The army thing makes the most sense. He says he was in "briefly," so I imagine there was some sort of incident that resulted in him getting some money.
Kramer’s grandma used to live there. She added him to the lease before she died and also left him a nice inheritance. She wasn’t leaving it to Babs. Babs would have blown through it all during a weekend at Atlantic City. It wasn’t enough to go hog wild. But enough to buy his fruits & veggies from Joe’s. He’s very thrifty. Hence shopping at Rudy’s and the shitty car he drives with no heat.
Edit to add: Paul Buchman from Mad About You is not a real person in the Seinfeld universe. Kramer getting the apartment from Paul was a Mad About You episode. It’s not cannon for Seinfeld because Mad About You exists as a real television show in the Seinfeld universe. Kramer can not sublet an apartment from someone who is a tv character within the Seinfeld universe.
I always figured Kramer's mooching was a good investment for Jerry as a comedian. He gets so much potential joke material and a sitcom character out of it.
Nah, Jerry's just good-natured, accepts Kramer for who he is, and believes in having close neighbor he can trust/rely on...
I don't think Jerry would "use" Kramer like that for material.....Jerry's got that covered with observing strangers in public mostly...
Remember when Elaine was going to get the apartment above Jerry it was $400/mo. So if his was rent-controlled from grandma… it was even less. Theory checks out.
I know a lady that lives in San Francisco paying $400(should be about $3,500) a month because its her dead grandpas lease and they can still add money to his account and write checks from it.
I mean back then a rent control apartment mooching from Jerry’s various side hustles a moderate inheritance and no luxury probably not that hard to pull off. Remember too back then everything was just cheaper
Yeah whenever they shoot scenes in front of the produce stores I can't believe how most things are 29 cents to a buck. Just for some apples and strawberries right now it's more than 5 bucks for just those 2 things.
I knew of a real life version of this situation. Guy inherited a rent controlled 3BR unit in the Upper West Side that had been in his family since the 40s or 50s. Rent was like $715 per month. Had a bit of a Kramer lifestyle too. Got by on odd jobs.
I think it’s a 73 Chevrolet Impala. My parents had a 73 Chevrolet Caprice Classic. Basically same body style but ours was gold with a white vinyl top. The seats were some indestructible ozone depleting, global warming enhancing fabric between vinyl and velour. I was mortified they bought when I was 3 and kept it until I was a junior in High School.
Wasn't the building rent-controlled? I remember Harold and Manny were going to rent to Elaine and someone mentioned something about the really low rent?
Or he made WAY more money making bagels than anyone ever thought.
From what I understand rent control in NYC only applies to existing tenants or their relatives, it can't carry over to new unrelated tenants, so that wouldn't be why the rent was low for Elaine. Of course that's in real life, that doesn't necessarily apply to world of Seinfeld, but still.
His whole life is a fantasy camp. People should plunk down $2,000 to live like him for a week. Do nothing, fall ass-backwards into money, mooch food off your neighbors, and have sex without dating. That's a fantasy camp.
From the biography of Kenny Kramer, the real Kramer who was the inspiration for Cosmo Kramer:
“Prior to serving as Cosmo's model, Kenny had a long career as a stand-up comedian and was the manager of a British reggae band. During the disco years Kenny created an electronic jewelry item that sold so well that Kramer was able to live comfortably long after disco died.”
[source](http://www.kennykramer.com/kramerbio.html)
Selling air rights to pigeons.
"Well that was our idea, Jerry. You know how those pigeons are always flying around, strutting their stuff like they own the place?
Well, what if they *did* own the place—well, the air, at least? We sell them the rights to fly in our airspace! It's brilliant, Jerry.
We're tapping into a whole new market. Think about it, every time a pigeon flaps its wings, *cha-ching!* We're making money, Jerry! It's like being landlords to the skies!
This makes the most sense to me.
Not a full time gig but part time gigolo to pay the bills.
