Ellen DeGeneres Net Worth: How Did Ellen Make Her Fortune?
Ellen DeGeneres has managed to transform herself from being a struggling stand-up comedian in Louisiana to becoming America's richest self-made woman.
Before being labeled as "one of the biggest villains in 2020," the Primetime Emmy Award winner has become a household name after establishing her sitcom "Ellen" from 1994 to 1998.
Following her widely publicized "coming out" episode on the said sitcom way back in 1997, she also appeared on the cover of TIME magazine with the headline "Yep, I'm Gay."
Luckily, this opened a lot of doors to the comedian, as she made her way to voice the lead character of "Dory" in the acclaimed 2003 animated adventure film "Finding Nemo."
In the same year, the Louisiana born host debuted her daytime TV variety "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" -- which has been airing for the past 17 years and has won numerous prestigious awards from the Emmys, Golden Globes and Grammys.
Ellen Degeneres' Net Worth
Now, the daytime top-earner is reportedly the 12th-highest paid celebrity in 2020, as cited by Forbes.
According to the business magazine, Ellen DeGeneres' net worth is at an estimated $330 million, making her the highest-paid comedian in the world.
Moreover, it was also revealed that she was earning around $84 million a year, thanks to her TV career and several endorsements.
Having said that, here's a look at DeGeneres' side hustles that got her to multi-millionaire status.
Real Estate Ventures
As cited by Business Insider, Ellen DeGeneres' net worth reached millions through buying and selling luxury California properties.
She previously mentioned that when she started making millions, the first thing she did was to buy a house.
"Now, I just buy as many houses as I can," Ellen told Architectural Digest
Some of her famous Hollywood clients are fellow host Ryan Seacrest, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and power couples Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
Entertainment Career and Endorsements
Who would have thought that before accepting the role of Dory, the renowned host was almost broke and penniless?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the comedian was out of work and recovering from the cancellation of her show "Ellen" when "Finding Nemo" director and writer Andrew Stanton offered her the role.
The Disney movie saved her, as she mentioned that "it was like $75,000 for three years of work."
Aside from movies, she also landed several endorsements over the years.
She first appeared as the face of CoverGirl in 2008. It was said to be one of the brand's favorite marketing moments.
Her other endorsements also include Olay, American Express, Vitamin Water, and entertainment company SoJo Studios.
Production Empire
A big chunk of Ellen Degeneres' net worth comes from her own production company A Very Good Production, which was launched in 2003.
It is known for producing the long-running series "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Little Big Shots" and the 2019 film "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase."
She also owns Ellen Digital Ventures, a business initiative which was created together with Warner Bros. It handles her video hub, Ellentube and and her iPhone game "Heads Up!" -- basically all her online ventures.
