Tom Cruise Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Tom Cruise’s Net Worth, Salary, and Career Earnings?

With a net worth of $600 million, Tom Cruise stands as an American actor and producer regarded as one of the most significant stars in Hollywood history. Not only is he among the highest-paid, but he is also one of the wealthiest celebrities globally. His films have amassed a staggering $11.5 billion at the global box office to date. Interestingly, throughout much of his career, none of his movies crossed the $1 billion milestone. Until June 2022, the highest-grossing film for him was 2018’s “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” which earned $800 million worldwide. It wasn’t until late June 2022 that Tom crossed the billion-dollar threshold with “Top Gun: Maverick,” which ultimately grossed $1.5 billion globally.

Early Life

Born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, Thomas Cruise Mapother IV is the son of an electrical engineer and a special education teacher. He has three sisters, and his first cousin, William Mapother, later gained fame as an actor, appearing in various projects alongside Tom.

During his childhood, Tom moved frequently around the country, including a brief period spent in Canada when his father obtained a job with the Canadian Armed Forces. Tom has described his father as a bully who mistreated him and his siblings, resulting in his attendance at 15 different schools over 14 years.

Initially, acting was not Tom’s aspiration. Although he took some drama classes in middle school, he identified more as a jock. A knee injury that sidelined him from the wrestling team prompted him to shift his focus to acting during high school, where he quickly garnered a lead role in their rendition of Guys and Dolls.

Despite receiving encouraging reviews for his performance, Tom didn’t initially see acting as his future. In fact, he spent time at St. Francis Seminary in Cincinnati, intending to become a Franciscan priest but was expelled for drinking issues.

He graduated from Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey in 1980.

Early Career

After high school, Cruise moved to New York City aspiring to be an actor but soon transitioned to Los Angeles to audition for television roles.

In 1981, he made his film debut with a minor role in “Endless Love.” That same year, his performance in “Taps” garnered critical acclaim, leading to his signing with the prestigious talent agency CAA. CAA agent Paula Wagner advocated for him with the agency’s managing partner, Michael Ovitz. Tom not only became a lifelong client of CAA, but in the early 1990s, he partnered with Paula to establish Cruise/Wagner Productions.

Tom continued to achieve recognition through his work in “The Outsiders.”

Success

Tom’s career took off in 1983 with his breakthrough role in the comedy/drama “Risky Business.” This film grossed $64 million with a budget of $6 million and became a cultural phenomenon, solidifying Cruise’s place as an emerging star while earning him his first Golden Globe nomination.

The massive success of 1986’s “Top Gun” catapulted Tom to international fame, as the film grossed $360 million globally, becoming the highest-grossing film of that year.

In the same year, he appeared in “The Color of Money” alongside Paul Newman.

More hits followed with “Cocktail” and “Rain Man,” both released in 1988, with Rain Man sweeping four Academy Awards. A year later, Cruise received his first Oscar nomination for “Born on the Fourth of July.”

He went on to star in 1990’s “Days of Thunder,” followed by 1992’s “Far and Away,” and also released 1992’s “A Few Good Men.” In 1993,

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In 1994, he starred in “The Firm,” as well as “Interview with the Vampire.” His performance in A Few Good Men earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe.

Simultaneously, in 1996, Tom Cruise took on the roles of both star and producer in the blockbuster “Mission: Impossible,” which grossed an impressive $457 million, leading to multiple successful sequels. That same year, he also appeared in the cultural hit “Jerry Maguire,” which, on a $50 million budget, generated $275 million and netted him a Best Actor nomination for an Oscar. His co-star, Cuba Gooding Jr., won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Throughout the following decade and beyond, Tom continued to deliver successful films. Some noteworthy projects from his filmography include:

• Eyes Wide Shut
• Vanilla Sky
• Minority Report
• The Last Samurai
• Collateral
• War of the Worlds
• Valkyrie
• Jack Reacher
• Oblivion
• Edge of Tomorrow
• American Made

Top 6 Highest Grossing Tom Cruise Films

• #5: The Last Samurai (2003) – $456 million ($716 million adjusted for inflation)
• #5: War of the Worlds (2005) – $606 million ($890 million adjusted for inflation)
• #4: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) – $690 million
• #3: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) – $700 million
• #2: Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) – $800 million
• #1: Top Gun: Maverick (2022) – $1.5 billion

Additional notable films featuring Cruise and their global grosses:

• The Firm (1993) – $158 million ($350 million adjusted for inflation)
• Mission: Impossible II (2000) – $550 million ($923 million adjusted for inflation)
• Mission: Impossible (1996) – $460 million ($850 million adjusted for inflation)
• Rain Man (1988) – $354 million ($865 million adjusted for inflation)
• Top Gun (1986) – $360 million ($445 million adjusted for inflation)

As of now, more than twenty of Cruise’s films have earned over $100 million worldwide. His total global box office earnings stand at an impressive $9.5 billion, not accounting for inflation.

Salary and Earnings Milestones

• For Taps, Tom earned $50,000.
• His salary for Risky Business was $75,000.
• In 1985, his pay for Legend increased to $500,000.
• In 1986, Tom earned $2 million for his role in Top Gun, marking a significant rise in his career earnings.
• He received $3 million for Cocktail.
• For Days of Thunder, he earned $9 million.
• His pay for Far and Away was $13 million.
• For A Few Good Men, he received $12 million.
• His earnings for The Firm were also $12 million.
• He made $15 million for Interview with the Vampire.

Due to his producer role, Tom earned an impressive total of $70 million from his credits on the first Mission Impossible. For Mission Impossible 3, he earned $75 million.

His two highest earnings for movies are from Mission Impossible 2 (2000) and War of the Worlds (2005), with each film bringing him $100 million, thanks to lucrative backend deals. Tom Cruise ranks in the top ten for the largest acting paychecks of all time (for a single film) three times, with his earlier mentioned $100 million paydays being the most significant.

third and fourth largest paydays, trailing Bruce Willis’ impressive $105 million earnings from Sixth Sense and Keanu Reeves’ $156 million payout from the Matrix.

From 1983 to 2011, Tom accumulated $445 million in movie salaries. Likely adding at least another $300 million from 2011 to 2019, his total career earnings (including salary and bonuses) from 1983 to 2019 reach $745 million.

Top Gun Salary/Earnings

Previously mentioned, Tom Cruise earned a salary of $2 million for the 1986 film “Top Gun.” When adjusted for inflation, that translates to about $5.4 million today. Interestingly, the $2 million constituted 13% of the film’s overall $15 million budget. The exact earnings of his co-stars, like Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer, remain unknown but are presumed to be significantly less than $2 million.

While filming Top Gun, another Tom Cruise film called “Legend” underperformed at the box office, leaving producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson extremely anxious. Thankfully, Top Gun proved to be hugely successful, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1986 with $360 million in revenue.

Fast forward to the years 2018 and 2019. After numerous whispers, rumors, and fan hopes, a sequel to Top Gun was finally made possible largely due to producer David Ellison, son of Larry Ellison and founder of Skydance. As a devoted fan of Top Gun and a pilot himself, when David established Skydance in 2006, his first goal was to create a sequel. Once the conditions fell into place, Skydance committed 25% of the film’s approximate $200 million budget.

Initially scheduled for a mid-2020 release, “Top Gun: Maverick” faced a two-year delay due to COVID. Tom not only stars in but is also the primary producer of the sequel. His base salary for this film was $13 million. Even more importantly, as a producer, Tom stands to earn 10% to 20% of the movie’s “first dollar” gross revenue—a deal no other Hollywood star can secure. The first dollar gross payment occurs after movie theaters, also called exhibitors, take their 40% share, but before other studio expenses including marketing and production.

If Top Gun: Maverick generates $1 billion at the box office and Tom secures 10% of the first dollar gross, he stands to earn about $60 million. Should he have 20%, his earnings could reach approximately $120 million. Furthermore, factoring in streaming revenues later on, it’s conceivable that Tom could earn around $200 million, which would be nearly 100 times his initial salary from Top Gun.

Tom Cruise Height

What is Tom Cruise’s height? Tom Cruise stands at 5 feet 7 inches tall. He is three inches shorter than his ex-wife Nicole Kidman, who is 5 feet 10 inches, and two inches shorter than his ex-wife Katie Holmes, who measures 5 feet 9 inches.

Personal Life

Several times, Tom has been married. His first marriage was to actress Mimi Rogers from 1987 until 1990, the one who introduced him to Scientology.

From 1990 to 2001, Tom was married to Nicole Kidman.

His marriage with Katie Holmes spanned from 2006 to 2012.

Katie Holmes Divorce Settlement

The marriage of Tom and Katie resulted in the birth of their daughter, Suri. Entering the marriage, Tom’s net worth stood at $250 million, while at $10 million, Katie’s net worth was significantly lower. Tom, with more to safeguard, pushed for a solid prenuptial agreement. Their divorce conditions stipulated that Tom pays Katie $400,000 annually in child support for 12 years, lasting until 2024. This equates to $33,000 monthly, totaling $4.8 million. Additionally, Tom is responsible for covering Suri’s medical costs, education, insurance, and extracurricular activities. Katie retains full custody of Suri and has opted against raising her daughter in the Scientology faith. No spousal support or lump sum cash payment was awarded to Katie. Reports indicate that she decided against spousal support to ensure full custody and authority over Suri’s upbringing.

Real Estate

Throughout the years, Tom has owned multiple impressive properties across the United States. He sold a 10th-floor condo in New York City’s East Village for $3 million in 2013. In September 2015, a multi-residence property in the Hollywood Hills went for $11.4 million, with Eva Longoria as the buyer. In May 2016, Tom let go of his Beverly Hills estate to billionaire financier Leon Black for $40 million, a house he had acquired for $30.5 million in 2006 while still married to Katie Holmes. In 2018, he invested $11.8 million in multiple units of a condo complex situated in Clearwater, Florida, close to the Church of Scientology headquarters.

In the mid-1990s, while married to Nicole Kidman, Tom constructed a vast mansion on 320 acres in Telluride, Colorado. This main residence spans 10,000 square feet, features seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, horse stables, and a private helipad. He devoted years trying to convince the local airport to extend its runway for accommodating larger private jets, a wish granted in 2010. In 2016, he attempted to sell this home for $59 million but failed to find a buyer. Another listing followed in 2018, yet the search for a buyer remained unsuccessful. He re-listed the property in March.
“`In May 2021, Tom successfully sold the property for $39.5 million, the same amount for which he had purchased it in 2021. Below is a video tour from an earlier listing:

 

Cruise/Wagner Productions

One of the key factors contributing to Tom’s extraordinary affluence as an actor, distinguishing him from those who are merely wealthy, is his role in producing a significant number of his films. In 1993, he partnered with Paula Wagner to establish Cruise/Wagner Productions. Thus far, their film portfolio has generated $3 billion globally. For numerous years, they held an exclusive partnership with Paramount, which concluded in 2006 following the backlash from Tom’s controversial remarks regarding psychiatry and anti-depressants that gained widespread attention. Since that time, hedge funds and Dan Snyder, founder of the Washington Redskins, have provided funding. In 2006, Tom and Paula were invited by United Artists to help revitalize the faltering studio. Although Paula departed UA in 2008, she and Tom continue to own 30% of the studio today.