Michael Douglas Net Worth

What is Michael Douglas' Net Worth and Salary?

Michael Douglas is an American actor, director, and producer who has a net worth of $350 million. Michael Douglas is known for starring in a number of high-profile films during his career, including "The China Syndrome" (1979), "Romancing the Stone" (1984), "A Chorus Line" (1985), "The Jewel of the Nile" (1985), "Fatal Attraction" (1987), "The War of the Roses" (1989), "Basic Instinct" (1992), "Wonder Boys" (2000), and "Traffic" (2000).

Michael Douglas initially gained recognition for his performance in the television series "The Streets of San Francisco," earning three consecutive Emmy Award nominations. This early success was a prelude to his extraordinary achievements in film.

In 1975, Douglas produced the Academy Award-winning film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," marking a significant milestone in his career. This was followed by other notable productions, including "The China Syndrome" (1979) and the romantic adventure comedy "Romancing the Stone" (1984), for which he received the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. "The Jewel of the Nile" (1985) further cemented his reputation as a producer and actor.

Douglas' portrayal of Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street" (1987) is perhaps one of his most iconic roles, earning him the Academy Award for Best Actor. His acting career in the late 1980s and 1990s included leading roles in "Fatal Attraction" (1987), "The War of the Roses" (1989), and "Basic Instinct" (1992), among others.

More recently, Douglas starred as Liberace in the HBO film "Behind the Candelabra" (2013). This role won him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. He also portrayed Hank Pym in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with "Ant-Man" (2015), and played an aging acting coach in the Netflix comedy series "The Kominsky Method" (2018–2021), for which he received a Golden Globe Award.

Notable Salaries

As an actor, Michael has earned hundreds of millions of dollars in base movie salaries. He has also earned massive paydays as a producer. Some notable acting paydays include $15 million for "Basic Instinct," $15 million for "The American President," $20 million for "The Game," $20 million for "A Perfect Murder," $5 million for "Wonder Boys," and $10 million for "Traffic."

(Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Early Life

Michael Kirk Douglas was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on September 25, 1944. He is the first child of actors Kirk Douglas and Diana Dill, who met while they both attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has a younger brother and two half-brothers from his father's side. Douglas is an American citizen by birth, but he also holds British citizenship with Bermudian Status through his mother, who is from Devonshire Parish, Bermuda.

Douglas received his education at The Allen-Stevenson School in New York City, Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Massachusetts, and Choate Rosemary Hall (then known as The Choate Preparatory School) in Wallingford, Connecticut. He then attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduated in 1968 with a B.A. in drama. Additionally, he studied acting under Wynn Handman at The American Place Theatre, which is located in New York City.

Career

Michael Douglas's first television appearance came in 1969 on the CBS special "The Experiment," and that same year he made his feature film debut in "Hail, Hero!" His performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Male Newcomer, signaling his potential early on. A major turning point came in 1972 when he was cast opposite Karl Malden in the police drama "The Streets of San Francisco." Douglas played Inspector Steve Keller for four seasons, and Malden became a lifelong mentor and friend. Their close relationship lasted until Malden's death in 2009.

While working on the series, Douglas was handed the film rights to Ken Kesey's novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by his father, Kirk Douglas. Determined to adapt the story for the screen, he partnered with Saul Zaentz to produce the 1975 film version starring Jack Nicholson. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture, establishing Douglas as a serious force behind the camera. After leaving "The Streets of San Francisco" in 1976, he pursued both producing and acting, with standout performances in "Coma" (1978) and "Running" (1979), and by producing and starring in the acclaimed nuclear thriller "The China Syndrome" (1979) with Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon.

Douglas's career reached new heights in the 1980s. He produced and starred in the romantic adventure hit "Romancing the Stone" (1984) and its sequel "The Jewel of the Nile" (1985), both of which cemented his bankability. He followed with a string of major films, including the erotic thriller "Fatal Attraction" (1987) alongside Glenn Close, "The War of the Roses" (1989) with Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito, and Ridley Scott's crime drama "Black Rain" (1989). His most iconic role of the decade was as ruthless corporate raider Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's "Wall Street" (1987). The performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor and etched the phrase "Greed is good" into pop culture. More than two decades later, he reprised the role in Stone's sequel, "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" (2010).

