Tom Cruise Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Find Out Tom Cruise’s Earnings, Net Worth, and Career Income

Tom Cruise is an American actor and producer who possesses a net worth of $600 million. He is largely recognized as one of the most prominent figures in Hollywood’s history. He is esteemed as one of the wealthiest and highest-earning celebrities worldwide. As of today, Tom Cruise’s movies have accumulated $11.5 billion at the worldwide box office. Interestingly, despite this, none of Tom’s films exceeded $1 billion until recently. Before June 2022, his most successful movie was “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” from 2018, which made $800 million worldwide. Tom finally reached the billion-dollar milestone in late June 2022, thanks to “Top Gun: Maverick,” which eventually garnered $1.5 billion globally.

About the Early Life of Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise was born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York. His father, also named Tom, was an electrical engineer, while his mother was a special education teacher. Tom has three sisters. His first cousin William Mapother also ventured into acting and has co-starred with Tom in various ventures.

During his youth, Tom relocated frequently within the country, including a brief stay in Canada when his father secured a position with the Canadian Armed Forces. Tom later alleged that his father was abusive and that he and his siblings endured his wrath. He switched between 15 different schools over 14 years.

Initially, Tom did not aspire to pursue acting. While he did participate in drama classes during middle school, he was more inclined towards sports. However, due to a knee injury that forced him off the wrestling team in high school, he transitioned to acting. Cruise dedicated himself to the drama club and swiftly secured the lead role in their rendition of Guys and Dolls.

Despite receiving praises and encouragement for his acting talent, Tom wasn’t keen on pursuing it as a career. He even attended St. Francis Seminary in Cincinnati for a period, aspiring to become a Franciscan priest. However, he was expelled from the seminary due to alcohol consumption.

Tom graduated from Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey in 1980.

Initial Steps in His Career

After completing high school, Cruise initially relocated to New York City with aspirations of embarking on an acting career. He later moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of television roles.

In 1981, Tom made his cinematic debut with a minor role in “Endless Love.” In the same year, he garnered critical acclaim for his performance in “Taps.” This role led to Tom being signed by the prestigious talent agency CAA. Paula Wagner, an agent at CAA, advocated for Tom directly to the agency’s managing partner, Michael Ovitz. Tom not only went on to establish a lifelong connection with CAA, but he and Paula established a production company, Cruise/Wagner Productions, in the early 1990s.

Tom further solidified his acclaim with “The Outsiders.”

Achievements and Accolades

In 1983, Tom gained widespread recognition with his role in the comedy/drama “Risky Business.” The film grossed $64 million with a budget of $6 million and gave rise to several iconic cultural references. It established Cruise as a rising star and earned him his initial Golden Globe nomination.

Tom Cruise skyrocketed to fame with the monumental success of “Top Gun” in 1986. The movie generated $360 million globally and claimed the top spot as the highest-grossing film that year.

That same year, he shared the screen with Paul Newman in “The Color of Money.”

His string of successes continued with “Cocktail” and “Rainman” in 1988. The latter secured four Academy Awards. Cruise received his first Academy Award nomination the following year with the film “Born on the Fourth of July.”

He continued his streak with movies such as “Days of Thunder” in 1990, “Far and Away” in 1992, “A Few Good Men” in 1992, “The Firm” in 1993, and “Interview with the Vampire” in 1994. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role in “A Few Good Men.”

In 1996, Tom Cruise assumed dual roles as the star and producer of the blockbuster “Mission: Impossible,” which raked in $457 million and spawned multiple successful sequels. Concurrently, he starred in another cultural phenomenon, “Jerry Maguire,” which collected $275 million on a $50 million budget and led to a Best Actor Oscar nomination. His co-star Cuba Gooding, Jr. secured the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Tom sustained his success in the ensuing decade with consistently noteworthy projects, including

• Eyes Wide Shut
• Vanilla Sky
• Minority Report
• The Last Samurai
• Collateral
• War of the Worlds
• Valkyrie
• Jack Reacher
• Oblivion
• Edge of Tomorrow
• American Made

Tom Cruise’s Top 6 Highest-Grossing Films

• #5: The Last Samurai (2003) – $456 million ($716 million adjusted for inflation)
• #5: War of the Worlds (2005) – $606 million ($890 million adjusted for inflation)
• #4: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) – $690 million
• #3: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) – $700 million
• #2: Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) – $800 million
• #1: Top Gun: Maverick (2022) – $1.5 billion

Additionally, notable Cruise films and their global earnings include:

• The Firm (1993) – $158 million ($350 million adjusted for inflation)
• Mission: Impossible II (2000) – $550 million ($923 million adjusted for inflation)
• Mission: Impossible (1996) – $460 million ($850 million adjusted for inflation)
• Rain Man (1988) – $354 million ($865 million adjusted for inflation)
• Top Gun (1986) – $360 million ($445 million adjusted for inflation)

Thus far, over 20 of Cruise’s movies have surpassed $100 million globally. His cumulative box office revenue stands at $9.5 billion without adjusting for inflation.

