Sylvester Stallone Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Sylvester Stallone’s Net Worth and Salary?

Sylvester Stallone, an American actor, screenwriter, producer, and director, boasts a net worth of $400 million. He stands as one of the most renowned and cherished action stars ever. Uniquely, he is the only actor in the history of American cinema to have featured in box office #1 films for six consecutive decades.

Stallone ascended to iconic status with “Rocky,” which propelled him to become one of the highest-paid action stars throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He has crafted and produced several highly successful franchises such as “Rocky,” “Rambo,” and “The Expendables.” Currently, Stallone’s films have amassed over $4 billion in global revenue. Distinct from most Hollywood actors, Stallone has also taken on writing, producing, and/or directing roles for many of his leading franchise movies.

Among Stallone’s most financially successful films are “Rocky IV” (1985) and “Rambo: First Blood Part II” (1985), both earning $300 million, as well as “Creed” (2015), which brought in $173 million. To date, his films have collectively earned over $4.5 billion worldwide. This remarkable figure places Stallone alongside the highest-grossing actors in history, alongside other major stars like Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, and Robert Downey Jr. Arnold Schwarzenegger, another legendary action star, has a worldwide box office total of approximately $4.4 billion, which is marginally less than Stallone’s total.

Salary Highlights

From the 1970s up to 2012, exclusively from the films that will be discussed—which do not account for every Stallone film during that span or the subsequent 10+ years—he has earned a staggering $300 million in base film salaries alone. Adjusting for inflation, his earnings during this timeframe amount to about $500 million in current dollars.

After writing the “Rocky” screenplay in just three days, Stallone captured the attention of several studios. Although United Artists was the primary contender, they initially envisioned it as a starring role for Robert Redford or James Caan. Stallone persistently convinced the producers, Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, to let him play the lead. He settled for a reduced salary of $23,000 at that time, equivalent to roughly $110,000 today. The film went on to achieve a gross of $225 million against a production budget of $1 million.

• For “Rocky II,” Stallone received a payment of $75,000.
• For “Rocky III,” his base salary amounted to $120,000.
• For “Rocky V,” he took home $15 million.
• In both “Creed” and “Creed II,” he earned base salaries of $10 million.

In 1982, Stallone made $3.5 million for “First Blood.” The following year, he earned $10 million—equivalent to $25 million today—and garnered his inaugural Producer credit for “Staying Alive.”

In 1984’s “Rhinestone,” he earned $4 million along with his second Producer credit. The year after, for “Rocky IV,” he received $12 million coupled with another Producer credit. He also earned $12 million for “Over the Top” and $16 million for “Rambo III.”

For each of the films listed below, Stallone earned $15 million or $16 million:

• “Lock Up”
• “Tango & Cash”
• “Rocky V”
• “Oscar”
• “Demolition Man”
• “Judge Dredd”
• “Assassins”
• “The Specialist”
• “The Expendables”
• “The Expendables II”

Stallone earned $17.5 million for “Daylight,” $20 million for “Driven,” and another $20 million for “Eye See You.”

Early Life

On July 6, 1946, Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone was born in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan. He is the eldest son of Francesco “Frank” Stallone Sr, an Italian immigrant hairdresser, and Jackie Stallone, who worked as an astrologer and dancer. A younger brother, Frank Stallone, also an actor and musician, completes their family. Due to complications during birth, the lower left side of Sylvester’s face was paralyzed, contributing to his well-known “snarling” appearance and slightly slurred speech.

Due to the turbulent relationship of his parents, Stallone experienced a portion of his childhood in foster care. Subsequently, the couple divorced. After the divorce, he spent time living with his father in Maryland.

A drama student at the American College in Switzerland, Stallone later transferred to the University of Miami. He departed before completing his degree to chase his acting aspirations in New York City.

Career

Stallone’s initial leading role appeared in “The Party at Kitty and Stud’s,” a softcore adult film. He later stated that he starred in this film out of necessity after being evicted from his apartment, earning $200 for two days of filming.

His early film appearances included minor roles, one of which was uncredited in Woody Allen’s 1971 film, “Bananas.” In 1973, he acted in a film called “Rebel,” and in the following year, he received some early acclaim for his performance in “The Lords of Flatbush.”

Relocating to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, Stallone dedicated his free time to screenwriting. A fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner inspired him to craft a screenplay about an underdog aspiring to become a professional boxer. Stallone insisted on starring in the film, refusing to sell the script until he found producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, who agreed to let him play the lead, Rocky Balboa. The character’s surname, “Balboa,” was inspired by the street name of his Los Angeles residence.

The release of “Rocky” in 1976 marked a significant turning point. Despite some mixed initial screenings, the movie soared to global success, propelling Stallone to A-list celebrity status and international recognition. It became a critical and box office success, grossing $117 million from a modest budget.

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With a budget of $1 million, it garnered ten Academy Award nominations. It competed for Best Picture alongside other now-iconic films such as “All the President’s Men,” “Network,” and “Taxi Driver,” but remarkably, “Rocky” took home the award. Additionally, it won accolades for Best Directing and Best Film Editing. The release of “Rocky II” followed in 1979, along with two more sequels in the ’80s, and Stallone continued to experience success at the box office.

