Tom Cruise Net Worth

tom cruise net worth

Have you ever wondered what the net worth of Tom Cruise is? The American actor, producer, and entrepreneur have amassed quite a bit of wealth over his career.

After getting his start in Hollywood in the early 1980s, Cruise quickly became a household name with his performance in Risky Business.

From there, Cruise would be in a multitude of other films where he built a loyal fan base of people that enjoyed his good looks and daring stunts.

But Tom Cruise is more than just a pretty daredevil.

He is also an amazing actor who has received many accolades for his work, such as three Golden Globe Awards and three Academy Awards nominations. 

With all of these accomplishments, it’s no surprise that as of January 2023, the net worth of Tom Cruise is 600 million dollars. 

In this post, we’ll break down his career and show you everything he did to achieve his wealth.

Early Life

Tom Cruise was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York. He was one of four children and was his parent’s only boy.

He grew up poor and had a very rough relationship with his father. In interviews, he has described his father as a bully and coward who abused his children.

He said it was a great lesson in his life to be wary of those whose actions and words never aligned.

He and his family moved to Ottawa, Canada, in 1971 when his father took a job as a consultant in the Canadian Armed Forces.

It was in Canada when Cruise first fell in love with drama.

He started doing improv in elementary school, and his teachers remarked that he always had excellent timing and improvisational skills even as a kid. 

He would move back to the US in 1974 with his sisters after his mother divorced his father.

Cruise jumped around from school to school when back in the states and would attend 15 schools in 14 years.

After getting cut from his high school’s football team, he went on to star in the school’s production of Guys and Dolls.

Tom Cruise Pursues Acting

net worth of tom cruise
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After graduating high school, Tom Cruise knew he wanted to have a career in acting.

So, with the blessing of his mother and stepfather, he moved to New York to pursue acting.

He would stay there for only about a year before moving out to LA and signing with Creative Artists Agency. 

He got his first small role in 1981 in the 1981 film Endless Love. From there, he landed another supporting role in the film Taps.

However, it was 1983 that was Cruise’s breakout year.

In 1983 Cruise was part of The Outsiders’ ensemble cast, starred in the film All the Right Moves, and landed the lead role in Risky Business. 

To this day, Risky Business is considered the movie that made Tom Cruise’s career. 

Tom Cruise Earnings

Tom Cruise has been acting for 40 years now, and he has seen his fair share of lucrative paydays. 

  • In 1983, he made $75,000 for his role in Risky Business. 
  • In 1986, he made $2 million for his role in Top Gun
  • In 1988, he made $3 million for his role in Cocktail
  • In 1990, he made $9 million for his role in Days of Thunder
  • In 1992, he made $13 million for his role in Far and Away
  • In 1992, he made $12 million for his role in a Few Good Men
  • In 1994, he made $15 million for his role in Interview With The Vampire

Tom Cruise, The Producer

You may look at those numbers and wonder how Cruise is worth hundreds of millions of dollars if his payouts are only in the tens of millions.

Well, Cruise formed Cruise/Wagner Productions in 1993 with his former talent agent Paula Wagner. The company would produce several Cruise films, the first being Mission: Impossible in 1996. 

With his producer credit, Cruise saw a payout of 70 million dollars.

Cruise would make 100 million dollars for the second film thanks to a negotiated deal that allowed him to get a cut of box office sales.

In fact, just from the six mission impossible movies so far, Tom Cruise has made 290 million dollars!

Tom Cruise Net Worth 2023

As of May 2023, the net worth of Tom Cruise is 600 million dollars. 

Cruise is one of the highest-paid actors in the world and for a good reason. His films have grossed over 4 billion dollars in North America and over 10 billion dollars worldwide.

He is the only actor in history to receive two 100 million-dollar payouts for his films (he was paid 100 million for Mission Impossible 2 and War Of The Worlds).

Not only is he a fantastic actor, but he is also one of the few producers that can solely guarantee the success of a billion-dollar film franchise.

Accolades like that put him in the same conversations as other famous producers like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

Key Takeaways

Now that you know what the net worth of Tom Cruise is and how he built it, let’s take a look at some of the most important lessons we can take from his journey.

Diamonds Are Made Under Pressure

Tom Cruise certainly didn’t have it easy growing up. He moved around a lot, always having to make new friends, and had an abusive father.

However, that kind of upbringing toughened him up and allowed him not to let the fear of failure get in the way of chasing his dreams.

Remember, God gives his toughest battles to his strongest warriors. There is nothing in life thrown at you that you cannot overcome.

Sometimes, Success Comes Early and Fast

There are stories like Tom Cruise and others like Larry David. Tom Cruise starred in Risky Business just three years after graduating high school.

Larry David was a struggling comedian up until he was 47 years old. There is no timeline for success, but it is guaranteed to come if you show up day in and day out.

Bet On Yourself

Tom Cruise wouldn’t have nearly as much money as he does today without him starting his production company.

When you are confident in what you can bring to the table, it is advantageous to take equity in something rather than receive a flat rate.

That is what Tom Cruise has done with the Mission Impossible movies, and by taking a cut of box office sales, he has made hundreds of millions on just that franchise alone.