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, acknowledged as one of Hollywood’s greatest stars. Recognized as one of the highest-paid and wealthiest celebrities in the world, his films have garnered a remarkable $11.5 billion in global box office receipts as of this writing. Interestingly, throughout most of his career, none of Tom’s films broke the $1 billion mark until June 2022. His highest-grossing film prior to that was the 2018 release “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” which earned $800 million globally. In late June 2022, he achieved the billion-dollar milestone with “Top Gun: Maverick,” which eventually grossed $1.5 billion worldwide.

Early Life

Born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, he was the son of an electrical engineer and a special education teacher. Tom has three sisters, and his cousin William Mapother would also pursue a career in acting, appearing in several projects alongside Tom.

Throughout his formative years, Tom Cruise moved frequently across the country, which included a short period in Canada when his father worked for the Canadian Armed Forces. Tom has often described his father as a bully who subjected him and his siblings to abuse, and he attended a total of 15 schools over 14 years.

Despite not initially aspiring to be an actor, Tom took drama classes in middle school while being more focused on sports. A knee injury caused him to leave the wrestling team, which led him to commit to acting during high school, where he quickly secured the lead in a production of Guys and Dolls.

Even with positive reviews of his performances, he didn’t immediately pursue acting. He briefly attended St. Francis Seminary in Cincinnati with aspirations to become a Franciscan priest, but was expelled due to drinking issues.

In 1980, he graduated from Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey.

Early Career

After graduation, Cruise set his sights on acting and moved to New York City before relocating to Los Angeles for television auditions.

His film debut happened in 1981 with a minor role in “Endless Love.” That same year, he received critical acclaim for his performance in “Taps,” leading to him being signed by the notable talent agency CAA. Paula Wagner, a CAA agent, advocated for Tom to the agency’s managing partner, Michael Ovitz. This partnership marked the beginning of a longstanding relationship, and in the early 1990s, Tom and Paula would co-found Cruise/Wagner Productions.

Tom continued to gain recognition with “The Outsiders.”

Success

In 1983, Tom delivered a breakout performance in the comedy-drama “Risky Business.” Earning $64 million against a $6 million budget, the film became a cultural phenomenon, securing Cruise’s position as a rising star and earning him his first Golden Globe nomination.

Following this, the immense success of 1986’s “Top Gun” catapulted Tom Cruise to global fame. The film grossed $360 million worldwide, becoming the year’s highest-grossing film.

Additionally, he co-starred with Paul Newman in “The Color of Money” that same year.

The string of hits continued with “Cocktail” and “Rain Man,” both released in 1988. “Rain Man” went on to win four Academy Awards. Tom received his first Oscar nomination a year later for “Born on the Fourth of July.”

His filmography further expanded with “Days of Thunder” in 1990, “Far and Away” in 1992, along with “A Few Good Men” released in 1992, and in 1993,

“`p>films “The Firm” and “Interview with the Vampire,” both released in 1994, while “A Few Good Men” earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe.

In 1996, Tom Cruise not only starred in but also produced the blockbuster “Mission: Impossible,” which accrued $457 million at the box office and spawned several successful sequels. That same year, he was also a part of the cultural sensation “Jerry Maguire,” which generated $275 million from a $50 million budget and earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination. His co-star, Cuba Gooding, Jr., took home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Over the following decade, Tom continued to deliver hits. Here are some additional notable projects from his career:

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

The Top 6 Highest-Grossing Films of Tom Cruise

• #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

Here are other notable films featuring Cruise and their worldwide grosses:

• The Firm (1993) – $158 million ($350 million when 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, over twenty of Cruise’s films have garnered more than $100 million globally, amassing a staggering total of $9.5 billion in box office revenue without considering inflation.

Milestones and Earnings in Salary

• For Taps, Tom earned $50,000
• His paycheck for Risky Business was $75,000
• His salary for 1985’s Legend was raised to $500,000
• In 1986, he received $2 million for starring in Top Gun, marking a turning point in his earnings.
• For Cocktail, he earned $3 million
• Days of Thunder brought him $9 million
• Tom received $13 million for Far and Away
• His fee for A Few Good Men was $12 million
• For The Firm, he also received $12 million
• His earnings for Interview with the Vampire were $15 million

With his role as a producer, Tom earned a remarkable total of $70 million for all his credits on the original Mission Impossible. For Mission Impossible 3, he garnered $75 million.

The two highest salaries he ever received for a film to date are for 2000’s Mission Impossible 2 and 2005’s War of the Worlds, with both earning him $100 million apiece, thanks to lucrative backend points. Tom Cruise holds a place in the records as he appears three times in the list of the 10 largest acting paychecks for a single film, a testament to his star power in Hollywood.

third and fourth largest paydays, following Bruce Willis’ $105 million from The Sixth Sense and Keanu Reeves’ $156 million from The Matrix.

From 1983 to 2011, Tom amassed $445 million in movie salaries. Between 2011 and 2019, his earnings likely exceeded another $300 million, leading to his overall career earnings (including salary and bonuses) from 1983 to 2019 totaling $745 million.

