

His Education Is Surprising

Since comedy typically isn’t a degree that one can get, it’s safe to assume that Larry doesn’t have a BA in making people laugh. His true degree is still somewhat surprising. The successful comedian is an alum of the University of Maryland in College Park. It is a small town that, according to the 2010 census, has a population just barely surpassing thirty thousand people. David’s degree is, unexpectedly, in history.

He’s George Costanza

Seinfeld’s characters were unlike anything else on TV at the time: they weren’t related, they weren’t particularly desirable, and they were arguably bad people.

George Costanza’s personality is based on Larry David, and the similarities become clearer when comparing George to Larry on Curb Your Enthusiasm. They don’t particularly look alike, but they have the same hairstyle. Fortunately, David seems more pleasant to be around than his television counterparts.

He Has Two Children

When watching Curb Your Enthusiasm, one may think to themselves, “Thank God Larry doesn’t have children”. It is true he has no offspring on the hit HBO series, but the real-life story is different. Larry and his ex-wife, Laurie Lennard, had two daughters together in 1994 and 1996. Cazzie, the oldest, is an actress and writer who had her own web series, Eighty-Sixed. She was also in a relationship with Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson.

He Wrote For SNL

Before hitting it big with Seinfeld, Larry worked as a writer for various television shows. He first got a gig penning skits for Fridays, a sketch comedy show on ABC. Afterward, he landed a job at Saturday Night Live in 1984. The job only lasted for one year, and only one of his skits ever aired. The job wasn’t all in vain, however, since he did end up meeting Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who would later go on to play Elaine in Seinfeld.

Cosmo Kramer’s Origins

Seinfeld’s characters closely mirror real life. One major reason for this is because many of the characters are based on real people… or at least extreme versions of them.

Cosmo Kramer, Jerry’s eccentric neighbor, is based on a real neighbor Larry had when he lived in Hell’s Kitchen, New York. Kenny Kramer had similar mannerisms, equally strange ideas, and a tendency to raid the fridge.

He’s One Of The Most Successful Comedians

Larry’s net worth is reported to be around $400 million. At one time people said that it was $900 million so both numbers have been thrown around. That makes him one of the most successful comedians of all time. Larry contests this number, however, claiming that it has never been anywhere close to this, and that half of it went to his ex-wife in the divorce. Still, with syndication and Curb Your Enthusiasm, the 71-year-old writer and performer cannot be doing half bad for himself.

He Was In The Army Reserve

Some may look down on the Army Reserve, since it isn’t being in the forces full time, but Larry David was a part of them in his young adult years and says his experience was no cake walk. Training was grueling, uncomfortable, and proved too much to handle for some his fellow trainees. It’s hard to see him as athletic, but at the same time, he does look really good for his age.

The Seinfeld Episode “The Revenge” Is Based On Him

One popular Seinfeld episode, “The Revenge”, sees George Costanza quitting his job, only to show up a couple of days later acting as if he never left. This bizarre comedic situation seems too outlandish to be true, but it is taken from Larry’s real-life experience.

He did the same thing after quitting SNL just one year after starting his job there. Maybe it was embarrassing for him at the time, but he got the last laugh in the end.

Larry David has portrayed Senator Bernie Sanders several times during his hosting stints on SNL. The two bear a striking similarity, and for good reason - they are related. The two eventually appeared together on the late night program, making the resemblance all the more uncanny.

Next: Larry David’s 10 Best Quotes On Curb Your Enthusiasm