Tom Cruise net worth — Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Mission Not So Impossible: Tom Cruise's Net Worth Soars Thanks to 'Top Gun: Maverick'

The success of 'Mission: Impossible' means Tom Cruise's net worth is beyond mile-high levels as 'Dead Reckoning' hits theaters.

Author:
Jessica Sager
Updated:
Jan 12, 2024

Mission: Impossible star Tom Cruise's net worth is the result of being a marquee name for nearly four decades.

Born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, Cruise came from humble beginnings: His family moved frequently, his father was abusive and he struggled with dyslexia growing up. Cruise's parents divorced and he lived with his mother, who remarried and worked hard to give him and his siblings a better life. Seeing her overcome those obstacles inspired Cruise to pursue his dreams—which once included joining the priesthood (he attended a seminary for several years), but also included performing onstage in his Glen Ridge, New Jersey, high school production of Guys and Dolls, which gave him the acting bug.

"People can create their own lives. I saw how my mother created hers and so made it possible for us to survive. My mother was the one who rose to the occasion. She held three jobs. She said, ‘We’re going to get through this,’" Cruise once recalled to Parade. “And I decided that I’m going to create, for myself, who I am, not what other people say I should be. I’m entitled to that.”

That inherent sense of self-worth and savvy led Cruise to superstardom, but he admits it isn't without its caveats: He was very wary of the "more money, more problems" adage long before it inspired a hip-hop classic.

“When success happened for me, people in the industry changed: All of a sudden I was being offered tremendous amounts of money," Cruise said. "I went, ‘Uh, oh, be careful.’ You realize that there are people you can’t trust. I knew from being around my father, who hurt people, that not everyone really means me well.”

Cruise's hard work and keen business sense have made him one of the wealthiest stars in Hollywood history. Just how rich is he? Well, Tom Cruise's net worth will blow your mind.

What is Tom Cruise's net worth in 2024?

Tom Cruise's net worth in 2024 is estimated at a whopping $600 million.

How did Tom Cruise become famous?

After high school, Cruise moved to New York City, where he worked as a busboy while auditioning for acting roles in the Big Apple and Los Angeles. His first onscreen gig came in 1981 with a small part in Endless Love, followed by a supporting role in the Timothy Hutton-starring military academy drama Taps the same year; Cruise reportedly earned $50,000 for the latter.

He then appeared in 1983's heartthrob ensemble The Outsiders and played Woody in Losin' It. Risky Business came next and was a surprise and breakout hit for Cruise.

From there, Cruise was able to command higher salaries for subsequent projects. The 1985 fantasy film Legend, for example, was a box office bomb, bringing in just $15.5 million on a $24 million budget, but Cruise made $500,000 for his heroic role of Jack in the Ridley Scott film, which went on to be a cult favorite.

How much did Tom Cruise get paid for Risky Business?

Cruise's breakout role in 1983's Risky Business, complete with the sock-and-shirt dance (and that steamy subway scene with co-star Rebecca De Mornay!) put Cruise on the map. Cruise was reportedly paid $75,000 to play the star-making role of Joel, while the film went on to gross $63.5 million on a $6.2 million budget. He made the same amount for All the Right Moves, also released in 1983.

How much does Tom Cruise make per movie?

Cruise's movie salaries have increased over time, but they still vary from film to film. For certain projects, Cruise forgoes an upfront salary altogether and gets paid a percentage of the film's profits (more on that later). Generally, though, he makes an average of at least $20 million to $25 million upfront to topline a movie.

What movie made Tom Cruise the most money?

Thanks to savvy negotiations (big props to Cruise's agent!), Cruise reportedly made a whopping $100 million for War of the Worlds in 2005. While his most recent paydays aren't publicly known, if he keeps up with getting percentages of box office profits in addition to upfront salaries on movies, it's possible that Mission: Impossible — Fallout may have been his biggest moneymaker.

How much did Tom Cruise make for Top Gun?

In 1986, Cruise commanded $2 million for Top Gun. It was a worthwhile investment: The movie made $357 million on a $15 million budget and is regarded as an '80s-action classic. The same year, he made $1 million for The Color of Money, a sequel to 1961's The Hustler co-starring Paul Newman.

In 1988, Cruise channeled his intoxicating charm in Cocktail, pocketing a cool $3 million. The film was a hit, grossing $171.5 million on a $20 million budget.

How much did Tom Cruise get paid for Tropic Thunder?

Cruise's payday for his hilarious Tropic Thunder turn isn't known, but he really loved the work as Les Grossman. He told BBC Radio 1 in 2017, “I read the script, and [Ben Stiller] had all of the characters, but the studio wasn’t there. There was a structural compression missing down on those characters, you know, that keeps the pressure on these guys that really drives the story. I was like, ‘You need the studio.’”

He continued, “So he came back, like a few weeks later, and I started reading. I read this character and I went, ‘OK.’ I said, ‘This is fun,’ I said, ‘Do you mind Ben? I want to play this character. I said, ‘I want to have fat hands, and I’m gonna dance.’ And he looked at me, he was like, ‘What?’ … He said, ‘Look, are you sure you can’t just be you? Like, look like you and do it?’” Cruise recalled. “I said, ‘No, no, no man, I’m sorry, I don’t know how else to play this character.’ So then I did the makeup test, we’ve tested the fat hands, you know, and the whole look, and so we’re doing the wardrobe and there was no music playing … I said, ‘Look, let me just—I wanna do some moves for you.’ You know, so I just started working, you know, on less, you know just kind of moving like that.”

Cruise began doing his signature Grossman dance, then noted, “[Stiller] just called me, and it was—he was laughing … he picked the music out, he edited this thing together, he was just pissing himself. And he sent it to me, he’s like, ‘OK, I get it, I get it.’”

**How much did Tom Cruise make for Rain Man?**

Also in 1988, Cruise negotiated a $3 million salary for the acclaimed drama Rain Man, but it wasn't a flat $3 million: He based his salary on a percentage of grosses from the film, and when it made $354 million on a $20 million budget, that amounted to a sweet check for Cruise. He made a similar deal for 1989's Born on the Fourth of July.

How much did Tom Cruise make for War of the Worlds?

Cruise made a seriously shrewd negotiation for War of the Worlds. The 2005 hit, based on the Orson Welles classic, had a $132 million budget, but Cruise's normal upfront salary would have been an obstacle to getting the film produced. Cruise reportedly skipped out on his upfront pay and instead opted to take 20% of the movie's profits. His faith in the project paid off big time: The movie grossed $604 million worldwide, earning him a payday of close to $100 million.

How much did Tom Cruise make for The Last Samurai?

The Last Samurai made Cruise a killing. He stars as a Civil War veteran who trains samurai warriors in Japan and gets embroiled in a conflict between the samurai and the emperor. Cruise reportedly took home a total of about $25 million from salary and profit percentage points from the 2003 hit. The film had a $140 million total budget and grossed $455 million worldwide.

How much did Tom Cruise make for Days of Thunder?

For 1990's Days of Thunder, Cruise gave himself a big raise, reportedly earning $9 million. For almost every other movie he made during that decade, Cruise's take-home pay only grew—thanks to not just his acting salary, but also for the box office "points" he earned on the backend of total grosses:

Far And Away: $13 million ($60 million total budget, $137.7 million total gross)
A Few Good Men: $12.5 million ($41 million total budget, $243.2 million total gross)
The Firm: $12 million ($42 total million budget, $270.2 million total gross)
Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles: $15 million ($60 million total budget, $223.6 million total gross)
Mission: Impossible: $70 million from salary and profit percentage points ($80 million total budget, $457.7 million total gross)
Jerry Maguire: $20 million ($50 million total budget, $273.5 million total gross)
Eyes Wide Shut: $20 million ($65 million total budget, $162.2 million total gross)