Kevin Costner Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Kevin Costner’s Net Worth and Salary?

With a net worth of $250 million, Kevin Costner is a renowned American actor, producer, and director. During the height of his career in the 1980s and 1990s, he was among the highest-paid actors globally, thanks to iconic films such as “Dances with Wolves,” which he directed and starred in, and “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.”

In 1991, his earnings reached an impressive $50 million, largely due to backend points from “Dances with Wolves.” When adjusted for inflation, that amount would be equivalent to $110 million today. The film won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The following year, backend points for “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” also brought his income up to $40 million.

Additionally, he received a substantial payment of $14 million for his part in the 1995 blockbuster “Waterworld.” To date, Costner has won two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, one Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Recently, he has gained critical acclaim and public appreciation for his performance in the television series “Yellowstone.”

“Yellowstone” Salary

Before filming the fifth season of “Yellowstone,” Kevin negotiated a new agreement with Paramount that increased his compensation to $1.2 million per episode for a 16-episode season divided into two parts. The initial part aired from November 2022 to January 2023. In February 2023, it emerged that Costner was in a dispute with the show’s creator/producer, Taylor Sheridan, and Paramount regarding the number of filming days required for the second part. If the second part proceeds, he will have earned $19.2 million for the fifth season. If a sixth season is produced, his salary for each episode will rise to $1.5 million, totaling $24 million for that season.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Born on January 18, 1955, in Lynwood, California, Kevin Michael Costner is the youngest of three boys. His mother, Sharon Rae (née Tedrick), worked as a welfare worker, while his father, William Costner, was an electrician who later became a utility executive at Southern California Edison. Kevin’s middle brother passed away at birth, and he was raised in a Baptist household in Compton, California.

Thanks to his father’s profession, the family relocated frequently throughout California, especially during Costner’s teenage years. He initially attended Mt. Whitney High School, then moved to Orange County, California, ultimately graduating from Villa Park High School in 1973. Pursuing higher education, he attended California State University, Fullerton, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing and finance in 1978.

After college, inspired by an encounter with actor Richard Burton who encouraged him to follow his secret passion, Costner started his acting journey. He made the difficult transition to Hollywood by attending acting classes, taking odd jobs, acing auditions, and surviving on very little money. His persistence eventually paid off, enabling him to transition into a full-time acting career during the 1980s.

Film Career

Costner’s performance in the 1987 film, “The Untouchables,” is often regarded as a pivotal point in his career.

His “big break” is considered to be followed by his directing and starring role in “Dances with Wolves” in 1990. This film brought him two Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture. Nevertheless, throughout his career, Kevin has been involved in numerous projects and films.

Costner technically marked his feature film debut with “Sizzle Beach, U.S.A.,” which was filmed between the winter of 1978 and 1979. Despite being completed during this time, the film was not released until 1981 and saw another release in 1986. This confusion led many to believe that his first feature film was actually “The Touch,” which came out in 1983. That year, he also took part in the films “Table for Five” and “Testament,” along with appearing in a commercial for Apple’s Lisa desktop computer. He was active in 1985 as well, showcasing a leading role in Lawrence Kasdan’s “Silverado,” in addition to his work in “Fandango” and “American Flyers.”

1987 saw Costner starring not just in “The Untouchables” but also in the thriller “No Way Out.” His subsequent performances in “Bull Durham” (1988) and “Field of Dreams” (1989) played a crucial role in establishing his A-list status. In 1990, he teamed up with producer Jim Wilson to create the production company Tig Productions. Their inaugural project was the epic film “Dances with Wolves” (1990), where Kevin both directed and acted. That same year, he was also featured in the film “Revenge.”

Following his triumph with “Dances with Wolves,” Costner engaged in a series of films that were either critically praised or box office successes, such as “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” (1991), “JFK” (1991), “The Bodyguard” (1992), and Clint Eastwood’s “A Perfect World” (1993). However, this string of successes was succeeded by films that failed to capture much attention and were generally poorly received, such as “The War” (1994), “Waterworld” (1995), and “The Postman” (1997). Among these, “The Postman”—where Costner served both as actor and director—fared the worst, garnering five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Actor, and Worst Director.

Kevin continued his acting career with films like “Tin Cup” (1996), “Message in a Bottle” (1999), “Thirteen Days” (2000), “Rumor Has It” (2005), “The Guardian” (2006), “Mr. Brooks” (2007), “Swing Vote” (2008), and “The Company Men” (2010). He also made his television debut in 2012 with the three-part History Channel miniseries “Hatfields & McCoys,” which achieved record viewership of 13.9 million. Since then, he has featured in various films and secured his first regular television role on the series “Yellowstone,” which began airing in 2018.