In 1982, Sylvester achieved another critical and commercial triumph with his portrayal of John Rambo in the action film “Rambo: First Blood.” After the first movie, three sequels were produced. For both his Rocky and Rambo roles, he committed to an extremely rigorous training regimen, which included two workout sessions a day, six days a week, plus additional evening exercises. He reduced his body fat to an unprecedented low of 2.8% for the third installment of “Rocky.”

However, in 1987, Stallone began to see a dip in popularity with his role in “Over the Top,” a box office failure that struggled to win over critics. The ’90s brought the release of “Rocky V,” which also underperformed at the box office. He ventured into the comedy genre but faced critical and commercial failures with early-nineties films like “Oscar” and “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.” A brief career resurgence came with “Cliffhanger” in 1993, which grossed $170 million, as well as 1996’s “Daylight,” but by the early 2000s, he found himself trapped in a series of box office disappointments and critical failures.

After taking a three-year break, Stallone made a comeback in 2006 with the sixth installment of “Rocky.” He wrote, directed, and starred in the critically acclaimed “Rocky Balboa,” which had a budget of $24 million and earned $155.7 million worldwide. He also reprised his Rambo role in the fourth film of that series titled “Rambo.” In 2010, he took on writing, directing, and acting for the successful “The Expendables,” which debuted at #1 at the box office on its opening weekend. A sequel followed in 2012, also receiving positive reviews and achieving a #1 position at the box office.

Expanding the “Rocky” saga, Stallone contributed to the spin-off film “Creed” in 2015. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film centered on Adonis Creed, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, the son of Rocky’s rival, Apollo Creed. Stallone garnered significant praise and earned his third Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for this role. “Creed II,” which premiered in 2018, also received acclaim with a $35.3 million opening weekend. The fifth movie in the Rambo franchise hit theaters on September 20, 2019, grossing $91 million globally.

Stallone has taken on roles such as Stakar Ogord in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films and Dwight “The General” Manfredi in the Paramount+ series “Tulsa King.” In 2023, he, along with his wife and three daughters, starred in the reality series “The Family Stallone,” which was quickly renewed for a second season.

Other Ventures

In March 2018, Sylvester co-founded Balboa Productions, a film production studio, with Braden Aftergood. The studio boasts a comprehensive production lineup, featuring projects like “Creed II,” “Rambo V,” and “Expend4bles.” It is currently developing a film telling the story of Jack “Galveston Giant” Johnson, the first African-American boxing heavyweight champion.

Stallone has also contributed vocals to soundtracks for various films, recording the theme “Gonna Fly Now” for the first Rocky and “Take Me Back” in Rocky IV. Additionally, he performed duets with Dolly Parton in their 1984 movie “Rhinestone.” He is involved in boxing promotion, operating under the company name Tiger Eye Productions.

Personal Life

Sylvester tied the knot with Sasha Czack in 1974, with whom he had two sons: Sage Moonblood, who tragically passed away from heart disease at 36, and Seargeoh. The couple divorced in 1985. From 1985 to 1987, Stallone was married to Brigitte Nielson.

He married Jennifer Flavin in 1997. They…Jennifer would eventually have three daughters: Sophie, Sistine, and Scarlet. On August 24, 2022, it came to light that Jennifer initiated divorce proceedings against Sylvester, which were filed in Palm Beach County, Florida. However, the couple eventually reconciled.

Real Estate

In 1999, Sylvester went on to sell a residence in Coconut Grove, Florida, for $16 million.

For several decades, Sylvester’s main home has been an extravagant mansion in the exclusive gated community of Beverly Park at the peak of Beverly Hills. His estate covers 3.5 acres and includes a 20,000-square-foot mansion. Among his neighbors are Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg, and Denzel Washington. Comparable homes have recently sold for between $40 and $70 million. Reports in January 2021 indicated that Sylvester was listing his home for an impressive $130 million, which he later reduced to $85 million in August 2021.

Come December 2021, Sylvester accepted an offer of $58 million, making the buyer Adele. This transaction set a record for the highest amount ever paid for a residence in Beverly Park.

A video tour can be viewed here:

In January 2010, Sylvester, alongside his wife, Jennifer Flavin, purchased a vacation retreat in La Quinta, California, for $4.5 million. They attempted to sell this property several times beginning in 2014. By 2016, they even slashed the price to $3.625 million but found no buyers. Eventually, they sold the property in May 2020 for $3.1 million.

In December 2020, Sylvester acquired a 1.5-acre property with a 13,000-square-foot mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, for $35.4 million. The previous owners made nearly $10 million in profit by having acquired the estate in 2018 for $26 million.

In February 2022, Sylvester invested $18.2 million in a 2.26-acre estate located in Hidden Hills, California. Unfortunately, this home made headlines for the wrong reasons in August 2022 when reports surfaced about its excessive water usage. In May and June 2022, the property exceeded its monthly water allocation by 195,000 gallons and 230,000 gallons, respectively. The Stallones defended themselves by stating that the estate contained over 500 mature trees requiring constant watering to prevent them from dying and posing a significant fire risk. If they exceeded their water allocation by 150% in four months, the local water authority had the right to place a restrictor on the water supply entering their property.

A video tour from its listing in early 2022 can be found here:

Less than a year later, in December 2022, Sylvester put the Hidden Hills estate up for sale at $22.5 million after having purchased it for $18.2 million. In October 2023, he sold the home to musician John Fogerty for $17 million, resulting in a $1.2 million loss in comparison to his purchasing price from February 2022.