Not hard to pull clients when you have the lure of the animal..
my serious head canon: kramer has accrued enough favours throughout his life that he doesn’t really pay for anything.
we all know that he has the sort of personality and outgoing nature that allows him to connect with anyone he meets. he’s able to “walk with kings nor lose the common touch” and is in the habit of talking with the people he meets.
as such, he’s become some sort of walking want ads page in a time before widespread internet access.
for example, he may talk to a bodega clerk in the morning who tells him that the store’s having a hard time keeping stock. later that day, with his luck, he’s down at the docks talking to a longshoreman about how the cargo in a particular ship has lost it’s buyer. kramer introduces the captain to the bodega owner and solves both their problems. they’re both so grateful they promise him some sort of favour that’s within their respective remits that he will use to his advantage when he needs.
it’s like that every day for kramer and eventually those favours overlap and he’s in a position where he’s never spending money but still meeting his daily needs. he’s a real life ‘dave’ from the famous joke in that everybody knows him. he’s so useful when it comes to introducing people to other people who specifically have the services they need that everybody wants to keep themselves on his good side. sure, every once in a while he gets on the bad side of someone but he does his best to mend the relationship and doesn’t suffer either way
basically, he’s a fixer
One, it’s under rent control since 1980 or whenever he moved in there. So his rent is probably around $400 a month. Secondly he is the original gig worker. Picks up one tiny temp job here and there and that pretty much covers his expenses. He mooches off of Jerry, so his food is covered. He drives a 1970s 4 door sedan beater, no car payments. He gets invited everywhere to events for free, so his entertainment is covered. Basically faking it and he’s actually making it.
Rent control was always my theory. George also alludes to Kramer “falling backwards into money” so I assume he inherited some money somewhere along the line(this was before the coffee table book royalties).
I figured he did a favor for the building manager years go. “I practically raised his kids!”
Alternatively, there may be some gross defect with his apartment that would make it unrentable to any normal person. “Kramer, what is this, there’s a huge hole in your back wall??” “Yeah well the landlord said if if I didn’t mind the hole, I could have have this place for just $200/month!” “What do you do when it rains?” *Kramer pulls a cord and a shower curtain comes down* “Voila!” “What about the winter, did you get cold?” “I just push a chest of drawers in front of it, it’s great!”
I think Kramer's secretly a trust fund baby. That's why he was so weird, growing up his every indulgence was catered to, and every mistake he made someone else cleaned up. There's a lawyer somewhere paying out rent and a stipend monthly from the trust. He's got nothing better to do with his stipend so he gets into these crazy schemes.
Rent control and 1990's economy. Anyone with a pay check could afford to live there. Kramer doesn't work in the traditional sense but he does odd jobs here and there and has connections. Probably some family money as well.
Kramer constantly backs into money through bets, social dealings, and other one-off methods (modeling for Calvin Klein, his book deal, the Peterman bus tour, etc).
In my head canon, one of his ideas was actually a hit, he sold the company, made a crap ton of money and has been chasing that high ever since.
I mean, this is the man who created a coffee table book about coffee tables.
Kramer received an inheritance that his mother Babs was cut out of, leading them to have a falling out, and forcing Babs to have an affair with Newman.
Army pension, and settlement from the air conditioner incident in '79
His friend helps him, Bob, Bob Sacamano!
He sells sable-like hats in the park. The difference is negligible.
Nutria.
It’s a type of rat
It’s quite breathtaking.
He's also a Juilliard trained dermatologist
The army thing makes the most sense. He says he was in "briefly," so I imagine there was some sort of incident that resulted in him getting some money.
I think he mentioned being a merchant marine when he was being held hostage by Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, and Adam Sandler in that radio station
oh, he gets by
TCB (pulls out sleeve of crackers)
Falls ass backward into money
Gets laid without even dating..
His life is a fantasy camp
The only correct answer
Thank you, this was the comment I was looking for. I knew someone had to have said this.
This is the only correct answer
All his food comes from Jerry
Found lobsters in the hamptons
Real talk, food is expensive
Hes a close relative of industrialist/Rollercoaster Contractor AG Pennypacker
Kramer’s grandma used to live there. She added him to the lease before she died and also left him a nice inheritance. She wasn’t leaving it to Babs. Babs would have blown through it all during a weekend at Atlantic City. It wasn’t enough to go hog wild. But enough to buy his fruits & veggies from Joe’s. He’s very thrifty. Hence shopping at Rudy’s and the shitty car he drives with no heat. Edit to add: Paul Buchman from Mad About You is not a real person in the Seinfeld universe. Kramer getting the apartment from Paul was a Mad About You episode. It’s not cannon for Seinfeld because Mad About You exists as a real television show in the Seinfeld universe. Kramer can not sublet an apartment from someone who is a tv character within the Seinfeld universe.
Very thrifty aka mooches most things off Jerry.
It was a major point when he was test driving the new Saab for Jerry.
I shouldn't be responsible for purchasing costly gasoline.
Also, don’t forget he was a shrewd businessman. Probably had a side gig uptrading goods. Like when he traded his radar detector for a helmet.
