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 out as an American actor and producer. Widely regarded as one of Hollywood’s greatest stars, he is also ranked among the highest-paid and wealthiest celebrities globally. To date, Tom Cruise’s films have collectively grossed $11.5 billion worldwide. Interestingly, for a significant part of his career, none of his films surpassed the $1 billion mark. Before June 2022, the highest-grossing film in his career was “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” from 2018, which earned $800 million globally. However, he finally achieved the billion-dollar success in late June 2022 with “Top Gun: Maverick,” which went on to gross $1.5 billion worldwide.

Early Life

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York. He is the son of an electrical engineer and a special education teacher, and he has three sisters. His first cousin, William Mapother, would later become an actor and collaborate with Tom on several projects.

His formative years were marked by frequent relocations across the country, which included a brief period in Canada when his father secured a position with the Canadian Armed Forces. Tom claimed that his father was abusive, stating that he physically harmed him and his siblings. Over a span of 14 years, he attended 15 different schools.

Initially, Tom’s aspirations did not lie in acting; during middle school, he was more interested in sports, although he participated in drama classes. A knee injury ultimately shifted his focus to acting in high school, as it sidelined him from wrestling. He dedicated himself to the drama club, landing the lead role in their production of Guys and Dolls.

Even with positive feedback regarding his acting abilities, Tom was not yet drawn to a career in acting. He briefly pursued a path to become a Franciscan priest at the St. Francis Seminary in Cincinnati but was expelled due to alcohol-related issues.

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

Early Career

Following high school, Cruise made the move to New York City with aspirations of becoming an actor, only to relocate 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, Tom earned acclaim for his performance in “Taps,” which led to him being signed by the prominent talent agency CAA. Paula Wagner, an agent at CAA, advocated for Tom to the agency’s managing partner, Michael Ovitz. Not only did Tom become a lifelong client of CAA, but he and Paula also established a production company called Cruise/Wagner Productions in the early 1990s.

Tom continued to gain recognition with his role in “The Outsiders.”

Success

Tom delivered a career-defining performance in 1983’s comedy/drama “Risky Business.” The film was a commercial success, earning $64 million from a $6 million budget, and became a cultural milestone. This success solidified Cruise’s status as an emerging star and earned him his first Golden Globe nomination.

With the huge triumph of 1986’s “Top Gun,” he rose to extreme fame. “Top Gun” grossed $360 million globally, making it the highest-grossing film of that year.

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

Following that, he enjoyed success with “Cocktail” and “Rain Man,” both released in 1988. “Rain Man” secured four Academy Awards. His first Oscar nomination came the following year for “Born on the Fourth of July.”

He continued his successful streak with “Days of Thunder” in 1990, “Far and Away” in 1992, and “A Few Good Men” also in 1992, followed by other noteworthy projects in 1993.

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For “The Firm” and the 1994 film “Interview with the Vampire,” he garnered a Golden Globe nomination for his role in A Few Good Men.

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

Over the next decade and beyond, Tom continued to deliver numerous hits. Some of his other significant projects 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

Here are more notable films featuring Cruise along with their global gross:

• 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)

Currently, over twenty of Cruise’s films have generated more than $100 million globally. His total global box office earnings stand at $9.5 billion without factoring in inflation.

Salary and Earnings Milestones

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

With his producer credit, Tom made an impressive $70 million from the first Mission Impossible film, while he garnered $75 million for Mission Impossible 3.

His two highest earnings per film to date are from Mission Impossible 2 (2000) and War of the Worlds (2005), with each movie netting him $100 million thanks to beneficial backend points. Tom Cruise appears three times on the list of the 10 largest acting paychecks ever recorded for a single film, including those mentioned $100 million paydays.

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

From 1983 to 2011, Tom amassed $445 million through movie salaries. It’s estimated that from 2011 to 2019, he made at least another $300 million, resulting in his overall career earnings (including salary and bonuses) from 1983 to 2019 reaching $745 million.

Top Gun Salary/Earnings

Previously mentioned, Tom Cruise made a salary of $2 million for the 1986 film “Top Gun.” When adjusted for inflation, this equates to approximately $5.4 million today. Surprisingly, that $2 million represented 13% of the total $15 million budget for Top Gun. The exact earnings of his co-stars, including Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer, remain unknown but are likely significantly lower than $2 million.

While filming Top Gun, another film starring Tom Cruise titled “Legend” flopped at the box office, causing panic for producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. Thankfully, Top Gun became a massive success, ultimately grossing $360 million, making it the highest-grossing movie of 1986.

