How much is Mel Gibson worth?
| Net Worth: | $350 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Actor |
| Date of Birth: | January 3, 1956 (age 67) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.77 m) |
About Mel Gibson
Mel Colmcille Gerard Gibson was born on January 3, 1956, in Peekskill, New York. Mel Gibson is an American-Australian filmmaker and actor. His most popular roles include action hero roles particularly as Max Rockatansky (his breakout role) in Mad Max series and as Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon the buddy cop film series.
He’s the sixth child out of eleven children, born by the late Anne Patricia and writer Hutton Gibson. His paternal grandparents were Irish opera contralto Eva Mylott (1875-1920) and South American millionaire tobacco businessman Hutton Gibson. Gibson’s first name was derived from the fifth-century Irish Saint St Mel’s Cathedral, his second name was also derived from an Irish Saint. He’s a permanent Australian resident, and he also retains dual Irish and American citizenship because of his mother.
His father relocated his family to West Pymble, Sydney, Australia on February 14, 1968, when he was twelve years old. He made this decision after being awarded $145,000 from a work-related-injury lawsuit that was against the New York Central Railroad. Gibson received his education through members of the Congregation of Christian Brothers at St Leo’s Catholic College in New South Wales.
He started learning acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in a production of Romeo and Juliet where he starred along with Judy Davis. He established a production company called Icon Entertainment in the 1980s, independent film director Atom Egoyan named it “an alternative to the studio system.”
He started off his Hollywood career by featuring in a drama film called The River as a struggling Tennessee farmer in 1984. Gibson was cast as a lead role in the World War 1 drama by director Peter Weir. The role earned him a reputation as a versatile and serious actor, plus an award as Best Actor from the Australian Film Institute. This set off his successful career journey.
He received favorable recognition from film critics when he first started in the film industry, he was compared to many other famous male movie stars. Vincent Carby spoke of Mel Gibson in 1982 saying he was reminded of Steven McQueen when he was young, through Mel. He said Gibson possessessed a tremendous “star quality” and he was also compared to Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable.
After he was labelled an “action hero” from featuring in Mad Max and Lethal Weapon, he ventured into other action projects.
He expanded to projects such as comedic roles like Maverick (1994) and What Women Want (2000), he also featured in human dramas such as the Franco Zeffirelli film version of Hamlet (1990).
After successful acting ventures, he got into film production and directing. Jess Cagle suggested that Mel Gibson should play James Bond to Connery’s “M”, as he compared him with Sean Connery, Cary Grant, and Robert Redford.
From producing and starring in Braveheart, which was a historical epic he won three awards. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, the Academy Award for Best Director, and also the Academy Award for Best Picture. His other successful production was The Passion of the Christ, a biblical drama that was highly controversial and it also earned him a lot of money. Apocalypto earned him recognition worldwide as well.
His acting and directing career faced some turmoil due to controversial statements. Specifically an anti-semitic rant he went on in 2006 which slowed down his career a lot. Something that he has seemingly recovered from in 2020, and hopefully we can all put this behind us as he has already apologized for his statements.
His career got revived after his role in The Beaver (2011), and after directing Hacksaw Ridge (2016) after a 10-year absence in the industry. Hacksaw Ridge got four nominations including Best Director and Best Picture, and also won two Academy Awards.
Gibson’s Total Net Worth
Apart from having a successful career in acting, producing and directing films, Mel Gibson also invests in real estate. Combining his skills and setting out in different ventures has enabled him to build his empire.
Today, Mel Gibson has a net worth estimated to be $350 million which he has built over decades of acting, directing and producing movies, as well as through being a bonafide real estate investor. Mel managed to earn his first estimated $1 million from his role in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome in 1985.
Apart from featuring in a lot of films his directing and producing skills earned him more money. He invested an estimated $30 million to create The Passion of the Christ (2004) from his own money after struggling to get a studio to finance his project.
He also invested $15 million to help with putting the film out in the market. Despite the struggle and controversy behind the film, it became a big box office success. The Passion of the Christ (2004) box office earned $612 million in global box office earnings. That’s equivalent to $$910.9 million dollars when adjusted for inflation which has been substantial.
From the gross revenue Gibson is estimated to have earned about $300 million, the other 50% was distribution company Newmarket. The budget was just $30 million making it one of the most financial successful movies of all time, let alone one created by someone who is generally an actor.
He earned another estimated $75-$100 million from DVD sales. He also made an estimated $50-$100 million from merchandise, in total he earned between $400-$475 from The Passion of the Christ film definitely making it his greatest financial success.
Investments and Real Estate
Mel Gibson is a property investor, and he has invested in several residential properties. He has multiple properties in Malibu, California, a private island in Fiji, different locations in Costa Rica and also several properties in Australia. He sold a 300-acre (1.2 km²) Australian Farm in Kiewa Valley for an estimated $6 million in December 2004. In 2005 he still made money in real estate by selling his 45,000 acre (180 km²) Montana ranch to his neighbor.
He purchased a 400 acre (1.6 km²) ranch in Costa Rica in April 2007 for an estimate $26 million, in July, he sold the 76-acre Tudor Estate in Connecticut for an estimate $40 million. He earned a profit of over an estimate $30 million since he purchased it for an estimate $9 million.
Another investment in 2007 he sold for an an estimate $30 million. It was a property in Malibu, which he bought 2 years before for $26 million. In 2008 Mel Gibson purchased a 5.5 acre in Malibu for an estimate $11.5 million. He listed the property later on in 2019 for an estimate $14.5 million.
Summing-Up
Considering he’s not so active currently, Mel Gibson might not be able to maintain his net worth. Yet perhaps moving forward he will rely more on his prude real estate investments before returning to the big screen.