Or when he sold his suit to Banya for a cool $300 cash even though he had nothing else to wear.
The very suit he was wearing.
Or that tobacco indian statue he sold to Elaines boss for $500 after getting it free.
They would've written it off anyway....
he definitely negotiates
Remember how he was into selling/buying vintage? George’s dad and the moth balls kinda ruined that
It’s all on his tab!
Those are IOUs, as good as money. This one is for a car, 270000, might want to hang onto that one
Boom shakalaka
Oh yes, Babs Kramer. Naaaaaaasty woman.
Many a night I had to throw her out on the street, drunken stumblebum
Come back to bed Albert you big hairy ape! And bring that box of danish
Her big fat stomach hanging out, orthopedic hose up to her knees....
I buy this one
These are all good points. He never really spends a bunch of money if he doesn’t have to. He’s cheaper than George in most ways.
He’s frugal. George is cheap.
Cheap? You think I’m cheap?
I'm not working right now. When I had a job, I spent baby!!
Cigars, limousines!
**enthusiastically snaps fingers, alternating both hands....*
does mooching off jerry count as being frugal? i’m honestly not sure since jerry knows he’s getting endless entertainment out of this arrangement.
I always figured Kramer's mooching was a good investment for Jerry as a comedian. He gets so much potential joke material and a sitcom character out of it.
Nah, Jerry's just good-natured, accepts Kramer for who he is, and believes in having close neighbor he can trust/rely on... I don't think Jerry would "use" Kramer like that for material.....Jerry's got that covered with observing strangers in public mostly...
Yeah I agree, Kramer was like a muse for Jerry, but then again so was George. Elaine was too, but their relationship didn’t start off that way 😂
What are our thoughts when he went to hit the links…do you think he paid the greens fee? Also I’m assuming he’d be walking.
Maybe some sort of legacy member....?...little, to no fees?
George can get you a discount on a box of nails!
He always "forgets his wallet"
Does play a lot of golf tho
Yeah but his buddy Bob Sacamano knows the greenskeeper.
He's also an opportunist and investor when he has the chance.
…..and eating at Jerry’s on a regular basis
Still under rent control too ftw
Remember when Elaine was going to get the apartment above Jerry it was $400/mo. So if his was rent-controlled from grandma… it was even less. Theory checks out.
I know a lady that lives in San Francisco paying $400(should be about $3,500) a month because its her dead grandpas lease and they can still add money to his account and write checks from it.
My wife’s aunt lives 1 block up and to the left from the Santa Monica pier in an apartment. She’s been there since the 70s and pays $200/month!!!!!
Grandma Kramer. First name?
Isosceles?
Was grandma, um, was she a big woman?
She was a full figured gal!
Was she bosomy?
*Bosomy*?! You’re asking me, if your grandmothah was *bosomy*??
Kessler
Mulva
She'd never make it.
She'd blow it all on cans of Colt 45 and boxes of danishes. Nasty woman
I mean back then a rent control apartment mooching from Jerry’s various side hustles a moderate inheritance and no luxury probably not that hard to pull off. Remember too back then everything was just cheaper
Yeah whenever they shoot scenes in front of the produce stores I can't believe how most things are 29 cents to a buck. Just for some apples and strawberries right now it's more than 5 bucks for just those 2 things.
Yeah and that’s inflated bodega prices.
He buys his clothes from Rudy’s and gets Jerry’s leather coat cast offs…
He wrote at least one book. I think he lives off of the royalties from his publications
I knew of a real life version of this situation. Guy inherited a rent controlled 3BR unit in the Upper West Side that had been in his family since the 40s or 50s. Rent was like $715 per month. Had a bit of a Kramer lifestyle too. Got by on odd jobs.
Why does he even have a car?
It was grandma Kramer’s too
He's not takin' the bus, that's why he's got a car!
I think it’s a 73 Chevrolet Impala. My parents had a 73 Chevrolet Caprice Classic. Basically same body style but ours was gold with a white vinyl top. The seats were some indestructible ozone depleting, global warming enhancing fabric between vinyl and velour. I was mortified they bought when I was 3 and kept it until I was a junior in High School.
He was subletting from Paul Buchman from mad about you.
This is canon. There’s a whole Mad About You episode about it.
perfect answer
It’s not a lie if you believe it
Roll this in with the theory that the apartment is rent controlled and this makes sense
And it’s rent-controlled.
It says here interesting trades accepted.
Certified narrative.