Tom Cruise’s Salary and Earnings Achievements

• For “Taps,” he received $50,000
• For “Risky Business,” he earned $75,000
• His pay for “Legend” in 1985 was increased to $500,000
• In 1986, Tom was paid $2 million for starring in “Top Gun,” marking the beginning of a significant rise in his career earnings.
• He received $3 million for “Cocktail”
• For “Days of Thunder,” his earnings were $9 million
• He earned $13 million for “Far and Away”
• His payment for “A Few Good Men” was $12 million
• “The Firm” garnered him $12 million
• “Interview with the Vampire” earned him $15 million

With his producer credit, Tom earned a remarkable $70 million for all his contributions to the first Mission Impossible film. He gained $75 million for Mission Impossible 3.

Tom’s two highest-earning movies to date are “Mission Impossible 2” from 2000 and “War of the Worlds” from 2005. He amassed $100 million from EACH movie due to profitable backend involvement. Tom Cruise is listed three times in the top 10 largest acting paychecks of all time (for a single movie). His previously mentioned $100 million earnings rank as the third highest.

Behind Bruce Willis’ $105 million Sixth Sense payday and Keanu Reeves’ $156 million Matrix payday lie Tom Cruise’s earnings, making him the fourth highest paid actor in terms of paydays.

From 1983 to 2011, Tom accumulated $445 million in movie salaries. From 2011 onwards, he likely earned over $300 million more, resulting in a total career earnings (including salary and bonuses) between 1983 and 2019 at an impressive $745 million.

Top Gun Salary/Earnings

Tom Cruise received a $2 million salary for his role in 1986’s “Top Gun”, which after inflation is approximately $5.4 million today. Surprisingly, $2 million represented 13% of the movie’s entire $15 million budget. However, the earnings of his co-stars, such as Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer, remain undisclosed.

While filming Top Gun, a movie called “Legend” starring Tom Cruise flopped at the box office, causing concern for producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. Luckily, Top Gun outperformed expectations, becoming the highest-grossing movie of 1986 with $360 million in revenue.

Jumping ahead three decades to 2018/2019, a long-awaited Top Gun sequel was finally greenlit, primarily due to producer David Ellison’s efforts. David Ellison, a devoted fan of the original, committed 25% of the sequel’s estimated $200 million budget.

“Top Gun: Maverick,” initially set for a mid-2020 release, got delayed for two years due to COVID. Tom Cruise stars in and produces the sequel, earning a $13 million base salary. Additionally, as a producer, Tom is entitled to 10 – 20% of the film’s “first dollar” gross revenue, a rare deal in Hollywood, paid out before all other studio costs.

If “Top Gun: Maverick” hits $1 billion at the box office, Tom, holding 10% of the gross, stands to pocket around $60 million. With 20%, this figure could double at $120 million. Taking into account streaming revenues, it’s not far-fetched to anticipate Tom earning approximately $200 million, a staggering 100 times his initial Top Gun salary.

Tom Cruise Height

Tom Cruise stands at 5 foot 7 inches tall, three inches shorter than ex-wife Nicole Kidman (5 foot 10) and two inches shorter than ex-wife Katie Holmes (5 foot 9).

Personal Life

Tom has been married multiple times. He wed actress Mimi Rogers from 1987 to 1990, who introduced him to Scientology.

Tom married Nicole Kidman from 1990 to 2001 and Katie Holmes from 2006 to 2012.

Katie Holmes Divorce Settlement

Tom and Katie welcomed their daughter, Suri, into the world. With a $250 million net worth compared to Katie’s $10 million, Tom ensured a firm prenuptial agreement. Following their divorce, Tom agreed to pay Katie $400,000 annually in child support for 12 years, totaling $4.8 million, covering Suri’s expenses minus spousal support.

Real Estate

Tom’s real estate portfolio boasts remarkable properties across the US. Notable sales include a New York City condo in 2013 for $3 million, a Hollywood Hills residence to Eva Longoria for $11.4 million in 2015, and his Beverly Hills estate to Leon Black for $40 million in 2016. In Clearwater, Florida, in 2018, he invested $11.8 million in a condo near the Church of Scientology’s HQ.

In the mid-90s, while married to Nicole Kidman, Tom built a mansion in Telluride, Colorado. Covering 320 acres with a 10,000-square-foot main home, this property was finally sold for $39.5 million in 2021 after years on the market.

Cruise/Wagner Productions

Tom’s partnership with Paula Wagner in Cruise/Wagner Productions since 1993 has yielded $3 billion in global film earnings, a major contributing factor to his substantial wealth.

After Tom’s controversial statements about psychiatry and anti-depressants went viral and caused a stir in the industry, their company’s exclusive deal with Paramount dissolved in 2006. Funding subsequently came from hedge funds and Dan Snyder, the founder of the Washington Redskins. United Artists recruited Paula and Tom in 2006 to rejuvenate the struggling studio. Although Paula departed UA in 2008, she and Tom currently retain a 30% ownership stake in the studio.