Top Gun Salary/Earnings

As previously mentioned, Tom Cruise’s remuneration for “Top Gun” in 1986 was $2 million. When adjusted for inflation, this equates to about $5.4 million in today’s terms. Remarkably, $2 million constituted 13% of the entire $15 million budget of Top Gun. The earnings of his original co-stars, including Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer, remain unknown, but it’s likely they earned considerably less than $2 million.

During the production of Top Gun, another film starring Tom Cruise, titled “Legend,” performed poorly at the box office, striking fear into producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. Thankfully, Top Gun emerged as a box office triumph, ultimately grossing $360 million and becoming the highest-grossing movie of 1986.

Fast forward to 2018/2019. After years of anticipation, speculation, and fan desires, a sequel to Top Gun was finally created, largely due to producer David Ellison. As the son of Larry Ellison and founder of Skydance, David, a devoted fan of Top Gun and a pilot himself, aimed to create a sequel since establishing Skydance in 2006. When the opportunity presented itself, Skydance dedicated 25% of the film’s estimated $200 million budget.

Originally set for a mid-2020 release, “Top Gun: Maverick” faced a two-year postponement due to COVID. Tom serves as both the star and primary producer of the sequel, receiving a base salary of $13 million. More significantly, as a producer, Tom is entitled to 10% to 20% of the film’s “first dollar” gross revenue. This is a deal that no other star in Hollywood is able to secure. The first dollar gross is allocated after exhibitors, i.e., movie theaters, deduct 40% of the receipts, yet before any other production costs, including marketing and expenses, are considered.

Should “Top Gun: Maverick” gross $1 billion, and Tom holds 10% of the first dollar gross, he would earn approximately $60 million. With a 20% stake, his earnings could reach around $120 million. By including potential streaming sales later on, it is plausible that Tom could earn up to $200 million, roughly 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. This makes him three inches shorter than his former wife Nicole Kidman (who is 5 feet 10) and two inches shorter than Katie Holmes, his other ex-wife (who is 5 feet 9).

Personal Life

Several marriages mark Tom’s history. His first marriage was with actress Mimi Rogers, lasting from 1987 to 1990, during which Mimi introduced Tom to Scientology.

From 1990 to 2001, Tom shared his life with Nicole Kidman as his spouse.

From 2006 until 2012, he was married to Katie Holmes.

Katie Holmes Divorce Settlement

The marriage between Tom and Katie resulted in one daughter, Suri. At the time of their union, Tom had a net worth of $250 million, whereas Katie’s stood at $10 million. Given the disparity in assets, Tom was adamant about establishing a comprehensive prenuptial agreement. As per the divorce terms, Tom is obligated to provide Katie with $400,000 annually in child support for 12 years, continuing until 2024. This amounts to approximately $33,000 each month, totaling $4.8 million overall. Additionally, Tom is responsible for covering Suri’s medical bills, education costs, insurance, and extracurricular expenses. Katie retained full custody of Suri and chose not to raise her within Scientology. Importantly, Katie did NOT receive any spousal support or a lump sum cash settlement. Reports indicate that her decision to forgo spousal support was made in exchange for full custody and control over Suri’s upbringing.

Real Estate

Throughout the years, Tom has owned and continues to own numerous remarkable properties across the United States. In 2013, he sold a condo located on the 10th floor in New York City’s East Village for $3 million. In September 2015, he sold a multi-residence property in Hollywood Hills to buyer Eva Longoria for $11.4 million. His long-time Beverly Hills estate was sold in May 2016 for $40 million to billionaire financier Leon Black; Tom had purchased it for $30.5 million back in 2006 while still married to Katie Holmes. Additionally, in 2018, he acquired various units in a condo complex situated in Clearwater, Florida, spending $11.8 million close to the Church of Scientology’s world headquarters.

During the mid-1990s, when married to Nicole Kidman, Tom constructed a grand mansion in Telluride, Colorado, which spans 320 acres. The main residence covers 10,000 square feet and consists of seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, horse stables, and a private helipad. He worked for years to persuade the local airport to extend its runway for accommodating larger private jets, which was achieved in 2010. In 2016, he listed this estate for $59 million but ultimately could not find a buyer. Attempts to sell the home again in 2018 were also unsuccessful, leading him to re-list the property in March.
“`In May 2021, Tom ultimately sold the property for precisely $39.5 million, after purchasing it for the same amount in 2021. Below is a video tour from a previous listing:

 

Cruise/Wagner Productions

One primary factor contributing to Tom’s remarkable wealth as an actor, distinguishing him from those merely considered very rich, is his involvement in producing many of his films. Cruise/Wagner Productions was co-founded by him and Paula Wagner in 1993. Their films have generated $3 billion globally thus far. For numerous years, they maintained an exclusive agreement with Paramount; however, this partnership ended in 2006 following Tom’s controversial remarks regarding psychiatry and antidepressants that stirred significant backlash within the industry. Since then, funding has been secured from hedge funds and Dan Snyder, the founder of the Washington Redskins. In 2006, United Artists brought Paula and Tom on board to rejuvenate the faltering studio. Although Paula departed from UA in 2008, she and Tom continue to hold a 30% stake in the studio today.