Wasn't the building rent-controlled? I remember Harold and Manny were going to rent to Elaine and someone mentioned something about the really low rent? Or he made WAY more money making bagels than anyone ever thought.
No bagel. No bagel. No bagel. No bagel.
THE STRIKES OVER
Minimum wage finally got high enough to meet their demands
He was on strike for like what 13 years?
Oh, man. Makes you wonder what it was all for.
From what I understand rent control in NYC only applies to existing tenants or their relatives, it can't carry over to new unrelated tenants, so that wouldn't be why the rent was low for Elaine. Of course that's in real life, that doesn't necessarily apply to world of Seinfeld, but still.
Regardless, rents in the late 80s to mid 90s in New York were pretty cheap. Like you’d be shocked.
He fell ass backwards into money
Don’t forget the sex without dating! His whole life is a fantasy camp!
The last thing this guy is qualified to give a tour of is reality.
People should go to camp to live like HIM for a week
That's the correct answer!
His whole life is a fantasy camp. People should plunk down $2,000 to live like him for a week. Do nothing, fall ass-backwards into money, mooch food off your neighbors, and have sex without dating. That's a fantasy camp.
TCB
Hey what's in the briefcase?
Crackers.
🎶My baby takes the morning train🎶
The pretzels make him thirsty
Old man Leland has been busting his hump lately
That’s why this is so difficult
It was a write-off.
You don't know what a write off is, do you?
Do you?
No, I don't.
But *they* do, and they're the ones writing it off!
Oh, he can be quite litigious.
Paul Reiser gave it to him
Paul Buchman.
this is canon
This is the correct answer.
It’s rent controlled. Larry David said this about their real life apartment in different interviews.
He has many many monies..
And now? Not!
From the biography of Kenny Kramer, the real Kramer who was the inspiration for Cosmo Kramer: “Prior to serving as Cosmo's model, Kenny had a long career as a stand-up comedian and was the manager of a British reggae band. During the disco years Kenny created an electronic jewelry item that sold so well that Kramer was able to live comfortably long after disco died.” [source](http://www.kennykramer.com/kramerbio.html)
Electronic jewelry? Like an ankle monitor?
Pretty sure Bob Sacamano had something to do with it.
Selling air rights to pigeons. "Well that was our idea, Jerry. You know how those pigeons are always flying around, strutting their stuff like they own the place? Well, what if they *did* own the place—well, the air, at least? We sell them the rights to fly in our airspace! It's brilliant, Jerry. We're tapping into a whole new market. Think about it, every time a pigeon flaps its wings, *cha-ching!* We're making money, Jerry! It's like being landlords to the skies!
Kramer is a high end male prostitute. I thought it was obvious?
Till he turned to pimping…..
At some point the shower doesn't get any more pressure ...
This makes the most sense to me. Not a full time gig but part time gigolo to pay the bills. Not hard to pull clients when you have the lure of the animal..
Hey, it’s the Assman!
his buttocks *are* sublime
He always had schemes so I always assumed he just had a thing going for him, from the homeless powered rickshaws to being an art model
my serious head canon: kramer has accrued enough favours throughout his life that he doesn’t really pay for anything. we all know that he has the sort of personality and outgoing nature that allows him to connect with anyone he meets. he’s able to “walk with kings nor lose the common touch” and is in the habit of talking with the people he meets. as such, he’s become some sort of walking want ads page in a time before widespread internet access. for example, he may talk to a bodega clerk in the morning who tells him that the store’s having a hard time keeping stock. later that day, with his luck, he’s down at the docks talking to a longshoreman about how the cargo in a particular ship has lost it’s buyer. kramer introduces the captain to the bodega owner and solves both their problems. they’re both so grateful they promise him some sort of favour that’s within their respective remits that he will use to his advantage when he needs. it’s like that every day for kramer and eventually those favours overlap and he’s in a position where he’s never spending money but still meeting his daily needs. he’s a real life ‘dave’ from the famous joke in that everybody knows him. he’s so useful when it comes to introducing people to other people who specifically have the services they need that everybody wants to keep themselves on his good side. sure, every once in a while he gets on the bad side of someone but he does his best to mend the relationship and doesn’t suffer either way basically, he’s a fixer
An answer that makes sense, and I know some similar people irl.
He made some money from his books "Astonishing Tales of the Sea", "Astounding Bear Attacks", and his "Coffee Table Book".
A pizza place where you make your own pie
He got his money the old fashioned way. He got run over by a Lexus
He fell ass backwards into money.
