How Did George Clooney Make His Money?

George Clooney is one of Hollywood’s highest-paid leading men, with his movies raking in over $2 billion. In 2017, Clooney allegedly earned more than any other actor. But how did this star become a multi-millionaire?

Clooney made his money through a mixture of acting and his tequila company Casamigos which he and his business partners founded back in 2013. It’s reported that he sold the company for $239 million four years on in 2017.

If you’re looking for inspiration on how to follow in the footsteps of the leading man then keep reading to find out how he made his money.

From Killer Tomatoes to Stashes of Cash

Arguably, one of Clooney’s greatest achievements is how he continues to be of relevance to the general public as he ages and becomes a touch less popular.

He broke out into the industry at the beginning of the ‘80s, and featured in small roles in TV and film. He starred in E / R, a brief sitcom that lasted for one year on-air. Then came roles in Return of the Killer Tomatoes! a cult horror-comedy which might be the most well-known performance related to Clooney.

Clooney has come a very long way since then: as of 2020, he’s one among the highest-paid Hollywood actors, and his films have made nearly $2 billion at the box office. But how did Clooney get from Killer Tomatoes to splashing the cash?

In 1994, he got a breakthrough role in medical drama ER. He starred as Doug Ross and was later nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance, but never won, in fact, he lost the awards to co-star Anthony Edwards – ouch!

He then moved to the large screen, with probably one of his most major Hollywood roles in horror-comedy From Dusk till Dawn. He continued to establish himself and his name with films like The Perfect Storm and O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

However, the best was yet to come as Clooney landed a role within the remake of Ocean’s Eleven in 2001. It became the most successful of Clooney’s films where he starred as the lead role and the film made a substantial $450 million worldwide on a budget of $85 million.

His Biggest Paycheck

In 2018, Zack O’Malley Greenburg from Forbes announced that Clooney had earned an impressive $239 million ranking second on the list of the world’s highest-paid entertainers. He described his income as “the best annual take-home of his—or any actor’s—career.”

The majority of Clooney’s earnings over the year were actually credited to his tequila company Casamigos, which was purchased by Diageo – an alcohol beverage company mainly operating inside the UK.

According to The New York Times, Diageo purchased Casamigos for $1 billion which essentially resulted in the biggest payday Clooney had ever seen. As of 2020, it’s reported that Clooney is now worth $500 million which is double that of the $250 million he was worth in the years prior.

Where Does His Money Go?

With so much money, the possibilities of what to do with that money are limitless, you could virtually spend the money on anything you want. But what does George Clooney spend his money on?

Electric Cars

Don’t all men love cars to some extent? I guess it’s only fitting that Clooney spends at least some of his fortune on cars – but he’s a fan of electric cars and we all know that they’re good for the environment – that’s a win-win!

Clooney hit the headlines back in 2005, when he bought a very expensive electric car which would definitely burn a hole in your pocket. He bought a Tango T600, which is described by The Daily Mail as, “so exclusive and expensive that only 12 cars were ever made.”

Philanthropy

Clooney is a philanthropic individual who donates to charities and he even donated $500,000 to March For Our Lives in 2018.