Kevin Costner Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Kevin Costner’s Net Worth and Salary: What Is It?

An American actor, producer, and director, Kevin Costner boasts a net worth of $250 million. During the height of his career in the 1980s and 1990s, he was among the highest-paid actors globally, landing roles in blockbuster films such as “Dances with Wolves,” which he directed and starred in, and “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.”

In the year 1991 alone, Kevin earned an impressive $50 million, primarily due to backend points from “Dances with Wolves.” That figure equates to approximately $110 million today. This film eventually garnered seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The following year, backend points for “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” resulted in a compensation of $40 million for him.

Additionally, for his performance in the 1995 hit “Waterworld,” Kevin received a substantial paycheck of $14 million. To date, he has won two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, one Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Recently, Costner has been widely acclaimed for his role in the television series “Yellowstone.”

Salary for “Yellowstone”

Before the fifth season of “Yellowstone” commenced filming, Kevin secured a new agreement with Paramount which raised his salary to $1.2 million per episode for a planned 16-episode season divided into two parts. The first half was aired from November 2022 to January 2023. In February 2023, reports indicated that Costner was in a dispute with the show’s creator/producer, Taylor Sheridan, and Paramount regarding the number of filming days needed for the second part. If the second part is realized, he will have made $19.2 million for the fifth season. Should a sixth season occur, his per-episode salary will increase to $1.5 million, amounting to $24 million for that season.

Career Beginnings and Early Life

Born on January 18, 1955, in Lynwood, California, Kevin Michael Costner is the youngest of three brothers. His mother, Sharon Rae (née Tedrick), worked as a welfare employee, while his father, William Costner, served as an electrician and later as a utility executive at Southern California Edison. Tragically, his middle brother passed away at birth. Raised in Compton, California, Costner was brought up in a Baptist household.

The nature of his father’s job meant that their family relocated frequently within various parts of California, especially during Kevin’s teenage years. He initially attended Mt. Whitney High School before they moved to Orange County, where he graduated from Villa Park High School in 1973. Kevin later pursued higher education at California State University, Fullerton, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing and finance in 1978.

Motivated by an encounter with actor Richard Burton, Costner began his journey into acting following his graduation from college.

Kevin pursued his longtime secret aspiration, taking a challenging route to Hollywood. He braved acting classes, took on odd jobs, attended auditions, and dealt with financial struggles. However, his dedication bore fruit as he gradually transitioned to acting full-time during the 1980s, following a brief appearance in a film in 1974.

Film Career

The role Costner played in the 1987 movie “The Untouchables” is often dubbed his “big break.” This was succeeded by his work in “Dances with Wolves” in 1990, a film he both directed and acted in. Notably, “Dances with Wolves” also brought him two Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture. Nevertheless, throughout his career, Kevin has been involved in numerous projects and films.

In a technical sense, Costner made his debut in feature films with “Sizzle Beach, U.S.A.,” which was shot during the winter of 1978 to 1979 but didn’t get released until 1981, and then again in 1986. This timing led many to assume that 1983’s “The Touch” was his first feature film. That same year, he appeared in “Table for Five” and “Testament,” in addition to featuring in an Apple commercial promoting the Lisa desktop model. His work in 1985 included various projects, such as a leading role in director Lawrence Kasdan’s “Silverado,” along with starring in “Fandango” and “American Flyers.”

Notably, Costner also had another film release in 1987 apart from “The Untouchables;” he starred in the thriller “No Way Out.” His performances in the subsequent years, particularly in “Bull Durham” (1988) and “Field of Dreams” (1989), significantly bolstered his standing as an A-list actor. Costner partnered with producer Jim Wilson in 1990, leading to the establishment of Tig Productions. Their inaugural project was the grand film “Dances with Wolves” (1990), in which Kevin both directed and starred. Moreover, that year, he was featured in the film “Revenge” (1990).

Following the triumph of “Dances with Wolves,” Costner starred in several films that garnered either critical acclaim or achieved box office success, such as “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” (1991), “JFK” (1991), “The Bodyguard” (1992), and Clint Eastwood’s “A Perfect World” (1993). However, this successful streak was succeeded by a series of films that received little attention and were generally poorly received by critics and audiences alike, including “The War” (1994), “Waterworld” (1995), and “The Postman” (1997). Of these, “The Postman,” which Costner not only starred in but also directed, received the bleak distinction of five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Actor, and Worst Director.

Kevin’s acting continued with films such as “Tin Cup” (1996), “Message in a Bottle” (1999), “Thirteen Days” (2000), “Rumor Has It” (2005), “The Guardian” (2006), “Mr. Brooks” (2007), “Swing Vote” (2008), and “The Company Men” (2010). He made his television debut in 2012 in the three-part History Channel miniseries “Hatfields & McCoys,” which attracted a remarkable viewership of 13.9 million. Since then, he has taken part in numerous films and even secured his first regular television role.

His television career began in 2018 with the role in the series “Yellowstone.”

Business Interests

In June 2004, Costner opened an attraction named Tatanka: The Story of the Bison, located one mile south of Deadwood, South Dakota, along U.S. Route 85. He envisioned it as a place for education about the history of America’s westward expansion. Additionally, he invested in the Midnight Star Casino in Deadwood. After firing the casino’s managers, Francis and Carla Caneva, in July 2004, a judge mandated him to pay a percentage of $6.1 million to buy out the Canevas from their partnership. Subsequently, he requested the South Dakota Supreme Court to review the ruling in 2006, following his accountant’s assessment that the casino’s market value was $3.1 million.

Personal Life

Cindy Silva, Costner’s college sweetheart, became his wife after their graduation in 1978. Together, they had three children, but after 16 years of marriage, they divorced in 1994. Kevin ultimately settled with Cindy for $80 million, marking one of Hollywood’s costliest divorces at that time.

Post-divorce, Kevin dated Bridget Rooney, with whom he has a son. Bridget is known as an heiress to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and she is the aunt to actresses Kate Mara and Rooney Mara.

Additionally, Kevin has been involved with activist Birgit Cunningham and model/actress Elle Macpherson.

In 2004, he entered marriage with model and handbag designer Christine Baumgartner, and they have three children together.

Divorce Settlements

In the mid-1990s, Kevin settled with his first wife, Cindy Silva, for $80 million. When accounting for inflation, this amounts to a $160 million settlement today.

On May 2, 2023, Christine Baumgartner filed for divorce from Kevin after 18 years, citing irreconcilable differences. Initially, Christine did not request spousal support due to their existing prenuptial agreement. According to a statement from Kevin’s lawyer:

“Spousal support to be payable to petitioner pursuant to the terms of the parties’ Premarital Agreement.“

However, in mid-June 2023, Christine sought monthly support amounting to $250,000. Notably, this figure did not encompass all child-related expenses, which Kevin was already covering. In her motion, Christine mentioned Kevin’s earnings of $19.5 million in 2023, with the family’s total expenses reaching $6.6 million. These costs included frequent trips to vacation destinations like Aspen, Hawaii, and the Caribbean, where the family typically hired chefs and caterers. They also allocate around $2 million annually to maintain their various properties.

Further legal documents revealed extensive details about the family’s 2022 income and spending. Her filings indicated his total income for 2022 was $19.5 million, specifically $19,517,064. Kevin earns approximately $1.2 million per episode of “Yellowstone,” with reports suggesting he filmed eight episodes that year, contributing just under $10 million to his overall earnings. From other ventures, Kevin earned $2.3 million from renting out his Aspen ranch and $503,000 from a beachfront property in Carpinteria, California.

The filings estimated the family’s overall expenses at $6.5 million, or $6,645,285 specifically.

Here’s a summary of how the Costner family allocated $6 million in 2022:

• Aspen House Costs: $1,964,294.95
• Beach House Costs: $1,178,147.16
• Gifts: $830,504.51
• Gardener: $542,303.47
• Beach Club Costs: $288,381.24
• Household Help:
• $84,040.78
• Golf & Club Dues: $34,434.90
• Boat Expenses: $25,806.45
• Spa Service: $21,807.67
• Personal Trainer: $12,851.58

Total Expenses: $5,982,772.71

In her filing, Christine also asserted that Kevin informed her he once received an offer of $250 million for his property in Aspen. This amount is in addition to their various other real estate holdings, which we will elaborate on in the following section.

Real Estate

Costner boasts a remarkably impressive real estate portfolio, which features stunning properties scattered across the country. Below are some key highlights:

Aspen, Colorado:

The Costners possess a sprawling 160-acre property in Aspen, which consists of three lakefront homes that accommodate 30 individuals comfortably. He acquired the land across three purchases. The initial two, made in the late 1980s and early 1990s, were for undisclosed sums. In 2017, he spent $7.3 million to acquire the final parcel, ultimately completing the expansive estate. This property is available for rent at the eye-watering rate of $30,000 per NIGHT.

Carpinteria, California:

Sandwiched between Malibu and Santa Barbara lies a charming beach town named Carpinteria. Over the years, the Costners have assembled an extraordinary estate comprised of three adjacent properties. The first of these was purchased in the 1980s. They added a second property a decade later and then opted to buy the third property in 2017 for $7.3 million.

Additionally, they previously owned a 7-acre piece of land in the same vicinity, which they sold in 2009 for $25 million.

This is not the only Carpinteria property in their portfolio.

In 2006, they acquired a 17-acre undeveloped parcel overlooking the ocean for $28.5 million.

Moreover, they own another 10-acre property in Carpinteria, which was initially listed for sale in 2017 for $60 million. The price was reduced to $49 million the following year, but ultimately, they removed the listing from the market. Here’s a video tour showcasing this remarkable property: