Introduction

Dan Aykroyd is a Canadian-American professional actor, producer, comedian, musician, and filmmaker with an estimated net worth of $250 Million.

Comedy Career 

Dan Aykroyd’s early career began in college, performing stand-up routines at various comedy clubs and nightclubs in Canada. After cutting his teeth on the comedy circuit, he branched out into music, performing in blues clubs and drawing influences from Muddy Waters. At seventeen, Aykroyd joined a sketch comedy group and performed on the show The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour, gaining international attention.

Saturday Night Live

Aykroyd gained his first big break when he moved to the United States and began working as a staff writer on the Saturday Night Live comedy series. This quickly led to him joining the series’ cast, where he earned strong critical notices for his wide range of impersonations. These impressions encompassed a diverse range of public figures and celebrities, from President Richard Nixon to horror film actor Vincent Price. During this period, he teamed up with some of the richest comedians in the world, with Steve Martin and John Belushi among the stars.

On Saturday Night Live, Aykroyd first met John Belushi, with whom he would go on to enjoy his Hollywood breakthrough role in 1980.

Acting Career

Founded in 1978, The Blues Brothers quickly gained prominence after a successful performance on Saturday Night Live. By 1980, Aykroyd and Belushi had transformed the stage show into a comedy movie, and some of the richest singers in the world joined the cast. This included soul icons Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and James Brown, who appeared in the movie and sang hits from their discographies.

At the same time, the band toured extensively throughout the US, while Ackroyd used his fame to work on other film and television productions. In 1984, he co-starred with Bill Murray in Ghostbusters, another chart-topping movie he co-wrote with the film’s director, John Landis. Cementing his reputation as one of the most prominent comedy actors, Ackroyd’s other movies included Spies Like Us and the Eddie Murphy vehicle Trading Places.

In 1987, Aykroyd partnered with Tom Hanks in Dragnet and returned to play Raymond Stantz in Ghostbusters II, another hit at the box office.

Career Lull During the 1990s

While Dan Aykroyd enjoyed a string of hit movies throughout the 1980s, more minor roles would characterize the following decade. His 1991 directorial debut, starring Chevy Chase and Demi Moore, Nothing But Trouble, was a commercial and critical disaster for Aykroyd. This set the tone for his subsequent works, with Blues Brothers 2000, Exit to Eden, and Coneheads all unpopular with audiences and critics.

He joined Hollywood legend Robert Redford in the film Sneakers and made television guest appearances in shows such as The Nanny and Soul Man. His supporting role in the low-budget crime comedy Grosse Pointe Blank was a return to form, and film critics praised him widely.

Late Career Television Appearances

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Dan Aykroyd’s career shifted away from movie roles, focusing more on supporting roles and television shows. The CBS series The Defenders and guest appearances in the Matt Groening comedy The Simpsons were complemented by bit parts in movies.

He appeared in a scene in the blockbuster Pearl Harbor alongside Ben Affleck and as a side character in Christmas with the Kranks and 50 First Dates. As a producer, Aykroyd assisted with the development of the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, which starred Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Leslie Jones.

Ghostbusters Earnings

The leading cast members of Ghostbusters all earned the majority of their net worth from their roles in the franchise. This was solely down to the work of their agent, Michael Ovitz, who proved himself highly valuable during the negotiation process. Ovitz arranged for Ivan Reitman (the director) and the three leading cast members (Aykroyd, Murray, and Ramis) to share a 30% split of the gross revenues from Ghostbusters (1984). This included revenues from the box office, VHS sales, and additional licensing. 

Reports suggest that the total value of this 30% share reached $300 million. The film grossed $297 million at the global box office alone, which in 1984 was an insane milestone. Since this $300 million was divided by four, Dan Aykroyd’s earnings should be $75 million from the first film.

For Ghostbusters II, the three leading stars, including Aykroyd, were paid $6 million upfront, plus 35% of the gross revenues. Despite only grossing $212 million worldwide, Ghostbusters II was still a hit. Based on our rough calculations, we can make an informed estimate of how much Aykroyd earned from the film. The second film generated approximately 71% of the first film’s revenues at the box office. If this figure directly correlates with revenues from VHS and licensing (rather unlikely), a 30% share would have earned each star $53.25 million, plus their $6 million upfront. A 35% share should have earned them $68.1 million total.

Of course, this is a very rough estimate, but it would lead us to believe that Dan Aykroyd earned within the ballpark of between $130 million and $145 million from the first two films.

