How does Ellen DeGeneres spend her US$370 million net worth? The world’s top-paid TV host really likes Porsche sports cars, Rolex watches and luxury real estate
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show might be ending, but not before its host made millions; she also got US$20 million for her Netflix special in 2018
- She and wife Portia de Rossi reportedly flipped over 20 properties since 2003, even selling a California home to Ariana Grande
One of America’s richest self-made women, DeGeneres got her big break when asked to voice Dory in the 2003 animated film Finding Nemo, and debuted The Ellen DeGeneres Show the same year. By 2017, she was reportedly earning an estimated US$50 million a year just from the show, which made her the top-paid TV host at the time. On top of her salary on the show, DeGeneres receives around 60 per cent of the advertising and product placement fees.
Aside from TV, DeGeneres ventured into many other projects that contributed to her multimillionaire status. She built her own production company, A Very Good Production, and has made several brand deals with the likes of CoverGirl and JCPenney. With several published books and her successful home goods and clothing brands, she is continuously raking in the big bucks. She also received US$20 million from Netflix in 2018 for an exclusive stand-up special on the platform.
While we wait to hear what’s next with Ellen, the question that intrigues us most is: what does she spend her money on?
Property
It’s no secret that DeGeneres is a real estate mogul who gets some of her fortune from investing in properties. Architectural Digest outlined that, since 2003, the star and her wife Portia de Rossi have reportedly bought and sold around 20 massive properties.
In 2019, DeGeneres bought her largest and most extravagant home: a US$27 million mansion in Montecito, California. The 3.2-hectare (8.2-acre) parcel of land houses her lavish 8,200 sq ft, Balinese-style home with five bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a cabana, a private two-bedroom guest house and an infinity pool with ocean and hill views. The couple sold it for US$33 million the following year.