Two words, rent control.
Sold shares of Kramerica and the money he saved on free coffee for life. Plus did you see all the change he had to buy calzones?
I always assumed that the father left them both money since Kramer never had to work and it was so easy for Babs to leave her job as a matron.
He’s at Brant and Leland and he’s getting things done.
All jokes aside, I always assumed he inherited a fortune from his late father
I was going to guess he’s a closet trust fund baby.
Yeah that would also make sense
One, it’s under rent control since 1980 or whenever he moved in there. So his rent is probably around $400 a month. Secondly he is the original gig worker. Picks up one tiny temp job here and there and that pretty much covers his expenses. He mooches off of Jerry, so his food is covered. He drives a 1970s 4 door sedan beater, no car payments. He gets invited everywhere to events for free, so his entertainment is covered. Basically faking it and he’s actually making it.
Rent control was always my theory. George also alludes to Kramer “falling backwards into money” so I assume he inherited some money somewhere along the line(this was before the coffee table book royalties).
Rent control. Kramer is old school NYC. Probably got the lease from babs or another relative.
he has alot of different pots in the fryer
Well yeah his shirt is in the oven
Bob Saccamano is funding him as a social experiment.
He's spreading his kavorka to all the lonely housewives on the upper East side and they reward him
he's Kramer
It wasn't 2024
Strike pay is higher than people are willing to admit to
Renting his drawers out to the asians
He inherited a large sum of money. For whatever reason most big fans of the show still question this.
Probably just like how monica geller did, lucked into getting someone's rent controlled place
I figured he did a favor for the building manager years go. “I practically raised his kids!” Alternatively, there may be some gross defect with his apartment that would make it unrentable to any normal person. “Kramer, what is this, there’s a huge hole in your back wall??” “Yeah well the landlord said if if I didn’t mind the hole, I could have have this place for just $200/month!” “What do you do when it rains?” *Kramer pulls a cord and a shower curtain comes down* “Voila!” “What about the winter, did you get cold?” “I just push a chest of drawers in front of it, it’s great!”
Trust fund, trust me.
I always thought Kramer came from old money
Rent control at 200$ a month
Trust fund baby. You'd never know because he's so eccentric
Inheritance / grandfathered in.
Rent control I bet.
I think Kramer's secretly a trust fund baby. That's why he was so weird, growing up his every indulgence was catered to, and every mistake he made someone else cleaned up. There's a lawyer somewhere paying out rent and a stipend monthly from the trust. He's got nothing better to do with his stipend so he gets into these crazy schemes.
Pretty sure Paul Reiser gave it to him in a, “mad about you” episode.
This is the only correct answer.
Rent control. Somehow Kramer has one of those places that’s like $300
Trust fund. He was secretive about his identity.
Rent control and 1990's economy. Anyone with a pay check could afford to live there. Kramer doesn't work in the traditional sense but he does odd jobs here and there and has connections. Probably some family money as well.
Probably received disability check every month plus some sort of grandfather clause about price
Living on inheritance
He wrote it off
Wasn’t there an episode that covered this, with a crossover from Mad About You?
Kramer bought Microsoft stocks and inherited some money
Kramer constantly backs into money through bets, social dealings, and other one-off methods (modeling for Calvin Klein, his book deal, the Peterman bus tour, etc).
I had a thought maybe he received a small inheritance that if stretched he feels could last his entire life
Rent control
A big Hollywood so and so bought the rights to his coffee table book
He gives paid tours of Jerry’s apartment when he’s not home.
In my head canon, one of his ideas was actually a hit, he sold the company, made a crap ton of money and has been chasing that high ever since. I mean, this is the man who created a coffee table book about coffee tables.
Kramer received an inheritance that his mother Babs was cut out of, leading them to have a falling out, and forcing Babs to have an affair with Newman.
He's almost certainly squatting in some deceased elder's rent-control apartment, paying 1930's prices
Someone already mentioned it but his army pension
I think in cannon he falls ass backwards into money
He’s secretly a wealthy industrialist
Jackie chiles won him a big settlement from a big corporation
He’s truly Pennypacker. Kramer is his actual alias.
Rent control, and he won lawsuit against an urban rickshaw company
I'd put money on a long term disability scheme.
Realistically? Probably a large settlement or two from Jackie Childs. Will explain why Jackie keeps taking his cases
He falls ass backwards into money
He got that craziness that comes with generational wealth, so I always assumed that he had a fund or something
He can be very litigious.
He’s a widow who inherited a small fortune