Fast forward to 2018/2019; after years of speculation, a Top Gun sequel finally came to fruition, largely thanks to producer David Ellison, son of Larry Ellison and founder of Skydance. As a lifelong fan of the original and a pilot, David established Skydance in 2006 with the intent to pursue a Top Gun sequel as his first project. When all the pieces fell into place, Skydance pledged 25% of the film’s estimated $200 million budget.

“Top Gun: Maverick,” initially set for a mid-2020 release, faced a delay of two years due to COVID. Tom serves both as the star and primary producer for the sequel, with a base salary of $13 million. More notably, as producer, Tom is entitled to 10 – 20% of the film’s “first dollar” gross revenue, which is a deal nearly unattainable for other Hollywood stars. The first dollar gross is distributed after movie theaters, or exhibitors, take their 40% share of ticket sales, yet before any studio overhead, including marketing and production expenses.

Should Top Gun: Maverick achieve $1 billion in box office revenue and Tom holds a 10% share of the first dollar gross, he could earn around $60 million. At a 20% stake, he’d make about $120 million. Considering streaming sales in the future, it’s quite plausible that Tom’s take could rise near $200 million, marking nearly 100 times his original salary from Top Gun.

Tom Cruise Height

What is Tom Cruise’s height? He stands at 5 feet 7 inches tall. This makes him 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

Throughout his life, Tom has experienced multiple marriages. His first marriage was to actress Mimi Rogers, lasting from 1987 to 1990, during which Mimi introduced him to Scientology.

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

He then married Katie Holmes, a relationship that lasted from 2006 until 2012.

Katie Holmes Divorce Settlement

Tom and Katie’s marriage resulted in a daughter named Suri. Entering the marriage, Tom’s net worth stood at $250 million, contrasted by Katie’s $10 million. Due to his substantial assets, Tom was adamant about having a rigorous prenuptial agreement. The divorce terms stipulated that Tom would pay Katie $400,000 annually in child support for a duration of 12 years (until 2024). This amounts to $33,000 monthly, culminating in a total of $4.8 million. Additionally, Tom is responsible for Suri’s medical costs, educational expenses, insurance, and extracurricular activities. Katie retains full custody of Suri and has decided against raising her with Scientology beliefs. Notably, Katie did NOT pursue any form of spousal support or a lump-sum payment, reportedly choosing to do so in exchange for complete custody and authority over Suri’s upbringing.

Real Estate

Over the years, Tom has possessed and continues to possess several remarkable properties across the United States. In 2013, he sold a condo on the 10th floor of a building in New York City’s East Village for $3 million. In September 2015, an $11.4 million multi-residence property in the Hollywood Hills changed hands to Eva Longoria. Tom sold his cherished Beverly Hills estate in May 2016 to billionaire financier Leon Black for $40 million, a property he had purchased for $30.5 million back in 2006 during his marriage to Katie Holmes. In 2018, he invested $11.8 million in acquiring several units in a condominium complex located in Clearwater, Florida, close to the headquarters of the Church of Scientology.

During the mid-1990s, while married to Nicole Kidman, Tom developed a substantial mansion in Telluride, Colorado. This expansive property covers 320 acres and features a main residence that boasts 10,000 square feet, including seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, along with horse stables and a private helipad. Tom spent years advocating for the local airport to lengthen its runway, allowing larger private jets to land, a wish that came true in 2010. In 2016, he attempted to sell this home for $59 million but, unfortunately, did not secure a buyer. He gave it another try in 2018, yet again was unsuccessful in finding a buyer. He renewed the listing in March…
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In May 2021, Tom sold the property for precisely $39.5 million, which he had acquired for the same amount in 2021. Below is a video tour from a previous listing:

Cruise/Wagner Productions

One significant factor contributing to Tom’s exceptional wealth as an actor, rather than just being very rich, is his involvement in producing many of his films. In 1993, alongside Paula Wagner, he co-founded Cruise/Wagner Productions. Their films have since grossed $3 billion internationally. For several years, they maintained an exclusive partnership with Paramount. However, this agreement came to an end in 2006, following Tom’s controversial remarks regarding psychiatry and anti-depressants, which stirred controversy within the industry. Since then, funding has been sourced from hedge funds and Dan Snyder, the founder of the Washington Redskins. In 2006, both Tom and Paula were brought on board by United Artists to help rejuvenate the faltering studio. While Paula departed UA in 2008, she and Tom still retain a 30% stake in the studio today.