What Is Robert Redford's Net Worth and Salary?
Robert Redford is an American actor, director, producer, and environmentalist who has a net worth of $200 million. In addition to starring in classic films such as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "All The President's Men," "The Sting," "The Candidate," and "Ordinary People," Robert Redford is also known for being the founder of the Sundance Film Festival.
Redford's journey in Hollywood began in the 1960s, but it was his role in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969) alongside Paul Newman that catapulted him to stardom. This film not only solidified his status as a leading man in Hollywood but also showcased his charismatic screen presence and acting versatility.
Throughout the 1970s, Robert starred in a string of successful films. In "The Sting" (1973), again with Newman, he delivered a performance that earned widespread acclaim. His role in "All the President's Men" (1976), in which he played journalist Bob Woodward, further cemented his place as a serious actor. These roles highlighted Redford's ability to handle both charming and complex characters, making him a favorite among audiences and critics alike.
Aside from his acting career, Robert has been an influential director and producer. He won an Academy Award for Best Director for his work on "Ordinary People" (1980), a poignant drama that marked his directorial debut. This film, along with others like "A River Runs Through It" (1992) and "Quiz Show" (1994), demonstrated his skillful storytelling and keen eye for detail.
Redford's contributions to cinema extend beyond acting and directing. He founded the Sundance Film Festival, which has become one of the most significant events in the film industry. Sundance is renowned for championing independent filmmakers and has played a pivotal role in bringing independent cinema to a wider audience.
In the latter part of his career, Redford has continued to act in and direct films while also using his platform to advocate for environmental causes and independent filmmaking.
Early Life
Charles Robert Redford Jr., better known as Robert Redford, was born on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California. His parents were Martha Hart and accountant Charles Robert Redford Sr. Robert has a stepbrother from his father's first marriage. His family moved to Van Nuys, Los Angeles, where he attended Van Nuys High School. After graduating in 1954, Redford continued his education at the University of Colorado in Boulder before dropping out after only a year and a half. The reason he left school was because he had begun to drink heavily and, as a result, lost his scholarship. Robert then spent time traveling around Europe before relocating to New York City, where he took classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and also took painting lessons at the Pratt Institute.
Career
Redford started his acting career in New York City, working in various theater and television roles. He made his Broadway debut as a member of the cast in a 1959 production of "Tall Story," followed by small parts in productions of "The Highest Tree" (1959) and "Sunday in New York" (1961). His most successful Broadway appearance was as the husband of Elizabeth Ashley in the original cast of "Barefoot in the Park" (1963) by Neil Simon.
Starting in 1960, Redford also began appearing as a guest star in television shows like "Maverick" (1960), "Perry Mason" (1960), "Naked City" (1961), "Whispering Smith" (1961), "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1961), "The Twilight Zone" (1962), and "The Untouchables" (1963). For his performance in "The Voice of Charlie Pont" (1962), Robert received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Also in 1960, the same year he began appearing on television, Redford made his big screen debut in a minor role in the film "Tall Story." As he started making a name for himself on Broadway and on television, Robert began landing larger movie roles. He got his second film role in 1962, in the film "War Hunt," followed by the films "Situation Hopeless…But Not Serious" (1965) and "Inside Daisy Clover" (1965). Other films he appeared in during the 1960s include "This Property Is Condemned" (1966), "The Chase" (1966), "Barefoot in the Park" (1967), "Downhill Racer" (1969), and "Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here" (1969).
Arguably his best-known film from this period is "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." The movie, which was released in 1969 and co-starred Paul Newman, was a huge success and helped to permanently cement Redford's status as a box office draw and highly bankable Hollywood star. For his role in "Butch Cassidy," he won a British Academy of Film and Television Award (BAFTA).
In 1973, he kicked off a huge four-year hot streak of box office successes. His film "The Way We Were" (1973) was the #11 highest-grossing film of 1973, and "The Sting" (1973) was the highest-grossing film of 1974. "The Sting" also earned Redford his one and only nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He followed this with popular hits like "The Great Gatsby" (1974), "The Great Waldo Pepper" (1975), "Three Days of the Condor" (1975), and "All the President's Men" (1976). Between 1974 and 1976, Robert was voted as Hollywood's top box-office star by movie exhibitors, and in the years 1975, 1977, and 1978, he won the Golden Globe for Favorite World Film Star (this is an award based on popularity that is no longer given out). In addition to his acting career, Redford has also worked as a director. "Ordinary People" (1980) is perhaps his best-known and most successful film as a director. It won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Redford has won numerous awards throughout his long and distinguished career, including the National Medal of Arts in 1996, an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2002, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2005, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Robert Redford Film Salaries
One of Robert Redford's earliest known film salaries is $500, which was his full payday for the 1962 movie "War Hunt."
