An actor who quit high school to pursue his passion, Robert De Niro made the right decision to enter the world of Hollywood. He gained recognition and an Academy Award for his portrayal of a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II in 1974, after which his career took off. De Niro has had the opportunity to work with acclaimed directors and make movies that have become all-time classics like Taxi Driver, Deer Hunter, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas. Along with his notable roles, De Niro has ventured into several fields, including commercial businesses that have profited him and keep adding millions to his net worth over the years.
From opening a production company and becoming a director to owning a string of highly profitable restaurants, Robert De Niro is a smart actor and smarter businessman. Let’s look at how he amassed his $500 million net worth as of 2022.
Acting Career
In the early 1960s, Robert De Niro merely made $50 for his first acting role at the beginning of his career. By the mid-70s, after his career soared when he won the Oscar for The Godfather Part II, he was paid $200,000 per movie. His most iconic role to date is playing Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, for which the actor made $35,000, as noted by IMDB. He won the Oscar after he signed the contract, and the production house Columbia Records was concerned if he would ask for a pay raise. However, De Niro honored the original deal of a smaller paycheck.
His talent to dedicate himself to his role made him a sought-after actor during the eighties and nineties. He was one of the highest actors of his time, making over $100,000 even for supporting roles. De Niro has cashed bigger checks for million dollars to star in a movie in the last few years.
Director And Producer
Robert De Niro expanded his portfolio in Hollywood by becoming a Director and Producer. His directorial debut occurred with the 1993 crime drama Bronx Tale starring himself and Chazz Palminteri. The movie was well-received by the audience, making $17.3 million on a $10 million budget, and was nominated for the Golden Lion at Cannes Film Festival. His next directorial movie was The Good Shepherd, a crime thriller that grossed $100 million at the box office and was nominated for an Academy Award.
A storyteller at heart, Robert De Niro, along with Jane Rosenthal, established a production company called TriBeCa Enterprises in 2003. The company has expanded over the years and operates through various networks, including the TriBeCa TV Festival, TriBeCa Film Festival, and TriBeCa Studios. As mentioned by The Hollywood Reporter, Madison Square Garden Co. bought a 50% stake in TriBeCa Enterprises, and the company was then valued at $45 million. In 2019, Lupa Systems, a private investment company, purchased a controlling stake.
Commercial Ventures
A successful hotelier and restaurateur, Robert De Niro knows how to do business. He is the owner of multiple businesses, and one of them is the five-star hotel The Greenwich located in New York City, as reported by Men’s Health. It is located in the TriBeCa Neighborhood, where De Niro also has several production companies. The boutique luxury hotel has average annual earnings of $27.4 million.
Robert De Niro took a big risk when he co-founded Nobu Hospitality LLC with Japanese celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Founded in 1994, the fusion of traditional Japanese cuisines and modern ambiance has made it a popular spot for celebrities. There are 50 restaurants and 13 hotels worldwide that bear Nobu’s name. De Niro has earned most of his earrings through Nobu, making several hundred million dollars every year. Before the pandemic, the restaurant chain aimed to make $1 billion in sales by 2023, as stated by Bloomberg.
In 2017, Robert De Niro had ventured into a partnership with Australian billionaire investor and businessman James Packer to build a luxury resort in Barbuda, an Eastern Caribbean Island called Paradise Found. After Packer pulled out, De Niro found another investor Daniel Shamoun and the work began in 2019.
Brand Endorsements
While brand endorsements were not a big concept during the eighties and nineties when Robert De Niro was at the height of his career, he turned up in various commercials and became the face of several brands. He was seen starring in commercials for the automobile company Kia. More recently, he was involved in fun banter with tennis star Roger Federer for an advertisement for Switzerland Tourism which gained a lot of traction for the fun chemistry between the unlikely pair.
After envisioning himself as an actor and starting young in Hollywood, Robert De Niro has been working in films all his life. He has become a sharp investor who takes risks through his successful business ventures and companies. While handling his multiple ventures, he is still actively working as an actor and will be next seen starring in the Martin Scorsese directed Killers Of The Flower Moon slated for a 2022 release.
Sources: IMDB, The Hollywood Reporter, Men’s Health, Bloomberg