Net Worth Ranker
What Is Matt Damon’s Net Worth?
Matt Damon, a prominent figure in the American entertainment industry, has amassed a substantial net worth of $170 million as of February 2025. This fortune is the result of his successful career as an actor, writer, producer, and his involvement in various philanthropic endeavors.
Early Career and Breakthrough
Matthew Paige Damon was born on October 8, 1970, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His early life was marked by the divorce of his parents, stockbroker Kent Damon and professor Nancy Carlsson-Paige, when he was just two years old. Raised by his mother in a communal house with six families in Cambridge, Matt shared a close bond with his brother, Kyle. His childhood friendship with Ben Affleck laid the foundation for their future collaborations in the film industry.
Damon’s academic pursuits led him to Harvard University in 1988, where he studied until 1992. However, he left the institution just 12 credits shy of earning his B.A. in English. This decision was driven by his passion for acting and the opportunity to film “Geronimo: An American Legend” in 1992, although the film did not become the major success he had hoped for.
Damon’s breakthrough moment arrived in 1997 with “Good Will Hunting,” a film he co-wrote and starred in alongside Ben Affleck. The screenplay, initially conceived as a school project, was transformed into a full-fledged screenplay while the two friends resided together in Los Angeles. The film’s widespread acclaim led to Damon and Affleck winning the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Screenplay. Damon also received a nomination for Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his performance in the film. “Good Will Hunting” grossed $225 million worldwide. The film was produced with a budget of just $10 million.
Film Franchises and Box Office Successes
Matt Damon’s career took a significant turn when he was cast in George Clooney’s “Ocean’s” trilogy. He portrayed the character of Linus Caldwell in all three installments, sharing the screen with some of the industry’s biggest stars. To facilitate the film’s production, the A-list cast members agreed to take a pay cut from their usual salaries. The films collectively grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide, making them a commercially successful venture for all involved.
Another significant chapter in Damon’s career came with his role in the Jason Bourne franchise. “The Bourne Identity,” released in 2002, earned him critical acclaim and solidified his reputation as an action hero. The film grossed $214 million worldwide against a budget of $60 million. He reprised his role in two more Bourne films, with each film earning him a substantial paycheck. He chose not to participate in the fourth film, “The Bourne Legacy,” which was released in 2012. Damon returned for the fifth movie in the series, “Jason Bourne,” in 2016. For his involvement in the Bourne films, Damon earned a cumulative $87 million, averaging over $21 million per film.
Beyond the Bourne franchise, Damon has starred in numerous other successful films that have contributed to his net worth. These include:
- “Saving Private Ryan” (1998): $481 million worldwide gross
- “The Departed” (2006): $292 million worldwide gross. Damon earned $10 million for his role in the film.
- “The Martian” (2015): $630 million worldwide gross. Damon earned $25 million for this film.
These films collectively grossed over $3.88 billion at the North American box office, solidifying Damon’s position as one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Damon typically commands a salary of $20 million per film, plus a percentage of the back-end profits for major studio productions. He earned close to $30 million for his role in “Elysium” (2013).
In 2023, Damon appeared in two major films: “Air,” co-starring and directed by Ben Affleck, and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” where he played Leslie Groves, the director of the Manhattan Project. While his exact earnings from these films have not been publicly disclosed, they undoubtedly contributed to his overall financial success.
Producing Ventures and Other Income Streams
In addition to his acting career, Matt Damon has also ventured into producing, further augmenting his net worth. Along with Ben Affleck and others, Damon produced the reality series “Project Greenlight,” which provided opportunities for first-time filmmakers to develop their own film projects. Damon, Affleck, and Chris Moore founded the production company LivePlanet to produce the show. Later, Damon and Affleck went on to found another production company, Pearl Street Films. Damon famously gave up the lead acting role in “Manchester by the Sea” and instead opted to act as a producer. His replacement, Casey Affleck (Ben’s little brother), went on to win an Oscar for the role.
Damon’s producing credits include “Good Will Hunting,” “The Departed,” and “Manchester by the Sea.” While the exact financial gains from his producing ventures are not publicly available, they are likely to be a significant contributor to his overall net worth.
One notable incident in Damon’s career was his decision to decline a starring role in James Cameron’s “Avatar” (2009). The offer included a percentage of the movie’s box office profits, which ultimately reached over $2.8 billion worldwide. Damon estimated that he would have earned $250 million from the deal, making it potentially the highest-paid acting role in history. However, Damon had already committed to another project, “The Green Zone,” and was unable to accept the role. Despite missing out on this lucrative opportunity, Damon’s career has continued to thrive.
Real Estate Holdings
Matt Damon’s real estate portfolio reflects his financial success. In 2012, Matt and his wife, Luciana Barroso, purchased a mansion in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles for $15 million. The 13,500-square-foot home was listed for sale in January 2021 for $21 million. They later reduced the price to $17.9 million in August 2021, eventually finding a buyer a month later. The sale of this property contributed to Damon’s overall net worth.
In 2017, Damon acquired a penthouse in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of New York City for $16.8 million. At the time, it was the highest price ever paid for a home in Brooklyn. The penthouse offered stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and served as Damon’s primary residence in New York City.
In 2022, Damon expanded his real estate holdings with the purchase of a Westchester County retreat in Bedford, New York, for $8.5 million. This property provides a private escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. In April 2024, Matt paid $9 million for a condo in Los Angeles, further diversifying his real estate investments.
Philanthropic Activities
Matt Damon is deeply committed to philanthropy and supports 37 charitable organizations. He serves as an ambassador for ONEXONE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in North America, and as a spokesperson for Feeding America, a foundation that fights hunger. He founded the H2O Africa Foundation and co-founded the Not On Our Watch Project, which aims to prevent mass genocide such as that in Darfur. He is also involved with the One Campaign and Water.org. While these activities do not directly contribute to his net worth, they reflect his commitment to using his resources and influence for the betterment of society.
Personal Life and “Feud” with Jimmy Kimmel
In 2003, while filming the comedy “Stuck On You” in Miami, Matt Damon met Luciana Barroso, a bartender and single mother, in a local club. They married in 2005 and have three more children together. Damon’s personal life has been relatively private, with few details publicly disclosed beyond his marriage and family.
Damon has a longstanding public “feud” with Jimmy Kimmel, which originated in the early days of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The feud began with a simple joke in which Kimmel apologized to Damon for running out of time on the show. Since then, the two have engaged in numerous public swipes at each other, but it is all in good fun, as Damon and Kimmel are actually friends. The feud has become a running gag and a source of entertainment for audiences.
Awards and Honors
Matt Damon received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007. He has received numerous award nominations throughout his career, including five Oscar nominations, five from the Screen Actors’ Guild, and seven Golden Globes nods. Damon has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2007, “People” magazine named him the Sexiest Man Alive.
Controversy
In 2017, during the Harvey Weinstein controversy and the #MeToo movement, Damon faced criticism for comments he made in a series of interviews that were perceived as minimizing the abuse suffered by sexual assault victims. In 2018, he apologized for his comments during an appearance on “The Today Show.” The controversy did not appear to have a significant impact on his net worth, as his career has continued to thrive in the years since.
