Celebrity Net Worth: Dwayne Johnson paid a record $50m for 'Red One'
In our fortnightly celebrity investment and wealth round-up, Parineeti Chopra backs a sustainable beauty brand and Will Smith joins a $70 million series B funding round for neobank Karat
Actor Dwayne Johnson has reportedly set a record as the world’s highest-paid actor. He is being paid $50 million in upfront fees for his work on the coming Christmas-themed film Red One, according to the digital news platform Puck.
Itis the highest fee for a single actor in a film, US entertainment journalist Matthew Belloni said in a recent newsletter.
The Amazon Studios action-adventure film has been described as the first of a potential franchise that retells holiday myths around Santa Claus.
Johnson’s previous highest fee for a single movie role was $23.5 million, which he earned for Jumanji: The Next Level and Netflix’s Red Notice, according to Forbes.
Dwayne Johnson style evolution – in pictures
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, wearing a snazzy printed shirt, during his World Wrestling Federation days on June 12, 2000, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
The Rock in costume during a WWF match on June 12, 2000 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in sunnies and shades of blue, and his then-wife, Dani, attend the premiere of 'The Mummy Returns' on April 29, 2001, at Universal Studios in California. Getty Images
Rosario Dawson and Dwayne Johnson, in a slim knit and boot-cut jeans, at the Berlin Aquarium on March 5, 2004 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in a knitted pullover and baggy trousers, arrives at the Aussie Stadium on August 5, 2004 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in a leather jacket, arrives at the premiere of 'Walking Tall' at Fox Studios on August 5, 2004 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in a velvet blazer and scarf, arrives at the UK premiere of 'Be Cool' at the Empire Leicester Square on March 7, 2005 in London. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in faded denim and a leather blazer, at a photo call for 'Doom' on October 24, 2005 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images
Richard Kelly, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Dwayne Johnson, in classic suiting, attend the 'Southland Tales' premiere at the Palais during the 59th Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2006 in Cannes, France. Getty Images
Richard Kelly, Dwayne Johnson, in a stone jacket and jeans, and Sarah Michelle Gellar attend a photo call promoting 'Southland Tales' during the 59th Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2006 in Cannes, France. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in cream suiting, arrives for 'The Game Plan' premiere in Hollywood, California, on September 23, 2007. EPA
Dwayne Johnson, in a classic tux, arrives for the 80th annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California, on February 24, 2008. EPA
Dwayne Johnson, in a tie-free suit, and Madison Pettis arrive at the premiere of 'The Game Plan' at the Odeon West End on March 2, 2008 in London, England. Getty Images
Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway and Dwayne Johnson, in a smart casual combo, attend a photo call to promote 'Get Smart' at Grand Hotel Hassler on July 7, 2008 in Rome, Italy. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in minimal tailoring, attends the 'Get Smart' premiere on July 8, 2008 at the Capitol cinema in Madrid, Spain. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in a light knit and leather jacket, attends the photo call of 'Race to Witch Mountain' in front of the Brandenburg Gate on March 31, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in a tan leather jacket, attends the 'Race to Witch Mountain' premiere at the Callao cinema on April 2, 2009 in Madrid, Spain. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in a black trench coat, and Carla Gugino arrive for the UK premiere of 'Race to Witch Mountain' at the Odeon West End on April 5, 2009 in London, England. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in simple jeans and a tee, arrives for the premiere of 'Fast Five' at Cinedom in Cologne, Germany, on April 27, 2011. EPA
Dwayne Johnson, in navy suiting, arrives at the 'GI Joe: Retaliation' premiere at Event Cinemas George Street on March 14, 2013 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in a crisp white shirt, arrives at the screening of 'Hercules' at Event Cinemas George Street on June 19, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images
Irina Shayk and Dwayne Johnson, in a floral shirt and three-piece suit, attend a photo call for 'Hercules' in Trafalgar Square on July 2, 2014 in London, England. Getty Images
Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Dwayne Johnson, in a checked shirt and spotted tie, and Irina Shayk attend the Europe premiere of 'Hercules' at CineStar on August 21, 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in stripes, attends the UK premiere of 'San Andreas' at Odeon Leicester Square on May 21, 2015 in London, England. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in Robert Mata, and his daughter, Simone Alexandra Johnson, arrive for the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 10, 2016. EPA
Dwayne Johnson, in Robert Mata, and Lauren Hashian arrive for the 89th annual Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on February 26, 2017. EPA
Dwayne Johnson, in a printed tee and denim jacket, poses at the 'Baywatch' photo call at Sony Centre on May 30, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in Isaia, attends the 'Jumanji : Welcome to the Jungle' premiere at Le Grand Rex on December 5, 2017 in Paris, France. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in checked tailoring, and Kevin Hart arrive for the premiere of 'Jumanji : Welcome to the Jungle' at Sony Centre on December 6, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images
Dave Rienzi, Dany Garcia, Simone Garcia Johnson and Dwayne Johnson, in Brioni, arrive for the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 7, 2018. EPA
Dwayne Johnson, in Isaia, attends the European premiere of 'Rampage' at Cineworld Leicester Square on April 11, 2018 in London, England. Getty Images
Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson, in beige tailoring, attend the 'Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw' press conference on August 5, 2019 in Beijing, China. Getty Images
Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson, in a turtleneck, attend the photo call for 'Jumanji : Next Level' at Le Grand Rex on December 3, 2019 in Paris, France. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in a tee and cords, poses during a press junket for 'Jumanji : Next Level' at Hotel Adlon on December 4, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in chunky knitwear and a leather jacket, at the premiere of 'Jumanji : Next Level' at Sony Centre on December 4, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in Ralph Lauren, attends the 'Jumanji : Next Level' UK premiere at BFI Southbank on December 5, 2019 in London, England. Getty Images
Dwayne Johnson, in Dolce & Gabbana, attends the premiere of 'Jumanji : Next Level' at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on December 9, 2019. EPA
The publication put his annual earnings at $270 million in 2022, factoring in acting fees and income from his estimated 30 per cent stake in the beverage brand Teremana.
