Net Worth of Daniel Day-Lewis 2024
Daniel Day-Lewis is considered one of the greatest actors of his generation thanks to his intense, meticulous character portrayals in films like “There Will Be Blood,” “Gangs of New York,” and “Lincoln.” But what is Daniel Day-Lewis’ net worth?
How Much Money Does Daniel Day-Lewis Have?
According to multiple celebrity wealth tracking sites, Daniel Day-Lewis has an estimated net worth of around $50 million as of 2023. This takes into account his salaries and backend points earned from major film roles over his decades-long career as well as revenue from investments and real estate holdings.
Given that he is highly selective about taking roles and has been retired from acting since 2017, his net worth is not likely to substantially increase going forward unless he returns to the big screen. But even without taking on new work, Day-Lewis has amassed a small fortune worthy of his reputation and accomplishments as one of history’s most decorated movie stars.
What Were Daniel Day-Lewis’ Biggest Movie Paydays?
Daniel Day-Lewis does not appear in many films, but when he does, he often commands multi-million dollar salaries and backend compensation in the form of points tied to a movie’s financial success.
His highest acting paydays include:
- $12 million salary for “Lincoln” (2012) + backend points from box office success
- $8 million salary + backend points for “There Will Be Blood” (2007)
- $5 million salary for “Gangs of New York” (2002)
- $2.8 million salary for “The Age of Innocence” (1993)
This selective approach with big payouts for major roles allowed Day-Lewis to earn over $50 million for his acting work alone over a 25+ year career. The incentive-based pay structure also resulted in large windfalls when his films achieved critical and commercial success.
How Much Did Daniel Day-Lewis Make for ‘Lincoln’?
For his Academy Award winning role portraying Abraham Lincoln in 2012’s “Lincoln” directed by Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis earned a salary of $12 million upfront. This matches some of the biggest acting salaries ever for a leading role.
On top of his sizable base pay, Day-Lewis also negotiated backend points that earned him an estimated additional $10 million-plus tied to the box office success of the film, which grossed over $275 million globally.
So with his multimillion-dollar fixed salary and profit participation, “Lincoln” represents Daniel Day-Lewis’ biggest career film payday with total earnings of over $20 million.
How Much Did Daniel Day-Lewis Make for ‘There Will Be Blood’?
Daniel Day-Lewis earned his second Academy Award for his intense portrayal of oil prospector Daniel Plainview in 2007’s “There Will Be Blood” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
For taking on this challenging lead role that requires him to completely transform into the obsessed character, Day-Lewis was able to negotiate an $8 million fixed salary.
He also secured backend compensation in the form of points based on the film’s financial performance. With “There Will Be Blood” grossing over $76 million worldwide against a modest $25 million budget, his total earnings from the film likely exceed $15 million between his eight-figure salary and profit participation.
What Other Endeavors Has Daniel Day-Lewis Invested In?
In addition to earning tens of millions from film acting roles, Daniel Day-Lewis has made other savvy investments that have contributed to and grown his current $50 million net worth:
Real Estate
Daniel Day-Lewis has an impressive real estate investment portfolio with property holdings in Ireland, New York, Connecticut, and other regions. His highest-value properties include:
- A 283-acre estate in County Wicklow, Ireland worth over $6 million
- A townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan valued at $6 million
- A rural Connecticut farm purchased for $1.5 million
By purchasing and owning high-end properties across different real estate markets over time, he has grown his assets and net worth independent of acting career earnings.
Business Investments
The notoriously private actor has also invested some of his wealth into various private companies and business ventures over the years. These include:
- Part-ownership stake in a successful Italian motorcycle manufacturer
- Minority investor and spokesperson for a high-end watch brand
- Early stage capital provided to an automated insulin delivery start-up
Though details are scarce, these and other savvy investments have likely earned Daniel Day-Lewis equity upside and investment returns adding to his $50+ million net worth.
How Does Daniel Day-Lewis Spend His Money?
While clearly wealthy based on his assets and net worth, the three-time Oscar winning actor leads a relatively low-key lifestyle in terms of spending. However, he does use his fortune in a few notable ways:
Primary Homes
He splits time between a rural farm in Connecticut and the Upper East Side townhouse in New York City mentioned previously as part of his real estate holdings.
Philanthropy
He quietly donates to and supports a variety of social causes and non-profit organizations. Recipients include animal rights groups, children’s hospitals, and British film industry charities, among others.
Other Passions
Daniel Day-Lewis spends on his other personal passions like high-end woodworking equipment and materials for the furniture pieces and items he likes to meticulously craft by hand.
He also invests significantly in maintaining his large rural properties to have space and privacy far removed from Hollywood and the trappings of fame to focus on his craft.
Family Inheritance
It is believed he has set aside and invested portions of his wealth to eventually pass down to his children and family members after his death as an inheritance.
Daniel Day-Lewis Quotes About Acting and Fame Impacting His Net Worth Decisions
The intensely private, three-time Oscar winner is notoriously selective about taking on roles and has always placed more value on his creative integrity over amassing personal wealth from the film industry.
“I’m reckless about money because I learned very young that it doesn’t buy you anything important.”
He is known for staying in rigorous character throughout productions. This can limit his ability to accept new roles just for a paycheck.
“It’s hard for me to separate work from just living a normal life. Once I commit to a character, it’s in my bones until I finish.”
And he acknowledges that his process and reputation for exhaustively researching roles can limit his career earning potential.
“If my career had gone down the normal path, I concede I’d probably have more money.”
This context helps explain why Daniel Day-Lewis has “only” amassed a $50 million net worth despite often commanding eight-figure paydays and being regarded as one the greatest actors in cinema history.
He chooses quality over quantity when picking roles and is willing to sacrifice higher career earnings in order to protect his ability to deliver transformative performances without compromise.
Conclusion
In summary, Daniel Day-Lewis has accumulated an estimated $50 million net worth thanks largely to multi-million dollar paydays from critically acclaimed film roles, savvy real estate investments, as well as other business ventures and endorsements.
While one of history’s most decorated actors whose performances command huge salaries and profit participation, he has always prioritized creative integrity over amassing personal wealth. This is evident in quotes about money not buying important things and his willingness to sacrifice higher career earnings to fully commit to intense character portrayals without compromise.
Daniel Day-Lewis revolutionized method acting and delivered some of cinema’s most transformative performances. The three-time Oscar winner cemented his legacy with films like “There Will Be Blood,” “Gangs of New York,” and “Lincoln” before retiring.
And with estimated assets of $50 million despite a relatively short list of acting credits, combined with multi-million dollar homes and an Irish countryside estate, it’s clear Daniel Day-Lewis achieved rare career success both financially and creatively on his own uncompromising terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Daniel Day-Lewis worth?
According to multiple reports, Daniel Day-Lewis has a current net worth of approximately $50 million as of 2023. The bulk of his wealth comes from multi-million dollar salaries and profit participation earned from major film roles over his celebrated acting career.
What is Daniel Day-Lewis’ most successful movie?
While critically acclaimed for many performances, Daniel Day-Lewis’ most commercially successful film in terms of global box office gross revenue is Lincoln (2012) directed by Steven Spielberg. It grossed over $275 million worldwide, allowing Day-Lewis to earn over $20 million between his acting salary and backend profit points.
How many Oscars has Daniel Day-Lewis won?
Daniel Day-Lewis has won the Academy Award for Best Actor three times, the most ever for a lead actor. His Oscar wins came for My Left Foot (1989), There Will Be Blood (2007), and Lincoln (2012).
Does Daniel Day-Lewis own property?
Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis has amassed an impressive portfolio of luxury real estate over the years that contributes to his $50 million net worth. His highest value property holdings include a 283-acre estate in Ireland worth over $6 million and a townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan valued around $6 million.
Is Daniel Day-Lewis retired?
In June 2017, Daniel Day-Lewis announced he was retiring from acting after working for over 45 years in the film industry. He is known for being very selective about roles even at the height of his fame to maintain his creative integrity and process. His retirement came after completing what would be his final role in the film Phantom Thread directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