In the 1990s, Douglas remained one of Hollywood's top leading men. He starred in provocative thrillers such as "Basic Instinct" (1992) with Sharon Stone and "Disclosure" (1994) with Demi Moore, as well as the psychological drama "Falling Down" (1993), which became a critical and commercial success. Other highlights included "The Ghost and the Darkness" (1996), David Fincher's mind-bending thriller "The Game" (1997), and "A Perfect Murder" (1998), a modern reimagining of Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder."

The 2000s showcased Douglas's versatility. He earned acclaim for his ensemble role in Steven Soderbergh's Oscar-winning "Traffic" (2000) and the literary dramedy "Wonder Boys" (2000). He followed with thrillers like "Don't Say a Word" (2001) and the family drama "It Runs in the Family" (2003), which featured three generations of Douglases: Kirk, Michael, and his son Cameron. Later roles included comedies such as "You, Me and Dupree" (2006) and the drama "Solitary Man" (2009), praised for its nuanced portrayal of an aging womanizer.

In the 2010s, Douglas expanded into television, winning an Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Award for his portrayal of Liberace in HBO's "Behind the Candelabra" (2013). He also joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing scientist Hank Pym in "Ant-Man" (2015), "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018), and "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), introducing him to a new generation of fans. In 2018, he headlined the Netflix comedy series "The Kominsky Method," earning further acclaim and multiple Golden Globe nominations.

Over the course of his career, Douglas has received some of the industry's most prestigious honors, including two Academy Awards (Best Picture for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and Best Actor for "Wall Street"), five Golden Globes, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AFI Life Achievement Award. In 2015, he was awarded the Genesis Prize, often referred to as the "Jewish Nobel," and donated the $1 million prize to initiatives promoting diversity and inclusion in Jewish life. More than half a century into his career, Douglas remains one of Hollywood's most accomplished and enduring stars.

(Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix)

Personal Life & Divorce Settlement

In the 1970s, Douglas dated actress Brenda Vaccaro for almost six years. Then, in March 1977, Douglas married Diandra Luker, the daughter of an Austrian diplomat. He was 32 years old, and she was 19 years old at the time. Together, they have one son, Cameron. Luker filed for divorce from Douglas in 1995, and she received $45 million as part of their divorce settlement.

He began dating actress Catherine Zeta-Jones in March 1999, and the couple married in November 2000. They have a 25-year age difference. Together, they share two children, Dylan Michael and Carys Zeta. They briefly separated in 2013 but have since reconciled.

250 Acre Spanish Estate: "S'Estaca"

Michael Douglas owns a valuable real estate portfolio with assets around the globe. One of his most impressive properties is a 250-acre estate on the coast of Spain called S'Estaca, which he bought in 1990 for $3.5 million (the same as around $6 million today) with his then-wife, Diandra. It is still legally co-owned by Diandra. In 2014, they listed the property for sale for $60 million but did not find a buyer. In June 2019, they re-listed it for $32 million. They ultimately removed the property from the market. Here is a video tour:

Other Real Estate

Michael and Catherine previously owned a 13-acre property in NY's Westchester County. They bought the property in 2015 for $11.3 million and sold it in 2019 for $20.5 million. Around the time of the sale, they paid $4.5 million for an 11,000-square-foot home on 12 acres in Irvington, New York. He and Catherine listed the Irvington estate for sale in June 2024 for $12 million. Here is a video tour of the estate from when the property was listed back in 2017:

They also own a large apartment in New York City with impressive views of Central Park.

In June 2019, Michael listed a longtime home in Bermuda for $10.6 million, ultimately taking it off the market. Michael's history with Bermuda dates back to his childhood, thanks to his mother, Diana Dill. Diana's family has owned homes and hotels in Bermuda for generations.

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