Steven Spielberg Net Worth, Money and More
Net Worth: $3.1 billion
Profession: Producer/ Director/ Screen Writer
Introduction:
Steven Allan Spielberg has come to become synonymous with films. He is a director, producer as well as a screenwriter. He has been a part of the industry for over four decades now and knows the intricacies of film making inside out. Steven was born on December 18th, 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His mother Leah Adherer was a concert pianist and his father Arnold Spielberg was an electrical engineer who was into computer development. Since his childhood, Spielberg had vivid dreams and out of the box imagination. When he went to see cinema for the first time, he became fascinated by movies at once. He spent most of his childhood in Haddon Heights, New Jersey and Scottsdale, Arizona. In Scottsdale, he used to create short 8 mm films. Even then, he had the gall to charge 25 cents from the local kids for watching his epics and his sister used to sell popcorn for the visitors of their little theater.
The Journey:
Steven Spielberg, at the age of 16, he made his first feature length film, “Firelight”, which was showcased at local cinema. It was a science fiction which became the inspiration for the classic “Close Encounters of the third kind”. His parents thereafter got divorced and he moved with his father to Saratoga, California. He completed his graduation and applied to University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television but was rejected three times. So, he attended California State University, Long Beach instead.
However, his career actually started when he started working as an unpaid intern for the editing department at Universal Studios. It was then when Steven directed a twenty-four minute short film, called ‘Amblin’. This film caught the attention of Sidney Shainberg who was the vice-president of production for Universal’s television division and Steven became the youngest director ever to sign a long-term contract with a major studio. Seeing the opportunity at his doorstep, Steven dropped out of the college.
He worked as a television director and directed episodes of Rod Sterling’s Night Gallery, Columbo and Marcus Welby M.D. He also shot four made-for-television films, first of them being the classic ‘Duel’ released in 1971. The success of Duel brought Steven the opportunity of directing the theatrical feature film, ‘The Sugarland Express’, which met with positive feedback.
The Breakthrough:
In 1975, Steven got a major breakthrough with the success of his movie “Jaws”, a movie based on a horror novel written by Peter Benchley. Jaws was a blockbuster and was watched by over 67% Americans. After this movie, it seemed like anything Steven touched turned into gold. In 1981, Steven and his long-time friend and film-maker, George Lucas, collaborated to create ‘Indiana Jones’ which was an even bigger hit. Steven continued to grow and delivered hits one after the other such as Hook, Jurassic Park and Minority Report. He worked on multifaceted themes and genres.
Earlier he worked on science fiction and adventure films which were seen as a symbol of modern Hollywood film-making. However, later he shifted to portrayal of struggle and strength of human spirit via diverse topics like War, Loss, Holocaust, Apartheid and Terrorism. If film making be considered a war, then Steven definitely is the most decorated general. The major part of his money came from Jaws, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park. He received acclaim from audience and critics alike. He was also a part of the productions of ‘Back to the future’, ‘Poltergeist’, ‘Animaniacs’, ‘Gremlins’ and ‘The Gooiness’.
His Assets:
He has directed 27 movies which grossed more than $9 million. His push into television seems to be paying off with shows like ‘Under the Dome’ and ‘The Americans’. He is one of the richest Hollywood directors and owns several luxurious properties all around the world. He also possess a private jet, Gran Tourismo car and private islands. He lives a lavish life with a deserving style and comfort. He owns a production company, Amblin Entertainment and co-founded the film studio ‘DreamWorks’, which have given him a real financial boost. With such amazing career there is no doubt that his net worth is $3.1 billion. Steven is also a major collector of the American illustrator and painter Norman Rockwell.
Awards and Achievements:
Steven Spielberg is one of the most celebrated film directors and producers. He is the highest box office collection film maker of all time with his films earning nearly $8 billion internationally. In 2002, he was one of the eight flag bearers who carried the Olympic Flag at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. In the year 2006, Premiere listed him as the most powerful and influential figure in the motion picture industry and TIME placed him in the list of ‘100 Greatest People of the Century’. Also, he was named by LIFE as the most influential person of his generation. He is a three-time Academy Award winner. He has been nominated for seven Academy Awards for the Best Director’s category and nine of the films directed by him were up for the Best Picture Oscar. He won three Oscar for films ‘Schindler’s List’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan’.
