How much is George Clooney actually worth? Inside his net worth
George Clooney has always been a suave man of mystery. With a career spanning over forty years, many have called Clooney the “last true movie star”. Considering the man was paid $20 million dollars before to star in a film, it’s no surprise many question what George Clooney’s net worth actually is.
Over the years, numerous people tried to figure out how much the actor is worth, as George Clooney’s career spans TV, film, international commercials, and an alcohol business. Let’s take a look at what exactly causes George Clooney to have such a high net worth, besides his incredibly charming good looks.
To ER and beyond
George Clooney had several minor TV roles since 1978. However, his major break in television came in 1994 when he began playing Dr. Doug Ross on ER. The medical drama was an instant hit, with 22 million viewers at the show’s peak. Nominated for two Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes during his run, ER was easily Clooney’s most successful TV role.
However, George Clooney never had another hit role like ER on TV again. After his stint with the show, Clooney moved past the small screen to film. Apart from some guest roles, Clooney didn’t make a return to TV until 2019 in Hulu’s adaptation of Catch-22. It’s safe to say George Clooney’s net worth isn’t coming from reruns of ER or DVD sales of the show.
A bat-sized paycheck
While George Clooney wasn’t exactly making chump change on ER, the money he made from the TV show couldn’t compare to the money Warner Bros. paid Clooney for Batman & Robin. Allegedly, Warner Bros. paid Clooney $10 million dollars for taking over the caped crusader from Val Kilmer.
We all know how well that film went, as Batman & Robin is regarded as one of the worst movies of all time. Even George Clooney acknowledges his Batman performance was easily one of the worst. This bad movie didn’t end Clooney’s career thankfully; if anything, it helped launch Clooney into an even bigger spotlight
For a while, George Clooney was a certified blockbuster moviestar. Starring in films such as The Peacemaker, Three Kings, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Clooney’s next big payday wouldn’t come until 2001, when he started producing films.
Executive Producer George Clooney
While many millennials and Gen Z kids probably remember George Clooney’s small role in the Spy Kids franchise, most don’t realize Clooney helped get the Robert Rodriguez comedy off the ground. After getting a taste of the producing world, Clooney founded Section Eight Productions with Ocean’s Eleven director Steven Soderbergh.
Section Eight Productions helped produce Insomnia, Far From Heaven, and Criminal, along with all films directed by Clooney & Soderbergh between 2001 and 2009. On his own, Clooney produced The Men Who Stare At Goats, August: Osage County, Argo, and Money Monster.
Directing himself
Arguably, Clooney’s most ambitious career path is working as a director. His directorial debut Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was met with modest reviews and a decent box office return. But George Clooney’s work on Good Night, and Good Luck certified his net worth boost from directing.
Scoring his first Academy Award nomination for directing, it became clear to Hollywood George Clooney was a one-man machine who could write, act, produce, and direct a film. Clooney pulled it off again with The Ides of March, garnering nearly just as much praise from critics as he did for Good Night, and Good Luck.
Clooney has another film directed by himself coming to Netflix in December 2020, titled The Midnight Sky. Considering how much money Netflix invests into its original programming, we’d be shocked if George Clooney doesn’t see a massive net worth boost from the film’s release.
A certified drama star
It’s unfair to discount Clooney’s dramatic work, as he is a very profitable actor. With roles varying from Fantastic Mr. Fox and Gravity, to The Descendents and Hail, Caesar!, George Clooney’s filmography is as diverse as his net worth sources.
The box office returns speak for themselves. Since 2005, only two films starring Clooney turned into box office flops by the end of their theatrical run. Whether George Clooney takes his paycheck up front or decides to take a portion of the box office returns, it’s hard to deny Clooney’s net worth is mostly made up of his acting roles.
Casamigos Tequila
If George Clooney wasn’t busy enough with his film career, he became a businessman in 2013 after co-founding Casamigos Tequila. Alongside Rande Gerber & Michael Meldman, Clooney received a master payday when the brand was sold to Diageo for $700 million dollars. Clooney could still see more money depending on how Casamigos does over the next ten years as a brand.
Endorsement deals pay the bills
While Clooney hasn’t spent much time on TV since ER, overseas, Clooney is well known for his various endorsements. Starring in ads for Omega, Fiat, Nespresso, and Martini, Clooney’s biggest TV roles have been ads in the past ten years.
The magic number
What matters isn’t how George Clooney made his net worth, but the actual number itself. Based on Forbes report for 2019, Clooney has an estimated net worth of $500 million dollars as of 2019. In 2018, Clooney was the world’s highest paid actor, as Clooney allegedly made $239 million between his various endorsement deals and the Casamigos sale.
Even if Clooney was to retire from acting tomorrow, he would be well set for the rest of his life if these numbers are accurate. There may be a mysterious force in the way however, as rumors are swirling Clooney’s wife Amal could rip his net worth away in a messy divorce. You can read more about those divorce rumors here.
