Sylvester Stallone Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Sylvester Stallone’s Net Worth and Salary Overview

The net worth of Sylvester Stallone, an American actor, screenwriter, producer, and director, stands at $400 million. A legendary figure in the realm of action cinema, Stallone is celebrated as one of the most iconic stars in the industry. Notably, he is the only actor in American cinematic history who has headlined box office #1 films over six decades consecutively.

Achieving superstar status with his film “Rocky,” Stallone ascended to the ranks of the highest-paid action stars during the 1980s and 1990s. He has created and produced several immensely successful franchises, including “Rocky,” “Rambo,” and “The Expendables.” Currently, Stallone’s films have amassed more than $4 billion in global box office revenue. Distinctively, unlike many of his Hollywood peers, he has played a significant role in writing, producing, and/or directing many of his main franchise films.

Among Stallone’s highest-grossing films are “Rocky IV” (1985), generating $300 million, “Rambo: First Blood Part II” (1985) with the same $300 million, and “Creed” (2015), which raked in $173 million. Overall, his cinematic work has grossed upwards of $4.5 billion worldwide. This remarkable figure places Stallone among cinema’s top-grossing actors, in the same league as other superstars like Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, and Robert Downey Jr. In contrast, fellow action star Arnold Schwarzenegger has a global box office tally of around $4.4 billion, slightly trailing Stallone’s achievements.

Highlights of Salary

From the 1970s through 2012, solely based on the movies we’ll soon outline—though this is not an exhaustive list of all Stallone’s films during that timeframe or over the subsequent 10+ years—he earned $300 million solely from base film salaries. When adjusted for inflation, this income would equate to approximately $500 million in contemporary terms.

After completing the screenplay for “Rocky” in just three days, Stallone attracted interest from various studios. United Artists emerged as the preferred choice, but they aimed to cast either Robert Redford or James Caan as the lead. Stallone relentlessly advocated for himself to be cast in the film and ultimately agreed to a significantly reduced salary of $23,000, which today is akin to about $110,000. The film went on to achieve a remarkable $225 million in revenue against a budget of $1 million.

• For “Rocky II,” Stallone’s paycheck was $75,000
• His base salary for “Rocky III” was $120,000
• He earned $15 million for “Rocky V”
• For both “Creed” and “Creed II,” his base salaries were $10 million

In 1982, Stallone earned $3.5 million for his role in “First Blood.” The next year, his earnings soared to $10 million, equivalent to $25 million when adjusted for inflation, alongside his first Producer credit for “Staying Alive.”

For the film “Rhinestone” in 1984, he earned $4 million, securing his second Producer credit. The following year for “Rocky IV,” he took home $12 million, and for “Over the Top,” he earned another $12 million. His remuneration for “Rambo III” came to $16 million.

Stallone was compensated $15 million or $16 million for the following films:

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

He earned $17.5 million for “Daylight,” followed by $20 million for both “Driven” and “Eye See You.”

Early Life

Born Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone on July 6, 1946, in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, Sylvester is the eldest son of Italian immigrants Francesco “Frank” Stallone Sr, a hairdresser, and Jackie Stallone, an astrologer and dancer. He has a younger brother, Frank Stallone, who works as an actor and musician. Due to complications at birth, the left side of his face was paralyzed, contributing to his signature “snarling” appearance and slightly slurred speech.

Due to the turbulent relationship of his parents, Stallone spent part of his early childhood in foster care until their divorce. Following this, he moved to Maryland to live with his father for some time.

Before transitioning to acting, Stallone pursued drama studies at the American College in Switzerland and later attended the University of Miami. However, he left college prematurely to chase his acting dreams in New York City.

Career

Stallone’s debut leading role came in the adult film “The Party at Kitty and Stud’s,” which he later admitted he took out of necessity after being evicted from his home. He earned $200 for his work over two days.

His initial film attempts included minor roles, such as an uncredited appearance in Woody Allen’s 1971 movie “Bananas.” By 1973, he appeared in “Rebel,” and in 1974, his performance in “The Lords of Flatbush” received early accolades.

During the mid-1970s, Stallone relocated to Los Angeles and devoted his free time to writing screenplays. After witnessing a match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, he crafted a story about a struggling underdog thug aspiring to be a professional boxer. Stallone was resolute about not selling the script unless he could play the leading role. He eventually partnered with producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, who were supportive of him playing Rocky Balboa, a name he derived from the nearby Balboa Avenue in LA where he lived.

“Rocky” premiered in 1976. Despite some initially mixed reviews, the film exploded into a global sensation, instantly elevating Stallone to A-list celebrity status and bringing him international recognition. It became both a critical and commercial success, grossing $117 million against its budget.

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With a budget of $1 million, the film garnered ten Academy Award nominations. Competing for Best Picture against now-classic titles like “All the President’s Men,” “Network,” and “Taxi Driver,” “Rocky” astonishingly took home the award. Additionally, it won accolades for Best Directing and Best Film Editing. The sequel, “Rocky II,” premiered in 1979, and two more followed in the 1980s, allowing Stallone to maintain his box office success.

In 1982, Sylvester achieved another critical and commercial triumph by portraying John Rambo in the action film “Rambo: First Blood.” Following the initial installment, three sequels were produced. For both his portrayals of Rocky and Rambo, he committed to an intense training regimen, which included two workouts per day and additional evening exercises six days a week. For the third “Rocky” film, he remarkably reduced his body fat to an astonishing 2.8%.

However, in 1987, Stallone’s popularity began to decline after starring in “Over the Top,” a film that performed poorly at the box office and received negative reviews. The ’90s saw the release of “Rocky V,” which also turned out to be a box-office failure. He explored opportunities in comedy, but his efforts in early-nineties films “Oscar” and “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot” resulted in critical and commercial flops. A brief resurgence occurred with “Cliffhanger” in 1993, which earned $170 million, followed by 1996’s “Daylight,” but the early 2000s found him in a series of disappointing films both financially and critically.

After taking a three-year break, Stallone made a comeback in 2006 with the sixth installment of the “Rocky” series. He wrote, directed, and starred in the critically acclaimed “Rocky Balboa,” which was produced on a budget of $24 million and grossed $155.7 million globally. He also returned as Rambo in the fourth movie of that series, titled “Rambo.” In 2010, he wrote, directed, and starred in the blockbuster “The Expendables,” which debuted at #1 during its opening weekend. A sequel followed in 2012, receiving similar positive reviews and achieving a #1 ranking at the box office.

In 2015, Stallone added another entry to the “Rocky” saga via the spin-off “Creed.” Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film centered on Adonis Creed, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, son of Rocky’s rival, Apollo Creed. Stallone garnered widespread praise and his third Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The sequel, “Creed II,” released in 2018, also received favorable reviews and saw a $35.3 million opening weekend. The fifth installment of Rambo was released on September 20, 2019, and grossed $91 million worldwide.

Additionally, Stallone took on the roles of Stakar Ogord in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” series and Dwight “The General” Manfredi in the Paramount+ series “Tulsa King.” In 2023, Stallone appeared alongside his wife and their three daughters in the reality series “The Family Stallone,” which quickly secured a renewal for a second season.

Other Ventures

In March 2018, Sylvester co-founded Balboa Productions, a film production company, with Braden Aftergood. The studio boasts a comprehensive production schedule, which includes titles such as “Creed II,” “Rambo V,” and “Expend4bles.” Currently, the studio is developing a film that tells the story of Jack “Galveston Giant” Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion.

Stallone has also contributed to soundtracks for various films. He performed the theme “Gonna Fly Now” for the first Rocky and recorded “Take Me Back” for Rocky IV. Alongside these, he sang duets with Dolly Parton for their movie “Rhinestone” in 1984. Additionally, he is a boxing promoter with his company named Tiger Eye Productions.

Personal Life

Sylvester married Sasha Czack in 1974, and together they had two sons: Sage Moonblood, who sadly passed away from heart disease at 36, and Seargeoh. The couple divorced in 1985. He was then married to Brigitte Nielson from 1985 to 1987.

In 1997, Sylvester wed Jennifer Flavin. They

would ultimately have three daughters, namely Sophie, Sistine, and Scarlet. On August 24, 2022, news broke that Jennifer had filed for divorce from Sylvester in Palm Beach County, Florida. In the end, the couple reconciled.

Real Estate

In 1999, Sylvester sold a property in Coconut Grove, Florida, fetching a remarkable $16 million.

For many years, Sylvester has resided in a luxurious mansion located in Beverly Park, a prestigious gated community at the summit of Beverly Hills. This estate covers 3.5 acres and boasts a home measuring 20,000 square feet. Notable neighbors include Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg, and Denzel Washington, with comparable homes recently selling for between $40 and $70 million. Reports in January 2021 indicated that Sylvester intended to list his home for an astonishing $130 million, but by August 2021, he had reduced the asking price to $85 million.

In December 2021, Sylvester accepted an offer of $58 million from Adele, marking the highest amount ever paid for a residence in Beverly Park.

A video tour is available below:

In January 2010, Sylvester and his spouse, Jennifer Flavin, invested $4.5 million in a vacation retreat situated in La Quinta, California. They attempted to sell this property multiple times, starting in 2014. Despite reducing the asking price to $3.625 million by 2016, they were unable to find a buyer. Eventually, they sold the house in May 2020 for $3.1 million.

In December 2020, Sylvester acquired a 1.5-acre property in Palm Beach, Florida, including a 13,000-square-foot mansion, for $35.4 million. The sellers profited nearly $10 million from this transaction, having purchased the property in 2018 for $26 million.

In February 2022, Sylvester bought a 2.26-acre estate in Hidden Hills, California, for $18.2 million. However, the property drew negative attention in August 2022 due to excessive water usage. In May and June of 2022, the estate surpassed its monthly water allocation by 195,000 gallons and 230,000 gallons, respectively. In their defense, the Stallones pointed out that the estate had over 500 mature trees requiring regular watering to prevent them from dying and becoming a fire hazard. The local water department held the authority to impose restrictions on water usage if the Stallones exceeded their allocation by 150% over four months.

A video tour from when the property was listed in early 2022 can be found below:

In December 2022, less than a year after purchasing the estate for $18.2 million, Sylvester listed it for sale at $22.5 million. By October 2023, he sold the home to musician John Fogerty for $17 million, resulting in a $1.2 million loss relative to his purchase price from February 2022.