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Ellen DeGeneres' Net Worth In 2024 and How She Turned Her Message of Kindness Into a Lot of Money
Ellen DeGeneres' net worth proves that it pays to be kind—or at least to preach it.
The standup comedian, actress, producer, brand ambassador and erstwhile host of The Ellen DeGeneres Show has amassed a massive net worth thanks to her commitment to spreading "happiness and joy" to viewers, but it hasn't been easy. In 2020, DeGeneres and her producers came under fire for alleged mistreatment of staff on her daytime talk show. The scandal led to the ousting of three executive producers and a public apology on her season 18 premiere, in which she addressed not necessarily living up to her "Be Kind Lady" reputation.
"I learned that things happened here that never should have happened," DeGeneres said in her opening monologue for the Sept. 21, 2020 premiere. "I take that very seriously, and I want to say I am so sorry to the people that were affected. I know that I’m in a position of privilege and power, and I realize that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show. This is The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I am Ellen DeGeneres."
She continued, "I'm a talk show host and you know that," adding, "Maybe some of you know I was an actress—I played a straight woman in movies, so I'm a pretty good actress! But I don't think I’m that good that I could come out here every day for 17 years and fool you. This is me, and my intention is to always be the best person I can be. And if I’ve ever let someone down, if I’ve ever hurt their feelings, I'm so sorry for that."
Her apparent authenticity and apology will pay off, because her "Be Kind" brand has made a killing for her already. Keep reading to find out more about Ellen DeGeneres' net worth and how she made it.
Is Ellen a billionaire?
In a word, no. She needs roughly $600 million more to get there.
What is Ellen DeGeneres' net worth in 2024?
Forbes estimates DeGeneres' net worth to be $380 million as of 2024.
Who is richer, Oprah or Ellen?
Oprah Winfrey has a higher net worth than DeGeneres, clocking in at an estimated whopping $2.8 billion compared to DeGeneres' $380 million.
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How much does Ellen DeGeneres make from her show?
In 2017, it was reported that DeGeneres makes $50 million per year from The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which premiered in September 2003. Not all of that is just because of her fabulous hosting duties, dancing and sense of humor: According to Forbes, she also has a savvy contract that nets her about 60 percent of the profits the daytime staple makes from product placement, advertising and carriage fees. As of 2023, Celebrity Net Worth put DeGeneres' salary at $75 million for the show before it ended.
How much does Ellen make per show?
If DeGeneres makes roughly $50 million per year for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and we know each season has an average of 174 episodes, that means DeGeneres earns about $287,356 per episode. Not bad!
How much did Ellen DeGeneres make for her Netflix special Relatable?
One thing not so relatable about DeGeneres is the massive payday she got for her Netflix special, Relatable: She is the only woman (so far!) to pocket a cool $20 million from the streaming giant for her triumphant return to standup.
How much has Ellen DeGeneres made from acting?
DeGeneres began acting in 1989, with her first role as Margo Van Meter in the TV series Open House, which lasted a season, followed by Laurie Hill, which did the same. She appeared in the 1993 comedy Coneheads as a coach, marking her first major theatrical release film, followed by guest roles in sitcoms like Mad About You, Roseanne and The Dana Carvey Show before her own sitcom, Ellen, debuted in 1994. She famously came out of the closet in the series, leading to a slew of backlash. She attempted a comeback with the sitcom The Ellen Show in 2001, but it was canceled after a single season.
That's because her true strength is in her voice!
While DeGeneres doesn't do too much screen work now outside of her talk show, her voice acting for Disney has been lucrative. She admitted she was running out of money because work dried up for her after Ellen was canceled in 1998, but that voicing forgetful fish Dory in Finding Nemo in 2003 resurrected her career (and bank accounts). She reprised the role in Finding Dory in 2016.
How else does Ellen DeGeneres make money from TV?
Aside from her work in front of the camera, DeGeneres also has her own production company, A Very Good Production. She's executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, as well as Ellen's Game of Games, Little Big Shots, Fempire, Fearless, Press Pause, Go RVing, DiversiTEA with Naomi Wadler, Splitting Up Together, Ellen's Design Challenge, Green Eggs and Ham and more.
What endorsement deals does Ellen DeGeneres have?
Much of DeGeneres' dollars come from her endorsements and branding deals. DeGeneres has been a face of CoverGirl cosmetics (alongside fan-favorite guest and Modern Family star Sofía Vergara), JCPenney, Vitamin Water, Olay and American Express. She also has her own line of lifestyle products, ED by Ellen DeGeneres, which includes pet supplies (she's famously an animal lover), clothing and home goods.
How many houses does Ellen DeGeneres have?
DeGeneres doesn't stay in one place very long! Architectural Digest reports that DeGeneres is a shrewd real estate investor. Before marrying wife Portia de Rossi, DeGeneres sold a Hollywood Hills home to Will Ferrell for $9 million in 2003, another to the late Heath Ledger in 2004 for $2 million, and another California property to Google CEO Eric Schmidt for $20 million. Kim Kardashian would later wed Kris Humphries on the property.
Since tying the knot, de Rossi and DeGeneres and have made a killing off selling real estate to other stars:
- In 2011, the couple purchased Brad Pitt's Malibu mansion for $12 million, then sold it for $13 million the following year.
- In 2012, they sold a 15,000-square-foot Beverly Hills home to Ryan Seacrest for $36.5 million.
- In 2013, they purchased a Montecito, Calif., home for $26.5 million and sold it in 2018 for $34 million.
- In 2014, de Rossi and DeGeneres bought a Los Angeles mansion for $40 million. Within months, they sold it to Napster founder Sean Parker for $55 million.
- In 2015, they purchased a villa for $16 million and sold it in 2018 for $35 million.
- In 2017, they purchased another Montecito home for $7.2 million and sold it to Tinder founder Sean Rad for $11 million in 2018. The same year they purchased a Carpinteria, Calif. home for $18.6 million and sold it for $23 million.
- In 2018, they bought a $15 million Beverly Hills home that they sold for $15.5 million, as well as a ranch in Santa Barbara for $6.7 million that they sold to Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins for $6.98 million.
Has Ellen DeGeneres' net worth taken a hit following her show's misconduct scandal?
It doesn't appear that the allegations of on-set mistreatment and misconduct took a toll on DeGeneres' overall net worth. The Ellen DeGeneres Show signed off for the last time on May 26, 2022.
