Noah Baumbach Net Worth

What is Noah Baumbach's Net Worth?

Noah Baumbach is an American filmmaker who has a net worth of $16 million. Noah Baumbach is known for writing and directing such films as "Kicking and Screaming," "The Squid and the Whale," "Frances Ha," "While We're Young," and "Marriage Story." He is also known for his writing collaborations with Wes Anderson and Greta Gerwig, including co-writing the 2023 blockbuster "Barbie" with Gerwig.

Early Life and Education

Noah Baumbach was born on September 3, 1969 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City to Protestant mother Georgia and Jewish father Jonathan, both of whom were involved in fiction writing and film criticism. His father was also a professor. When Baumbach was a teenager, his parents divorced. After graduating from Midwood High School in 1987, he attended Vassar College, from which he earned his bachelor's degree in English in 1991.

Film Directing, 1995-2015

Baumbach made his feature film debut with the 1995 comedy "Kicking and Screaming," which he wrote and directed. Starring Josh Hamilton, Chris Eigeman, Olivia d'Abo, and Carlos Jacott, among others, it focuses on the shiftless lives of four young men who have recently graduated from college. Baumbach's next film was the 1997 romantic comedy "Mr. Jealousy," starring Eric Stoltz and Annabella Sciorra. That same year, he co-wrote and directed the comedy "Highball," but was so displeased with the film that he abandoned it and used a pseudonym in the credits upon its eventual release in 2002.

Baumbach had his critical breakthrough in 2005 with the release of his fourth film as director, "The Squid and the Whale." A semi-autobiographical account of his turbulent childhood and the divorce of his parents, it stars Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, and Jesse Eisenberg. "The Squid and the Whale" was a massive hit with critics, winning two awards at the Sundance Film Festival, receiving six nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards, and landing Baumbach his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. He followed that success with "Margot at the Wedding," which came out in 2007. It stars Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Jack Black.

In 2010, Baumbach released "Greenberg," starring Ben Stiller and Greta Gerwig. He went on to reunite with Gerwig for "Frances Ha," which she both starred in and helped write. After premiering at the Telluride Film Festival in 2012, the film was released to critical acclaim in 2013. The following year, Baumbach premiered "While We're Young" at the Toronto International Film Festival; it was his second film with Ben Stiller. "While We're Young" was released theatrically in 2015, the same year Baumbach released his third collaboration with Greta Gerwig, "Mistress America," and co-directed the documentary "De Palma" with Jake Paltrow.

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Films for Netflix

Baumbach began making films for Netflix starting with the "The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)," which reunited him with Ben Stiller. It was released by the streamer in 2017 after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival. Netflix would go on to release Baumbach's subsequent films, starting with "Marriage Story" in 2019. That film, a semi-autobiographical dramedy starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as a show-business couple dealing with the end of their marriage, was another huge critical hit, earning six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay for Baumbach.

Baumbach reunited with Adam Driver, as well as Greta Gerwig, for his adaptation of Don DeLillo's 1985 novel "White Noise." Following its premiere at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival, it was released on Netflix at the end of the year. Baumbach's fourth film for Netflix, the adult coming-of-age dramedy "Jay Kelly," came out in late 2025. He co-wrote the screenplay with Emily Mortimer, who also acts in the film. "Jay Kelly" features a large ensemble cast made up of such actors as George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Greta Gerwig, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Jim Broadbent, Josh Hamilton, and Alba Rohrwacher.

Screenwriting Collaborations

Beyond his own films, Baumbach has co-written some films by other directors. His first major screenwriting collaboration was with Wes Anderson on Anderson's 2004 film "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou." The pair later co-wrote Anderson's stop-motion animated adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Fantastic Mr. Fox," which came out in 2009. Continuing with animation, Baumbach co-wrote the 2012 DreamWorks animated film "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" with Eric Darnell. Over a decade later, in 2023, Baumbach had his biggest commercial hit to date with the fantasy comedy "Barbie," which he co-wrote with the film's director and his frequent creative collaborator, Greta Gerwig. "Barbie" became the highest-grossing film of the year and earned Baumbach his third career screenwriting nomination at the Academy Awards.

Personal Life

In 2005, Baumbach married actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, whom he had first met in 2001. They had a son named Rohmer, and eventually divorced in 2013 on account of irreconcilable differences. During the divorce proceedings, Baumbach became romantically involved with his creative collaborator Greta Gerwig. The couple had two sons before marrying in late 2023.

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