The small-batch beverage brand is the actor’s personal legacy for his daughters, chief executive Richard Black told media earlier this year. In a May Instagram post, the Fast & Furious actor announced one million cases had been sold over the previous 12 months and spoke of “internationalising” the brand.
In a 2021 interview with CNN, he indicated the brand could be valued at up to $3 billion.
Johnson’s total net worth is estimated at $800 million, according to wealth tracking website Celebrity Net Worth.
His business ventures account for the majority of that income, despite his high acting fees.
Johnson, better known by his World Wrestling Entertainment ring name “The Rock”, was one of the highest-paid wrestlers in the world, with a net worth estimated at $75 million in 2012.
He has been a movie actor since 2002, when he was paid $5.5 million to star in The Scorpion King. With 27 films to his credit, he is one of the most successful and highest-grossing box-office stars of all time.
In total, Johnson’s films have grossed more than $16 billion worldwide, including fees from production work, according to box-office tracking website The Numbers.
The actor is also involved in several business ventures.
Johnson founded entertainment production company Seven Bucks with former wife Dany Garcia in 2012. In 2020, they purchased the XFL professional American football league from bankruptcy court for $15 million.
Other ventures include investments in sports drink brand Zoa and ice cream company Salt and Straw.
Outside business, he has endorsed brands such as Apple and Ford, and collaborated with US sports equipment company Under Armour on a line called Project Rock Collection.
He owns a home in Beverley Park, Los Angeles, according to Celebrity Net Worth. His previous real estate investments include properties in Florida, Georgia and Virginia.
Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra has invested in direct-to-consumer start-up Clensta. AFP
The direct-to-consumer company offers a range of sustainable healthcare and personal care products, including brands in the wellness, haircare and skincare categories. It uses what it says is waterless technology and claims to have saved a billion litres of water since it was founded in 2016.
“My education and business background have always made me want to do more than just act, and I’m glad my crazy team and I now have the same vision for my dreams,” Chopra said in an Instagram post announcing the partnership.
“I decided to partner with them for just one simple reason – they are making products that no one else is. Ever heard of Waterless Bathing or Shampooing? Unseen, brand new, innovative.”
The amount of her investment was not made public.
Within three days of the announcement, several Clensta products had sold out, Chopra said in a follow-up post.
Chopra, a business, finance and economics graduate, made her Bollywood debut opposite Ranveer Singh in the 2011 film Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. She has since starred in a number of successful films, including Ishaqzaade, for which she won an Indian National Film Award.
Now 34, she has a net worth estimated at $25 million.
Outside entertainment, Chopra has endorsed brands such as Nivea, Pantene, Lux, WeChat and Maaza.
US actor Will Smith has invested in neobank Karat. EPA
Will Smith
Actor Will Smith has joined Jared Leto in a $70 million series B funding round for neobank Karat. They were joined by about 80 content creators, including Nas Daily’s Nuseir Yassin, Alexandra Botez, Nick DiGiovanni and Graham Stephan, the start-up said in an Instagram post last week.
Karat has stepped in to fill a gap in the creator economy, estimated at $250 billion by Goldman Sachs. The Los Angeles-based start-up provides corporate credit cards for creators and recently expanded into book-keeping and tax preparation services. It now wants to build a full-scale financial services platform offering products such as bank accounts and mortgages.
About 200 million people worldwide consider themselves creators, according to a 2022 report by digital platform Linktree, with a third of that number describing their work as a full-time career.
A handful of these creators now count their assets in the millions. YouTuber Mr Beast has a net worth of $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Yassin has a net worth of $5 million, his Nas Academy website says.
Smith, who is one of the world’s most famous actors and has 63 million followers on Instagram, has a net worth of $350 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Watch: Will Smith climbs the tallest building in the world
He is estimated to earn between $40 million to $80 million a year from film and production endeavours.
For his work on the biographical sports drama King Richard, Smith earned $20 million upfront and an additional $40 million in the equivalent of movie ticket back-end points.
He has a significant investment portfolio, including several financial companies. Through Dreams VC, Smith has invested in 28 start-ups, according to investor information website Pitchbook.
Among them are financial software company Fractional and Ethereum blockchain scaling platform Boba Network. He and Yassin have both reportedly also invested in teenage financial literacy app Step.
Together with his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Smith owns more than $100 million in real estate, including properties in California, Utah and Hawaii, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Snoop Dogg has joined a series A funding round into music platform Sound. AP
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg is going strong on next-generation technology platforms after participating in a $20 million series A funding round for Sound, a San Francisco-based Web3 music platform.
The American rapper, born Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr, has been an early investor in the metaverse, with a virtual world called Snoopverse. He has also released non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and virtual videos.
Last year, he launched a streaming app to host music from his Death Row Records label.
Sound offers tools for artists to upload and stream music in the form of NFTs. Artists will be able to keep 95 per cent of the proceeds from sales and streaming.
Venture capital firm a16z led the investment round.
Among Snoop Dogg’s portfolio of 24 investments and acquisitions are stock trading app Robinhood, Swedish FinTech Klarna, and baby food start-up Yumi, Pitchbook reports.
The rapper, 51, is estimated to have a net worth of $160 million by Celebrity Net Worth.
He has two homes in California and virtual real estate on the gaming metaverse platform The Sandbox.
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
Know before you go
Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
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