Highest-Grossing Movies

Aykroyd’s role in the Ghostbusters franchise produced five of his ten highest-grossing films. However, none of them was the highest. That honor goes to Pearl Harbor (2001), which grossed $449 million while costing $140 million to produce. He also starred in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), which performed incredibly well, grossing $333 million against a budget of only $28 million.

Within the Ghostbusters franchise, the original 1984 film performed the best at the box office, grossing $297 million worldwide and costing $30 million. The second film had a slightly lower budget of $25 million but grossed $215 million. The new trilogy, spanning from 2016 to 2024, had much higher budgets, but none could surpass the original movie’s gross. 2016’s Ghostbusters had a budget of $144 million and grossed $229 million. 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife cost $75 million and grossed $204 million. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire had a $100 million budget and grossed just $202 million. Regarding ROI, Aykroyd’s role in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom performed the best, with the original 1984 Ghostbusters film coming in second.

Here’s a complete list of Dan Aykroyd’s ten highest-grossing movies:

1. Pearl Harbor – $449 Million (2001)
2. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – $333 Million (1984)
3. Ghostbusters – $297 Million (1984)
4. Casper – $288 Million (1995)
5. Pixels – $245 Million (2015)
6. Ghostbusters – $229 Million (2016)
7. Ghostbusters II – $215 Million (1989)
8. Ghostbusters: Afterlife – $204 Million (2021)
9. Yogi Bear – $204 Million (2010)
10. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – $202 Million (2024)

Introduction

Matthew McConaughey is an American professional actor with an estimated net worth of $160 Million. 

McConaughey first rose to fame in 1993 for his performance in the movie Dazed and Confused. Many have considered this movie to be one of his breakout roles. After several supporting roles in films such as Angels in the Outfield and Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, his big breakthrough came as the lead man in the drama A Time to Kill in 1996. 

Film Earnings

Matthew McConaughey’s film career really can be split into two parts, at least for what’s considered to be his peak years. Before we get into the details of what changed for McConaughey during the late 2000s, let’s first discuss some of his earlier film paychecks.

The earliest recorded paycheck of McConaughey’s career was just $48,500 for the 1994 film, Angels in the Outfield. Over the next few years, his salary quickly grew, reportedly earning $150,000 for Boys on the Side and $250,000 for Time to Kill. His first seven-figure salary was a flat $1 million for starring in Amistad (1997).

By the early 2000s, McConaughey began earning multiple seven-figure sums per movie deal. This included a $5 million paycheck for starring alongside Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner (2001). The film began Matthew’s era of rom-com flicks, which included movies such as How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days and Failure to Launch. While we don’t know how much he was paid for these two films, we can assume he also earned in the ballpark of $5 million.

Romantic-Comedy Rejection

By this point, McConaughey was pegged by the industry as the “rom-com guy”, which wasn’t something he wanted to be labeled as. In efforts to remove that label and star in a variety of other films, he began rejecting any offers that kept him within that category.

In an interview on The Diary of A CEO podcast, McConaughey stated that he took some time away from the industry to ensure his next role was a correct fit for him. During this time, he received several offers, the first of which was “an $8 million offer” for an action comedy. He turned it down, and the company came back with offers of $10 million, then $12 million, and finally $14.5 million.

“They come back at a $14.5 million offer, I said… Let me read that again. I read it again. It’s the same words that were in the $8 million offer I said no to, but it was better written. It was funnier; I could see myself in it, and I could make this work. Anyway, I ultimately said no.”

As a result, McConaughey was eventually able to remove the label placed upon him. He began receiving numerous offers for films he was genuinely interested in. This included hits such as Mud, Magic Mike, Dallas Buyers Club, and Interstellar.

Peak Film Earnings

McConaughey’s first eight-figure salary, as far as we’re aware, was a $14.5 million payday for Sahara in 2005. Which is ironic considering the film was an action comedy with the same salary he later rejected. However, this was several years before his brief break from the industry. In 2014, Matthew McConaughey earned a reported $18 million from Interstellar, and in 2020, he earned an estimated $20 million from The Gentlemen.

True Detective Salary

When Matthew McConaughey and his co-star Woody Harrelson began starring in True Detective in 2014, they were each paid $200,000 per episode. After season one, prominent actors took over, including Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, and Colin Farrell. However, it’s unknown whether they were paid the same. McConaughey earned roughly $1.6 million for the eight episodes he appeared in.

