Celebrity Category: Richest Celebrities › Directors
Net Worth: $8 Billion
Birthdate: May 14, 1944 (80 years old)
Birthplace: Modesto
Gender: Male
Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m)
Profession: Film Producer, Film director, Screenwriter, Cinematographer, Film Editor, Entrepreneur, Actor, Television producer
Nationality: United States of America
What Is George Lucas’ Net Worth?
George Lucas, renowned director, writer, producer, and businessman. George Lucas net worth is around $8 billion Dollars. He’s the creative genius behind the iconic “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises, which have collectively raked in over $12 billion at the global box office. Lucas is also the visionary behind Lucasfilm and the technical effects powerhouse Industrial Light and Magic.
In 2012, Lucas sold the “Star Wars” intellectual property rights to Disney for $4.1 billion. At that time, his net worth was $3.3 billion. The deal saw him receiving $2.21 billion in cash and 37 million shares of Disney stock, then valued around $50 per share. By March 2021, with Disney shares soaring to nearly $200, those stocks had appreciated to $7.4 billion, pushing his net worth to an impressive $10 billion. This made him not only the wealthiest celebrity globally but also the richest director and figure in the entertainment industry.
In addition to his financial success, Lucas is committed to philanthropy. As a signatory of the “Giving Pledge,” he has pledged to donate at least half of his wealth to charitable causes either during his lifetime or upon his death.
The Disney Deal: How George Lucas’ Star Wars Sale Transformed His Wealth
In 2012, George Lucas struck a landmark deal, selling the rights to the Star Wars franchise to Disney for $4 billion in cash and stock. At the time, Lucas received $2.21 billion in cash and 37 million shares of Disney stock, then valued at approximately $50 each. This meant that Lucas acquired shares worth $1.85 billion.
By March 2021, Disney’s stock price had surged to nearly $200 per share, boosting the value of Lucas’ 37 million shares to an impressive $7.4 billion. Additionally, with Disney’s semi-annual dividend of $0.88 per share, Lucas enjoys an annual dividend income of about $64 million from his holdings.
George Lucas Net Worth, Early Life and Career
George Walton Lucas Jr. was born on May 14, 1944, in Modesto, California. Initially, Lucas was fixated on becoming a race car driver, but a near-fatal accident in high school, where another driver crashed into him, flipped his ambitions. His father ran a stationery store and hoped George would join him in the family business after graduation. But George had other plans—he was determined to attend art school and vowed to become a millionaire by the age of 30.
At Modesto Junior College, Lucas developed a passion for photography and filmmaking. He started off modestly, shooting car races and other scenes with an 8 mm camera. His journey continued at the University of Southern California, where he befriended Steven Spielberg and earned a Warner Brothers student scholarship. His 1967 student film, “Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB,” laid the groundwork for his 1971 feature debut, “THX 1138.” Although the film didn’t make waves, it set the stage for his breakthrough with “American Graffiti.” The film, made on a shoestring budget of $777,000, not only racked up five Academy Award nominations but also grossed $115 million domestically and $140 million worldwide, cementing its status as one of the most profitable films ever made.
“Star Wars” Creator George Lucas Net Worth Summary
George Lucas hit it big with his next film, which solidified his status as a Hollywood icon. Released in 1977, “Star Wars” was made on an $11 million budget but exploded into a worldwide sensation. Decades later, Lucas invested $15 million in restoring the film for its re-release. “Star Wars” led to two highly successful sequels in the early 1980s, further expanding the beloved universe.
Lucas later tackled a new “Star Wars” trilogy in the late 1990s and early 2000s, diving into the backstory of the original films. After selling the franchise to Disney, the saga continued with a new trilogy and a slew of spinoffs. To date, the “Star Wars” franchise has raked in over $12 billion globally and remains a major cultural force.
Lucas Other Films and Ventures
Though Lucas directed only six films, his impact on cinema and beyond is immense. As a producer, executive producer, and writer, he worked on notable projects like “Body Heat” (1981), “Labyrinth” (1986), “The Land Before Time” (1988), and the “Indiana Jones” series.
The “Indiana Jones” films, another epic success, teamed Lucas with “Star Wars” star Harrison Ford to create another legendary character. Steven Spielberg came on board as director, and the films have collectively earned nearly $2 billion at the box office.
Lucas also founded several influential companies under the Lucasfilm Ltd. banner, including THX, Skywalker Sound, Industrial Light and Magic, and LucasArts. These ventures have pushed the envelope in filmmaking and gaming, pioneering advancements in graphics and sound that continue to captivate and redefine the audience experience.
How George Lucas Became So Incredibly Wealthy
George Lucas’ immense wealth can be traced back to a shrewd business move he made during the negotiations for his first “Star Wars” film in 1973. After the huge success of “American Graffiti,” Lucas was set to earn a $500,000 salary for his next project—a substantial increase from the $150,000 he made on “Graffiti.” However, Lucas proposed a different arrangement to 20th Century Fox executives. He offered to stick with his $150,000 salary if he could secure two key concessions: ownership of all merchandising rights and control over any sequels.
The Fox executives, underestimating the potential of Lucas’ space film, readily agreed to his terms, thinking it would be just a minor addition to their roster. This decision turned out to be a colossal misjudgment for Fox, but it became one of the most advantageous deals ever for Lucas. By 2012, “Star Wars” had generated a staggering $20 billion in merchandise sales and $4 billion in home entertainment revenue, cementing Lucas’ status as one of the wealthiest figures in the entertainment industry.
On October 30th, 2012, George Lucas announced that he signed a deal to sell his entire Lucasfilm company to Disney for a staggering $4.1 billion in cash and stock. Lucas owned 100% of the company which means the entire $4 billion went into his pockets. His net worth more than doubled from $3.3 billion to $7.3 billion overnight!
George Lucas Personal Life
Lucas was married to film editor Marcia Lou Griffin (who won an Academy Award for her editing work on the original Star Wars) from 1969 to 1983. They adopted a daughter, Amanda, in 1981. Lucas adopted two more children as a single parent–Katie Lucas (b. 1988) and Jett Lucas (b. 1993). His three children all appeared in the three “Star Wars” prequels. Lucas also dated singer Linda Ronstadt in the ’80s. Lucas married Mellody Hobson (chair of DreamWorks Animation) in 2013 after dating for seven years. They were married at Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch. They have one daughter born via surrogate in 2013.
George Lucas Real Estate Assets
George’s largest real estate asset is the nearly 6,000-acre Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California. He purchased the ranch in 1978 and has spent over $100 million turning the property into a private home, movie studio, retreat, and screening theater for 300 people. The property also features a 50,000-square-foot private home, several pools, tennis courts, and more. Lucas has placed roughly 5,000 of the property’s acres into a perpetual conservation easement with the Marin County Agricultural Land Trust.
In 2017, George Lucas acquired a 9,000-square-foot estate in Bel Air, Los Angeles, for $33.9 million.
Earlier, in 2010, he invested $19.5 million in a beachfront property in Carpinteria, California, just south of Santa Barbara. Lucas demolished the original house on the site and constructed a larger Cape Cod-style residence. By December 2019, he had expanded his Carpinteria property by purchasing the neighboring house for $28 million. This additional property, formerly owned by Frances Morehart, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 93, allowed Lucas to combine the two lots into a sprawling beachfront estate of over 3 acres.
All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. When provided, we at Richest Celeb (RC) also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below.
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