How Johnny Depp makes and spends his millions
Lauren Weymouth
02 February 2017
The Mad Hatter's life of luxury
Johnny Depp has just been accused of having an extravagant $2 million-a-month lifestyle, but how does he make his fortune, and how does he spend it? We take a look.
Elm Street earnings
Johnny Depp’s first acting role was in Wes Craven's 1984 classic A Nightmare on Elm Street, which pocketed him $25,000 (£20,000) – a tiny sum compared to the big figures rolling in today.
Edward Scissorhands
In 1990, Depp made his first movie millions when he played an animated human being in Edward Scissorhands. The film brought in $1.5 million (£1.2m) for Depp, which was soon about to become just a bit of pocket change.
Guinness World Record
So much so, that in 2012, Depp was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s highest-paid actor after he made a total of $75 million (£60m) in 2011.
Jack Sparrow
Pirates Of The Caribbean has been Depp’s biggest success by far, and the movie franchise has reportedly earned him a whopping $350 million (£200m) for the first four movies. This figure is set to soar when the fifth in the series, Dead Men Tell No Tales, hits the box office in May 2017.
Alice in Wonderland
But his role in Alice and Wonderland didn’t pay so badly either. Depp’s portrayal of the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s 3D version of the childhood adventure film grossed $1 billion (£800,000) at the box office, and paid Depp $62.7 million (£50m).
Billion-dollar headliner
Alice in Wonderland was a huge success for Depp and alongside Pirates of the Caribbean, led him to become the only actor to have headlined two $1 billion films.
Box office phenomenons
The two films combined raked in a staggering $8.3 billion (£6.6m) at the global box office.
A small request
According to Vanity Fair, Depp’s requested salary now stands at $20 million (£16m). And we’re not talking per year, but per film.
A million-dollar week
However, he was paid a more modest $1 million (£800m) to act in fantasy film Into the Woods, but he was only on set for a week. So, that’s a million-dollar week folks.
Overpaid
Forbes crunched the numbers back in 2014 and found Depp was actually among the most ‘overpaid’ actors, second to comedy star Adam Sandler. Forbes found Depp was returning just $4.10 (£3.30) for every $1 (80p) he was paid, while Sandler returned $3.20 (£2.55) for every $1 (80p).
Total net worth
Johnny Depp is now worth an estimated $500 million (£400m).
But how does he spend it?
However, details of his spending habits have been released by his ex-managers, who claim he is spending over $2 million (£1.59m) a month. So how exactly does he spend his millions? Let’s take a look.
Property
If there’s one thing Depp loves to wave his money at, it’s a range of new houses and apartments for him to pick and choose from. According to the BBC, Depp has spent more than $75 million (£59.6m) on 14 homes, including a suite of apartments (his former LA penthouse is pictured), an estate in England, a Venice Grand Canal mansion, a French chateau and a chain of islands in the Bahamas.
Blowing his cash
One of the claims made by Depp’s former managers is that he spent $3 million (£2.4m) to blast author Hunter S Thompson’s ashes out of a cannon. Yes, really.
Luxury transport
The 53-year-old also reportedly spent $18 million (£14.3m) on a 150-foot yacht, which was last year purchased by Harry Potter creator J.K Rowling for £28 million (£28m). But that’s not the only way he chooses to get around. The movie star has also purchased 45 luxury cars and numerous flights on private jets, which of course don’t come cheap either.
Record labels
Back in 2010, music fanatic Depp decided to launch his very own record label, Unison Music. As a musician himself, he felt that having a hands-on approach to signing acts would be a way of getting in on the music scene, as well as continuing his acting career.
Around-the-clock security
Being Johnny Depp doesn’t come cheap. And not just because he likes to spend his money on a life of luxury. It’s also because being one of the richest actors in the world requires a little security from time to time. Monthly, Depp pays out $150,000 (£119,330) a month on round-the-clock security.
A love of vino
A glamorous lifestyle doesn’t come without a sip of wine every now and then, and we’re not talking about the kind you can pick up from the grocery store. Depp spends around $30,000 (£20,000) a month on buying and importing fine wines.
Collectibles
When he’s not buying wine, houses and cars, Depp is also a keen collector of Hollywood memorabilia and fine art. According to his managers, he has accumulated so much he needed 12 storage facilities to house his collection.
An expensive divorce
In 2016, Johnny Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard fought out a bitter and public divorce battle. Depp finally ended the marriage by paying a $7 million (£6m) settlement to Heard in order for her to walk away.
A charitable ending
However, if there was anything good to come out of the divorce, it was that the divorce settlement went to charity. Heard had previously said she would be donating the money straight to charity anyway, but Depp pipped her to the post and donated it directly himself, dropping off multiple payments to the American Civil Liberties Union and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.
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