Highest-Grossing Movies

McConaughey’s biggest box office films came between 2012 and 2016, including Interstellar, which grossed $705 million against a budget of $165 million. His voiceover work in Sing (2016) and its sequel, Sing 2 (2021), helped bring in an additional $1.1 billion at the box office. One of McConaughey’s most recent films to break into his top ten is Deadpool & Wolverine, which has grossed $438 million worldwide, becoming his third-highest-grossing movie.

Other movies on the list include The Wolf of Wall Street ($407 million), Tropic Thunder ($196 million), and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days ($178 million). The oldest movie to feature is 1996’s A Time to Kill, which grossed $152 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of $40 million.

Some notable mentions that didn’t make the list include Failure to Launch ($130 million), Fool’s Gold ($111 million), The Wedding Planner ($95 million), and Dallas Buyers Club ($55 million). 

Here’s a complete list of Matthew McConaughey’s ten highest-grossing movies:

1. Interstellar – $705 Million (2014)
2. Sing – $634 Million (2016)
3. Deadpool & Wolverine ($438 million)
4. Sing 2 – $408 Million (2021)
5. The Wolf of Wall Street – $407 Million (2013)
6. Tropic Thunder – $196 Million (2008)
7. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days – $178 Million (2003)
8. Contact – $171 Million (1997)
9. Magic Mike – $167 Million (2012)
10. A Time to Kill – $152 million (1996)

Real Estate

In October 2007, Matthew McConaughey paid $11 million for a 3,831-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Malibu, California. According to public records, he sold this property for $14.75 million in July 2020. During his ownership, his property taxes were roughly $112,000 per year. Even after considering taxes and agent commissions, McConaughey still should have profited over $1.5 million from the sale.

McConaughey owns an incredible mansion in Austin, Texas. This massive home has eight bathrooms and seven bedrooms, an enormous backyard, and a guest house. 

Introduction

Hugh Jackman is an Australian professional actor, singer, and producer with an estimated net worth of $180 Million.

Since the mid-1990s, Hugh Jackman has starred in roughly seventy films and television shows, with his most notable role, of course, being that of Wolverine in the Marvel franchise. Therefore, as one might expect, his ten appearances as the character have contributed to the bulk of his earnings and net worth over the past two-and-a-half decades.

This profile provides an overview of Hugh Jackman’s career, along with our detailed research into his film earnings and other factors that have significantly impacted his fortune.

Quick Facts

• Earned an estimated $85-$95 million from the X-Men franchise
• Typically commands an upfront salary of $10 million per film
• Grossed over $6 billion at the global box office

Net Worth History

When we first began tracking Jackman’s net worth in 2019, he was worth approximately $55 million. At the time, his wealth was primarily derived from film earnings, but in the years since, his ventures as an investor have become a much more notable revenue stream. This includes his stake in RM Williams, which was sold in 2020, earning him an estimated A$10 million.

As a result, Jackman’s wealth has grown at a faster pace in the past five years than during his early career. His net worth is currently estimated to be in the ballpark of $180 Million, having more than doubled since our initial coverage.

Acting Career 

After graduating from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 1995, Hugh Jackman was cast in Correlli, an Australian TV series. He continued to make a name for himself in Australia until 1998, when he performed in Oklahoma! In London’s West End, he earned himself wider recognition. 

Jackman got his most significant break in 2000 when he was cast alongside Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as Wolverine in X-Men. For his performance, he earned a Saturn Award for Best Actor and gained international fame for his iconic portrayal.

A Household Name

In 2003, Hugh Jackman reprised his role as Wolverine in X2 and again in the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand. He returned for X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009 and X-Men: First Class in 2011, where he’d become synonymous with the character. 

Jackman would play Wolverine again in X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Logan, making him the longest-running live-action Marvel superhero.  While portraying Wolverine, Jackman starred in several other films, including Kate & Leopold, Swordfish, and Van Helsing. Around the same time, Jackman partnered with John Palermo to launch the production company Seed Productions. 

In 2006, he joined Christian Bale and Scarlett Johansson in The Prestige, which became a box-office success. He then starred in two animated films, Happy Feet and Flushed Away, before making a guest appearance in the series Viva Laughlin. Notably, Viva Laughlin was Seed Productions’ first project, though the company shut down in 2010.

Continued Success

Hugh Jackman joined Nicole Kidman in the 2008 film Australia and was named the Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine. Soon after, he returned to the stage in a one-man show at the Curran Theatre and, in 2011, launched Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway. 

In 2012, Jackman lent his voice to a character in Rise of the Guardians and appeared in Les Misérables, a film adaptation of the hit musical. For his performance in Les Mis, he earned his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and won a Golden Globe.  Following that, Jackman joined Kate Winslet in Movie 43 in 2013 before returning to Broadway a year later in The River. 

Jackman portrayed the villain Blackbeard in the 2015 film Pan and, in 2017, played P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman. For his role in the film, he received another Golden Globe and a Grammy nomination for Best Soundtrack Album. 

In 2018, Jackman was cast as Senator Gary Hart in The Front Runner and lent his voice to the animated film Missing Link.

Recent Work

Hugh Jackman embarked on his first international tour in 2019, during which he sang songs from The Greatest Showman and Broadway shows. At the same time, he starred in the film Bad Education and returned to the stage in The Music Man, which earned him a Tony Award nomination. 

Jackman reprised his role as Wolverine alongside Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool & Wolverine, which was recently released in July 2024. He is also reportedly filming Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie, which is set to be released sometime in 2026.

Film Earnings

Wolverine Salaries

In 2000, Jackman earned just $500,000 for his first time playing Wolverine in X-Men. When he reprised the role in 2003 for X2: X-Men United, his salary doubled to $1 million. Although Wolverine was a main cast character in the first three X-Men films, when he became the titular character in 2011’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine and 2013’s Wolverine, Jackman’s salary increased dramatically to $20 million per movie.

A year later, he received a $7 million salary for X-Men: Days of Future Past. At this point, Jackman had earned an estimated $53.5 million in total for the Wolverine role. 

From then on, his exact salaries were undisclosed. Hugh reportedly took a pay cut for Logan because director James Mangold wanted to take the risk of making an R-rated film. We estimate that Jackman has earned $85-95 million from the franchise.

Additional Movie Salaries

While the X-Men series comprises most of Jackman’s earnings as an actor, he also received notable paydays from other movies. He earned $10 million from Australia (2008), $9 million from Real Steel (2011), and $10 million from The Greatest Showman (2017).

R.M.Williams Investment

In December 2015, Hugh Jackman acquired a stake in the Australian boot manufacturer, R.M.Williams. The company, which was established in 1932, specializes in men’s leather boots and other apparel. According to reports, Jackman did pay-to-play, investing an undisclosed sum of his personal money to acquire his share. 

Several years later, in May 2019, Jackman was named as the first official Brand Ambassador for R.M.Williams, appearing in several ad campaigns to show off the company’s boots. By this point, his stake in the brand was estimated at 5%, although this has never been publicly confirmed. 

In October 2020, Tattarang, an investment company led by Andrew Forrest, acquired R.M.Williams for a reported A$190 million, equating to roughly $130 million. An article from thewest.com.au implied that Hugh “cashed in his stake for around $10 million”, which, also not stated, we believe is in Australian dollars. This would have equated to roughly $7 million USD, which makes sense considering his presumed 5% stake in the brand. 

Highest Grossing Movies

Seven of Jackman’s top ten-grossing movies are for his recurring role as Wolverine in the X-Men series. He did technically appear in Deadpool 2, albeit for a short cameo. The film grossed $786 million at the worldwide box office with a budget of $110 million, becoming Hugh’s top-grossing film.

The total gross box office value for every movie in which Jackman has played the role of Wolverine equates to over $5 billion.

These are Hugh Jackman’s ten highest-grossing films: 

1. Deadpool 2 – $786 million (2018)
2. X-Men: Days of Future Past – $746 million (2014)
3. Logan – $619 million (2017)
4. X-Men: Apocalypse – $544 million (2016)
5. The Greatest Showman – $462 million (2017)
6. X-Men: The Last Stand – $460 million (2006)
7. Les Misérables – $443 million (2012)
8. The Wolverine – $415 million (2013)
9. X2: X-Men United – $408 million (2003)
10. Happy Feet – $384 million (2006)

Real Estate

In March 2015, Hugh Jackman and his wife paid $3.5 million for a 5,000-square-foot, five-bedroom, five-bathroom home in East Hampton, New York. The property, situated on 2.5 acres of land, features a modern-minimalistic interior, an outdoor pool, a jacuzzi, and ocean views.

In recent years, the couple has used the home primarily as a rental property. It was last on the market to rent at $166,666 per month. At the time of writing, estimates place the property’s current value at approximately $4.7 million, showing an appreciation of $1.2 million over ten years.