Net Worth Ranker
What Is Paul Walker’s Net Worth?
At the time of his tragic death on November 30, 2013, at the age of 40, American actor Paul Walker had a net worth of $25 million. This figure primarily reflected his earnings from a successful acting career, most notably his role in the “Fast and Furious” film franchise.
Paul Walker’s Earnings and Career Highlights
Walker’s financial success was largely driven by his participation in the “Fast and Furious” franchise. His initial salary for the first two films in the series, released in 2001 and 2003, was $1 million each. However, his compensation significantly increased as the franchise gained popularity. For “Fast & Furious” in 2009, his salary rose to $7 million. He then reportedly earned $15 million for each of the subsequent installments: “Fast Five” (2011), “Fast & Furious 6” (2013), and “Furious 7” (released posthumously in 2015). This brought his total earnings from the “Fast and Furious” franchise to an estimated $54 million.
Beyond the “Fast and Furious” franchise, Walker secured leading roles in films such as “Joy Ride” (2001), “Timeline” (2003), and “Into the Blue” (2005), which contributed to his overall income. He also took on a supporting role in Clint Eastwood’s “Flags of our Fathers” in 2006. Notably, he starred in the thriller “Running Scared” and the hit film “Eight Below” in 2006. “Eight Below” opened at #1 at the box office and grossed over $20 million in its first weekend, further cementing his status as a bankable actor.
According to a lawsuit filed on behalf of his daughter, Meadow, against Porsche, Paul Walker’s potential earnings from his film career, had he lived, were estimated to be between $30 million and $80 million. Meadow later received a $10.1 million settlement from the car company.
In 1998, Walker appeared in the feature film “Meet the Deedles”. This led to other supporting roles throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s, including appearances in the 1998 teen dramedy “Pleasantville” (opposite Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire), the 1999 high school football drama “Varsity Blues” (with James Van Der Beek), the 1999 romantic comedy “She’s All That” (with Freddie Prinze, Jr.), and the 2000 thriller “The Skulls.”
Walker won an MTV Movie Award in 2016 with Vin Diesel for Best On-Screen Duo.
Paul Walker’s Personal Life and Possessions
Prior to his death, Walker resided in Santa Barbara with his dogs. He had a daughter, Meadow Rain Walker, with his former girlfriend, Rebecca Soteros. Meadow had lived with her mother in Hawaii for 13 years, but in 2011, she relocated to California to live with Walker.
Walker possessed a keen interest in marine biology, inspired by marine explorer Jacques Cousteau. He contributed time and money to various marine-related causes. Following his death, his family established the Paul Walker Foundation to support marine biology studies.
As a car enthusiast, Walker had a remarkable collection of approximately 30 cars. This collection included valuable Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Corvettes, and Porsches, as well as a variety of vintage automobiles. Some of the specific cars in his collection were: 5 BMW M3 E36 Lightweights, a BMW ’74 2002 Touring, a Ford Escort Cosworth (the car he drove in “Fast & Furious 6”), a Ford Mustang Boss 302 Race Car, a Ford GT, a Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, a Ferrari Testarossa, a Ferrari F355 Spider, a Porsche 911 Turbo, a Saleen S7, an R34 Nissan Skyline (used in the first “Fast & Furious” movie), and a Toyota Supra (also used in the first “Fast & Furious” movie).
In January 2020, 21 of Paul’s cars and motorcycles were auctioned by Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona. The 21 vehicles sold for $2,333,450. One of Paul’s BMW M3 Lightweights earned the auction’s highest price of $385,000. The other four sold for between $220,000 and $260,000. All proceeds from the auction went to a trust that belongs to his daughter Meadow, who apparently used some of the money to fund the Paul Walker Foundation, which provides scholarships to students looking to study marine science. Meadow also kept several cars from the collection for herself.
Legal Issues and Estate Matters Surrounding Paul Walker Net Worth
Following Walker’s death, there were legal disputes concerning his car collection. Paul’s estate claimed that Richard Taylor removed more than 30 of the late actor’s cars from their warehouse only hours after his death, including a 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, a 2008 BMW M3, and many more, in a move that can be charitably described as audacious. In 2015, Walker’s estate sued Taylor. In 2016, the lawsuit between the Walker estate and Taylor was “settled amicably,” according to one of the estate’s attorneys, with some or all of the cars being returned to the estate – but the precise terms of the settlement were and remain confidential.
In 2014, Paul Walker III (Walker’s father) filed suit against the estate of Roger Rodas, the late friend of Paul’s who was driving the car when the crash that killed both of them occurred. Later, in 2016, a reported settlement was reached in this case as well, with $10.1 million being paid into a trust for Walker’s then-17-year-old daughter Meadow.
In September 2015, Walker’s daughter, Meadow, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche. The lawsuit claimed that the model of the car had numerous design effects. In April 2016, the courts sided with Porsche.