Business Interests

In June 2004, Costner inaugurated an attraction named Tatanka: The Story of the Bison, located on U.S. Route 85, a mile south of Deadwood, South Dakota. He envisioned this space as an educational platform for individuals to learn about the history of America’s westward expansion.

to his past investments, including the Midnight Star Casino located in Deadwood. A judge mandated him to pay out a portion of $6.1 million to the Canevas, who were the casino’s managers, after he terminated their contracts in July 2004. Following this, he sought a review of the ruling from the South Dakota Supreme Court in 2006, motivated by an accountant he had hired assessing the casino’s market value at $3.1 million.

Personal Life

In 1978, Costner tied the knot with Cindy Silva, his college love, after graduating. They have three children together. Their marriage lasted for 16 years before ending in divorce in 1994, with Kevin ultimately consenting to an $80 million settlement. This was noted as one of the priciest divorces in Hollywood history at that time.

Post-divorce, Kevin entered into a relationship with Bridget Rooney, with whom he shares a son. Bridget is linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers as an heiress, and her nieces include actresses Kate Mara and Rooney Mara.

His romantic history also includes relationships with activist Birgit Cunningham and model/actress Elle Macpherson.

In 2004, Costner wed Christine Baumgartner, a model and handbag designer, and they are parents to three children.

Divorce Settlements

During the mid-1990s, Kevin gave his first wife, Cindy Silva, an $80 million divorce settlement. When accounting for inflation, this amount corresponds to roughly $160 million in today’s terms.

On May 2, 2023, Christine Baumgartner filed for divorce from Kevin after nearly two decades of marriage, indicating irreconcilable differences. In her initial filing, she did not seek spousal support, owing to a prenup they had established. According to a statement from Kevin’s attorney:

“Spousal support to be payable to petitioner pursuant to the terms of the parties’ Premarital Agreement.“

Nonetheless, in mid-June 2023, Christine sought monthly support amounting to $250,000, which did not even encompass all child-related expenses, costs Kevin was already handling. In her request, Christine asserted that Kevin had earned $19.5 million in 2023, while the family’s accumulated expenses reached $6.6 million. This total included regular trips to vacation destinations like Aspen, Hawaii, and the Caribbean, where they often employed a team of chefs and caterers. Additionally, they incurred about $2 million annually for the upkeep of their multiple properties.

In a subsequent filing, Christine detailed the family’s income and expenditures from 2022. Her legal document revealed that his overall income for that year stood at $19.5 million—specifically, $19,517,064. Kevin reportedly earns $1.2 million per episode for “Yellowstone,” and it is believed he filmed eight episodes in 2022, which equates to nearly $10 million of his total earnings. Furthermore, he collected $2.3 million in rental income from his Aspen ranch, along with $503,000 from renting out a beachfront property in Carpinteria, California.

The documentation projected total “family expenses” to be $6.5 million, more precisely, $6,645,285.

Here’s a detailed account of how the Costner family allocated $6 million in 2022:

• Aspen House Costs: $1,964,294.95
• Beach House Costs: $1,178,147.16
• Gifts: $830,504.51
• Gardener: $542,303.47
• Beach Club Costs: $288,381.24
• Household Help: $84,040.78
• Golf & Club Dues: $34,434.90
• Boat Expenses: $25,806.45
• Spa Service: $21,807.67
• Personal Trainer: $12,851.58

Total Expenses: $5,982,772.71

Within the legal filing, Christine also asserted that Kevin had once revealed he was offered $250 million for his Aspen property. This is in addition…

In the following section, we provide details about their other real estate properties.

Real Estate

Featuring stunning properties across the nation, Costner boasts an exceptionally impressive real estate portfolio. Below are some noteworthy examples:

Aspen, Colorado:

The Costners possess a remarkable 160-acre estate in Aspen, which includes three lakefront homes capable of accommodating 30 guests comfortably. This property was acquired through three separate transactions. The first two, taking place in the late 1980s and early 1990s, involved undisclosed sums. In 2017, he completed the acquisition of the third parcel for $7.3 million, finalizing the 160-acre estate. This property is available for rental at a staggering rate of $30,000 per NIGHT.

Carpinteria, California:

Situated between Santa Barbara and Malibu, Carpinteria is a charming beachfront town. Over the years, the Costners have assembled an astounding estate consisting of three adjacent properties. The first of these was purchased in the 1980s, followed by the second a decade later, while the third was secured in 2017 for $7.3 million.

Previously, they sold a 7-acre property in the vicinity in 2009 for $25 million.

This isn’t the only property the Costners own in Carpinteria.

In 2006, they acquired a 17-acre undeveloped ocean-view land parcel for $28.5 million.

Additionally, they possess another 10-acre parcel in Carpinteria, which they listed for sale in 2017 at $60 million, later reducing the price to $49 million a year afterward, but eventually withdrew it from the market. Below is a video tour showcasing this magnificent property: