Mickey Rooney Net Worth

Mickey Rooney net worth: Mickey Rooney was an American actor and entertainer who had a net worth of $20 thousand at the time of his death in 2014. At the peak of his career in the late 1930s, Mickey was the biggest and highest-paid star in Hollywood, easily earning $150,000 per year. That's the same as earning $2.5 million per year today. In 1949 he struck what was a then-unprecedented five-film deal with MGM that paid $25,00 per movie. That's the same as earning around $275,000 per movie today. Unfortunately he struggled financially throughout his life thanks to bad investments, and eight marriages. He declared bankruptcy twice and at the time of his death, his total estate was valued at just under $20,000. At the time of his death he owed large medical bills and back taxes.

Mickey Rooney was born Joseph Yule, Jr. in Brooklyn, New York on September 23, 1920. Both of his parents were vaudeville performers. Mickey began performing with his parents on stage at 17 months. Mickey's first big acting role was in the "Our Gang" film series, also known as The Little Rascals. Mickey was paid $5 per a day for his work. Bigger film roles soon began to roll in after Mickey moved from New York to Hollywood in 1925. In 1937, he appeared in the titular role of the film "Andy Hardy" alongside Judy Garland. Andy Hardy was a surprise hit for MGM and led to 13 sequels between 1937 and 1946. At this point in his career, Mickey was 19 years old and arguably the biggest star in the world. He was bringing home $150,000 per year, roughly $2.5 million after adjusting for inflation.

In 1938, Mickey appeared in "Boys Town" alongside Spencer Tracey. Rooney's work was honored with a special Juvenile Academy Award in 1939. During World War II, he served just under two years in the Army's Entertainment division before returning to Hollywood. He received several medals, including a bronze star during his time in the army. Over the next five decades, Mickey carved out an incredibly successful career that brought dozens more awards including an Academy Award and an Emmy.

He was married eight times and had 11 children. Mickey died on April 6, 2014 at the age of 93. In the days following Mickey's death, it was revealed that his total estate was only valued at $18,000. In his later years, Mickey was a vocal advocate fighting elder abuse, specifically with regards to their finances. Before he died, Mickey was forced to sue his own stepson for grossly mismanaging his estate and losing millions of dollars.