In 1968, both Robert and Paul Newman earned $750,000 to star in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (which was released in 1969). That's the same as making around $6.5 million in today's dollars. As we detail in the next section of this article, in 1968, Robert used his entire after-tax "Butch Cassidy" salary to purchase the 3,000-acre Utah resort town of Mount Timpanogos, where he already owned a modest property. He purchased Mount Timpanogos to prevent it from selling to developers. With the success of "Butch Cassidy," Robert subsequently renamed the town "Sundance."
For 1973's "The Sting," Robert and Paul both earned $500,000. That's the same as around $3.5 million today.
He earned $2 million for 1977's "A Bridge Too Far" and "$3.5 million for 1979's "The Electric Horseman."
Jumping ahead to his more modern film career, Robert earned $4 million to star in 1993's "Indecent Proposal" and a career-high $11 million base salary for $2001's "The Last Castle."
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Sundance Institute
Robert Redford was first exposed to the area that would decades later become the thriving community and empire of Sundance in the 1950s. At the time, he was driving cross-country from California to get back to the University of Colorado. He took a wrong turn and found himself in Provo Canyon, Utah.
Robert Redford bought his first property in Utah in 1961, eight years before "Butch Cassidy" was released. It was a modest A-Fram cabin on two acres in a ski town called Timp Haven. The price of this property?
$500
Timp Haven was named after the local mountain on which it was situated, Mount Timpanogos.
In 1968, Robert used the salary he had just earned to star in "Butch Cassidy" to buy the entire town of Timp Haven. He had been concerned that the bucolic small town would be gobbled up by developers and turned into a massive city. After "Butch Cassidy" was released and became a huge hit, Redford renamed the entire town the Sundance Mountain Resort.
In 1978, the head of Redford's company Wildwood Enterprises, Inc., Sterling Van Wagenen, partnered with John Earle of the Utah Film Commission to start the Utah/US Film Festival. Their goal was to showcase American-made films, promote more independent films, and highlight the work of regional filmmakers working outside of Hollywood. This later became known as the Sundance Film Festival.
Redford is not only credited as a founder of the nonprofit Sundance Institute and Sundance Cinemas, but also the Sundance Channel and Sundance Productions. He previously owned a Sundance-branded mail-order catalog business but sold the operation in 2004 for $40 million. In December 2020, he sold the 2,600-acre Sundance resort to a private equity group for an undisclosed amount.
Personal Life
Redford married Lola Van Wagenen in August 1958 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They had four children together before ultimately divorcing in 1985. In July 2009, Robert married his longtime partner, Sibylle Szaggars, in Hamburg, Germany.
Horse Whisperer Ranch
Even after selling the Sundance resort in 2020, Robert's family continues to own a 1,800-acre property in the area. They also own a 30-acre property roughly 30 minutes outside of Sundance called the Horse Whisperer Ranch, a reference to his 1998 movie "The Horse Whisperer." Robert bought the property in 1996. He listed it for sale in June 2021 for $4.6 million. Here's a video tour of the Horse Whisperer Ranch:
Other Real Estate
Outside of Utah, Robert Redford owns or has owned property in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and in various parts of California.
In May 2001, Robert sold an oceanfront property in Malibu for $6 million. At the same time, he sold an adjacent empty lot to a different buyer for $3 million.
In 1997, Robert paid $3.7 million for a duplex penthouse at 1030 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. He listed the property for sale in April 2001 for $15 million and ultimately accepted $10 million exactly a year later.
In March 2002, he paid $6.5 million for a ski lodge in Aspen, Colorado.
In 2004 Robert bought a 10-acre wine country estate in St. Helena, California. He listed this estate for sale in October 2018 for $7.5 million and accepted $7 million just three months later, in January 2019. Here's a video tour of his former Napa estate which is called Danza Del Sol:
