Celebrities Who You Didn't Realize Are Filthy Rich
This article contains references to suicidal ideation, child abuse, and substance abuse.
There are celebrities who are rich, and then there are celebrities who are filthy rich. Take A-listers like Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Jay-Z, and Beyoncé, for example. Their level of wealth is borderline unfathomable. That said, we are all quite aware of just how well-off these stars happen to be; they live lavish lives and have better than the best. Jenner's toddler's toy car collection alone is worth a fortune, and as for Jenner's actual car collection? A whole new money ballgame.
However, there are some members of the Hollywood elite who have amassed a considerable fortune but, for some reason or another, their net worth has flown under the radar — relatively speaking, that is. Sure, we assume most celebrities are rich, but some stars happen to have even deeper pockets than we may realize. We're talking Mariana Trench-level deep. Keep scrolling to find out which of your favorite celebs boast larger bank accounts than you originally thought.
Keanu Reeves's excellent money adventure
We may as well just start calling Keanu Reeves the "$300 Million Man." It's no secret that the movie star's career was booming in the '90s, but we had no idea that the actor earned this much coin. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the bulk of Reeves' earnings came from his work on The Matrix flicks (Will Smith turned down the role of Neo when filmmakers offered it to him, and he's probably been kicking himself ever since — or maybe not, seeing as how he's done quite well for himself, too). As Celebrity Net Worth notes, he's brought in around $200 million thanks to the series so far and he's "the highest-paid actor of all time for a single franchise."
Lightning struck twice for the star, and in 2014, Reeves was part of the hit John Wick films. They were also bona fide blockbusters, and as Forbes noted, the franchise has earned more than $500 million at the box office. And there will be more where that came from: As Deadline reported in 2020, Lionsgate announced that John Wick 4 and 5 were both in the works. In a 2019 interview with GQ, Reeves delighted fans when he said that he would be happy to reprise his role in John Wick "as far as my legs can take me. As far as the audience wants to go." We'll go all the way with you, Mr. Reeves!
Jessica Simpson is a well-heeled star
Jessica Simpson's killer vocals launched her career early on, but her fashion empire thrust her into riches. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the singer-turned-fashionista has a cool $200 million in her bank account, and the sky's the limit in terms of potential. Simpson is the owner of a successful fashion brand that bears her name, and according to the website, they sell everything from luggage to handbags to shoes and things for the home like bedding, quilts, and shower curtains. Celebrity Net Worth reports that the company made over $1 billion in sales in 2014.
Simpson's fashion empire accounts for the bulk of her hefty bank account, but she's also earned a lot of money from a deal with Weight Watchers. According to ABC News, the company reportedly offered her $3 million to endorse the program in 2012. On top of that, Earn the Necklace reports that she took home around $4 million for her role in the Dukes of Hazzard, where she strutted around in a pair of Daisy Duke cutoffs. Though the film had less-than-stellar reviews, it made over $30,000,000 opening weekend and grossed over $111 million. Simpson spent some of her fortune on a showstopper of a house in Hidden Hills, California. According to The Sun, the home, which set her back $11.5 million, comes complete with a recording studio and a massive show closet. Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne were the previous owners of the abode.
Ray Romano has done more than well for himself
At one point in his career, Ray Romano had one of the most popular comedies on television — Everybody Loves Raymond. The comedian made the bulk of his fortune from the popular show, which ran for nine seasons. As People reported in 2003, he surpassed Frasier's Kelsey Grammar and Friends' cast, making him the highest-paid actor in television. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Romano was making $1.75 million per episode at the peak of his career. For his work on Season 8 alone, the comedian brought in $50 million... and that's a whole lot of dough if you ask us!
As Celebrity Net Worth notes, the above figures are only for the acting and producing portion of the show, and it does not take into account the fact that Romano owns part of the backend points on the show, which makes him a killing off of syndication. Interestingly enough, Romano hated the name of the popular show. "It was a title that, first of all, the critics ... it invites hatred," he told Larry King on CNN. "It came about from a sarcastic comment my brother made, who is a police officer. And he said, 'Look what I do for a living, and look at Raymond—yeah, everybody loves Raymond.' So we used it as a working title. And it just grew on CBS, and we couldn't get rid of it."
According to Forbes, Romano dropped out of Queens College, but it's safe to say that he made the right choice and is currently living like a king.
Jamie Oliver whipped up a delicious bank account
When you think of Jamie Oliver, you usually think of a chef who also happens to be really handsome. Pair that with his cute British accent, and you've got yourself one heck of a guy! Oliver also happens to be incredibly successful, but his net worth, which Celebrity Net Worth lists at $300 million, still comes as somewhat of a shock. The celebrity chef earns the bulk of his dough through television deals and his popular cookbooks. In 2017, The Guardian reported that the chef signed a multi-million dollar deal with Channel 4 that would tie him to the network for a few years. According to Irish Times, Oliver has sold over 27 million Tefal cookware pieces, and as BBC noted, he also joined forces with Tesco to create a series of recipes and tips in 2018.
But not all aspects of his empire have been successful. In 2019, Reuters reported that Oliver's restaurant chain went into bankruptcy, forcing him to shut down or sell 25 of his restaurants and put 1,000 employees out of work. "There's no way to sugarcoat it. I thought I could fix it, but I couldn't," he told Irish Times. "I can absolutely look at myself in the mirror knowing I tried everything to the last very minute. We ran out of money. It's as simple as that." Still, Oliver has to be pretty happy with the other successful aspects of his career.
Glenn Beck makes serious cash talking politics
Glenn Beck may be doing well financially nowadays, but the road getting to that point wasn't exactly paved in gold. As he shared in an interview with ABC's WFAA, he dealt with violence and alcoholism at his parents' hands and subsequent boyfriends of his mother. In The 7: Seven Wonders That Will Change Your Life (via Today), he opens up about depression, a suicide attempt, and alcoholism, writing, "It may sound cliché, but to anyone who has seen the darkest that life has to offer, every day in the sunshine really does count." According to Celebrity Net Worth, he's accumulated a fortune of $250 million.
According to CheatSheet, the Fox News star founded Mercury Radio Arts, which also owns Blaze TV. In 2012 alone, the new company generated more than $40 million, and as Celebrity Net Worth noted, it's available on over 90 TV providers. Beck makes around $20 million a year. Celeb Worth broke down Beck's fortune even further, and he makes $3.47 million a month, which is a little over $800,000 a week and just north of $100,000 a day. Long story short, the guy brings in a lot of cash. Beck's fortune has provided him with plenty of nice things, including a giant house in Dallas that, as Paper City noted, happens to be "complete with its very own golf cart garage."
Lauren Conrad sure feels the rain of money on her skin
Lauren Conrad may not be one of the top earners on the list, but she sure has come a long way since her time on Laguna Beach, where she infamously became frenemies with Kristin Cavallari. Conrad's success on Laguna Beach earned a spinoff on The Hills, which made her $2.5 million a season, according to the Daily Beast. Celebrity Net Worth reports that Conrad is worth $40 million, and the big bulk of her fortune is from her fashion brand. She launched The Lauren Conrad Collection in 2008, but it was a bust, and she shut it down after a year. Conrad found her sweet spot after teaming up with Kohls to produce LC by Lauren Conrad.
The reality star talked about her success with Glamour in 2019, saying that she never imagined the brand would do so well over ten years. "I think it's really rare, and I feel very lucky," she said. Specifically, Conrad noted the change that her brand has seen, primarily because of social media. "So much attention is paid to the story we tell with this brand. That has really become a focus, and it was really nonexistent when we launched," she said. In 2018, CNN reported that 42% of Kohl's sales were from private-label brands like Conrad's.
Heidi Klum has designed a hefty net worth
Heidi Klum is one of the top models on the planet, but who knew modeling was so lucrative? According to Celebrity Net Worth, Klum is worth $160 million thanks to her career in modeling and her spot on Project Runway. Klum was famously married to singer Seal, but they went through a messy divorce in 2012. According to TMZ, Seal made outrageous property demands and accused her of "fornicating" with a bodyguard. TMZ reported that the pair signed a postnup during their marriage, and they were able to split up most of their earnings and properties without a hitch.
Klum wed Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom Kaulitz in 2019, and the two live together at Klum's posh Bel Air mansion. Photos shared by ABC News reveal the 11,000 square foot property, which set her back almost $10 million, includes a gym/dance studio, city and skyline views, and a four-acre lot. So, how does she do it? "My secrets to success are coming from a good family, being at the right place at the right time, thinking outside the box, working hard, having a great, supportive team, and loving what I do," she dished in a 2014 interview with Boston Common Magazine (via USA Today). Klum also shared that she's not afraid to fail and never shies away from things that seem tough. Clearly, that approach to life has been auf-some for her.
Judge Judy knows a thing or two about the law and money
Judge Judith Sheindlin, who the world knows as "Judge Judy," is one of the world's wealthiest gavel-wielders, all thanks to her hit television show. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the brutally honest judge is worth $440 million with an estimated annual salary of $47 million — yes, that's what she makes in a single year. The outlet reports that the judge rakes in the bulk of her salary from syndication, but she's come a long way. In 2009, she only had an estimated net worth of $50 million. The following year, Sheindlin re-negotiated her salary, and her fortune has skyrocketed since. As Celebrity Net Worth points out, "She works roughly 52 days a year which translates to around $900,000 per workday." If someone can find us a similar gig, please let us know.
Sheindlin has been making calculated investments with her dough, including in real estate. As Variety noted, she and her husband own a mansion in Florida that they purchased for $8.6 million in 2015. According to E! News, Sheindlin has properties all over the country, and as she told Dujour, she only flies private. According to Afar, private jets costs thousands of dollars per flying hour, so if she's jetting back and forth between the East Coast and the West Coast, she's got to be spending a fortune. But can we really judge her?
Gisele Bündchen's net worth soars like an angel
Yes, we all know supermodel Gisele Bündchen is rich. But did you realize she is so much richer than her husband, NFL quarterback Tom Brady? Together, the two make a powerhouse couple and a massive amount of money. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Bündchen is estimated to be worth $400 million, earning about $40 million a year. In turn, Celebrity Net Worth reports that Brady is worth $250 million, dragging in more than $30 million annually. Combined, the Brady-Bundch-ens (see what we did there?) are worth $650 million, with Bündchen bringing in the majority of the bucks.
As Celebrity Net Worth recounted, Bündchen and Victoria's Secret drew up a whopping $25 million contract in 2000, and she reigned as an angel for years. The model has earned more than $500 million from endorsements, and she was the highest-paid model for nearly two decades. In 2017, Kendall Jenner took the Forbes crown by raking in over $22 million. Despite her success, Bündchen still counts herself as the girl next door. "I'm not a model," she told Vogue in 2018. "Modeling is a job that I do, a career that I've had. It allowed me to see the world, and I was well paid for it. But it never defined me."
Rowan Atkinson has bean doing quite well
Rowan Atkinson, who is more commonly known as Mr. Bean, has done pretty well for himself throughout his career. Celebrity Net Worth reported that the actor has amassed a fortune of $150 million, primarily thanks to comedies like Mr. Bean and Johnny English. According to the outlet, Atkinson is a car enthusiast, and he dropped $1 million on McLaren F1 in 1997. Unfortunately, he has not had the best of luck with the vehicle, and he's crashed it two times. As the AP reported (via Yahoo! News), he paid $1.4 million in repairs (which is more than he purchased the car for) — yikes! In 2015, CNBC reported he "sold his McLaren F1 supercar for £8 million ($12.2 million), making well over £7 million in profit, since the model was purchased back in 1997." That's a decent chunk of change.
Though his character Mr. Bean has earned him more fame and fortune than he could have imagined, he's not the biggest fan of it. "I don't much enjoy playing him," the actor told Variety in 2021. "The weight of responsibility is not pleasant. I find it stressful and exhausting, and I look forward to the end of it."
Reese Witherspoon is legally rich
Reese Witherspoon is not just one of America's sweethearts. She happens to be one of America's very rich sweethearts. Celebrity Net Worth reports that Witherspoon has amassed a total fortune of $200 million, and she still has the potential to earn plenty more. According to the outlet, the actor makes $20-$40 million in a single year thanks to her film and television career, which includes $12.5 million for Sweet Home Alabama and $15 million for Legally Blonde 2. And as The Hollywood Reporter noted, Witherspoon got a few bucks working on Apple TV+'s The Morning Show, where she reportedly made $2 million an episode.
In 2015, Witherspoon launched the lifestyle brand Draper James. During a panel at Vanity Fair's Founders Fair in 2018, Witherspoon detailed how she started her business while relating it to acting (via CNBC). "Going around and asking for VC for money is like an audition," she shared. "'I think I got the part! I think they want me! And then, I was shocked when they didn't." Through all the ups and downs, the actor's success has still earned her an impressive real estate portfolio, and in 2020, Variety reported she purchased a $16 mansion in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. A few years before that, Variety shared that Witherspoon dropped $1.95 million on a historic Nashville mansion. Not too shabby.
David Copperfield's net worth isn't an illusion
When you think of a successful career in magic, the name David Copperfield absolutely comes to mind. But like his tricks, the magician is actually worth a mind-blowing amount. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Copperfield has amassed a fortune of $1 billion — yes, with a "b" — due to his incredibly successful Las Vegas residency at the MGM Grand. According to Vegas.com, admission to one of his shows starts at $89, and evidently, he sells a lot of tickets: Copperfield rakes in $60 million a year, according to Celebrity Net Worth. While the COVID-19 pandemic certainly put a damper on Copperfield's show in 2020 and 2021, Forbes reported that he remained "committed to not laying off production staff during the pandemic shutdown and made a donation to support other MGM employees."
Copperfield has used a good portion of his earnings toward real estate. In 2017, Architectural Digest reported that Copperfield purchased a home in the Las Vegas area for $17.55 million — making it "the most expensive home ever sold in Las Vegas." The estate, which clocks in around 31,000 square feet, includes a nightclub and two elevators. Copperfield also owns a $50 million, 100-acre island in the Bahamas, according to Forbes. As noted by Business Insider, the stunning piece of property can be can be rented for $57,000 a night, and "Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Johnny Depp have all vacationed there." We're not jealous or anything.
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