Julia Louis-Dreyfus Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Net Worth (Money & Salary)
September 28, 2024
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Net Worth – What Is It?
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the American actress, boasts a net worth of $250 million. She gained worldwide recognition for her role as Elaine Benes on the popular sitcom “Seinfeld,” which aired from 1989 to 1998. Additionally, her role as Selina Meyer in HBO’s “Veep” from 2012 to 2019 earned her multiple Emmy awards.
During her time on “Saturday Night Live” from 1982 to 1985, Louis-Dreyfus showcased her comedic talent, setting the stage for her future successes. Her portrayal of Elaine Benes on “Seinfeld” garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards, solidifying her as a top comedic actress.
After “Seinfeld,” Louis-Dreyfus continued her success with “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” a sitcom where she played the lead role. Her performance on the show earned her an Emmy Award and further demonstrated her comedic prowess.
One of her most notable roles was on HBO’s “Veep,” where she portrayed Selina Meyer. Her performance was praised for its satire and depth, showcasing her versatility in handling comedy and drama. Louis-Dreyfus’ work on “Veep” resulted in multiple Emmy wins, setting a record for lead actress wins in a comedy series.
Is Julia Louis-Dreyfus a Billionaire?
Rumors suggest that Julia Louis-Dreyfus might be a billionaire not from her acting career but from her family’s wealth. Her father, Gerard Louis-Dreyfus, was indeed a billionaire at the time of his passing in 2016.
Julia’s lineage can be traced back to Leopold Louis-Dreyfus, who founded the Louis Dreyfus Group in 1851, a company that excelled in commodities trading and shipping. The company, now known as Louis Dreyfus Company, has diversified interests globally, including finance, shipping, agriculture, and telecommunications. With over 100 subsidiary companies, 22,000 employees, and annual revenues exceeding $120 billion, it controls a significant share of the world’s agriculture market.
Gerard Louis-Dreyfus, Julia’s father, was a chairman at Louis Dreyfus Energy Services, specializing in crude oil trading and natural gas. At the time of his passing, his net worth stood at $4 billion.
While technically Julia is not a billionaire at this moment, a significant portion of her father’s estate is controlled by his widow, Phyllis B. Louis-Dreyfus. If Gerard did designate part of his fortune for his children, Julia could potentially inherit a billionaire status upon Phyllis’ passing.
With two half-siblings, Julia agrees to split her inheritance.
It’s very likely that Julia will be worth well over $1 billion at some point in her life when combined with her current net worth, future royalties, and real estate. When asked about her future inheritance by “Rolling Stone,” Julia denied reports of her 10-figure net worth but acknowledged her father’s business being worth billions.
The family business is still controlled by Julia’s relatives. Robert Louis-Dreyfus, her father’s cousin, was the chairman and CEO of Adidas from 1994 to 2004. Upon Robert’s death in 2009, his widow Margarita Louis-Dreyfus inherited his estate and took control of the Louis Dreyfus Group. Margarita and Julia are second cousins, once removed, by marriage.
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“Seinfeld Salary”
Before season five of “Seinfeld” in 1993, supporting cast members Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, and Jason Alexander successfully negotiated raises to earn $150,000 per episode. They later held out for $1 million per episode for the final season, receiving $600,000 per episode which amounted to around $15 million apiece.
“Seinfeld” Syndication Earnings
Julia, Michael, and Jason do not make significant amounts from “Seinfeld’s” syndication deals. They receive royalties from the show’s airing, earning hundreds of thousands per year at most. In contrast, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld earned millions from syndication sales.
“Veep” Salary
During her “Veep” years, Julia was paid $500,000 per episode, making her one of the world’s five highest-paid TV actresses with additional income from endorsement deals.
Early Life
Julia Louis-Dreyfus was born Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus on January 13, 1961, in New York City. She is the eldest daughter of billionaire financier Gerard Louis-Dreyfus and writer Judith LeFever. Gerard, the French-born former Chairman of the Louis-Dreyfus Group worth $4 billion, founded the Louis-Dreyfus Group in 1851. Julia’s childhood involved moving between states and countries due to her stepfather’s work with Project HOPE. In 1979, she graduated from Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Maryland.
Early Career
Attending Northwestern University, Julia dropped out to pursue acting. She trained with The Second City improv group in Chicago and joined “Saturday Night Live” at age 21, making her the show’s youngest female cast member. During her time on “SNL,” she met Larry David, later co-creator of “Seinfeld.” Post-“SNL,” she appeared in films like Woody Allen’s “Hannah and Her Sisters” and Chevy Chase’s “Christmas Vacation.” She also featured in unaired television pilots.
“Seinfeld”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus gained fame in the ’90s on NBC’s “Seinfeld” as Elaine Benes, excluding only three episodes over nine seasons. Initially not part of the pilot, she joined the show after NBC requested a female role. Louis-Dreyfus earned critical acclaim and numerous awards for her role, winning an Emmy in 1996 after seven nominations. “Seinfeld’s” series finale on May 14, 1998, became a historic television event.
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Life after “Seinfeld”
Julia encountered what the media dubbed the “Seinfeld Curse” in the years post-“Seinfeld” – a string of pilot cancellations and short-lived TV shows speculated as a curse preventing former stars from reaching previous success levels. Both Louis-Dreyfus and Larry David dismissed this notion as preposterous. Julia found temporary success with a guest appearance on “Arrested Development” in 2005.
From 2005 onward, things turned around for Louis-Dreyfus when she secured a role in the CBS sitcom “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” It proved popular ratings-wise, earning Julia another Emmy win and numerous nominations. Unfortunately, the show was axed after five seasons in May 2010.
In her next venture, Julia portrayed Vice President Selina Meyer in the comedy series “Veep” (2012-2019), which achieved immense success and critical acclaim on HBO. Louis-Dreyfus clinched six consecutive Emmy awards for her portrayal of the vice president. Her 2020 deal with Apple TV+ will see her creating new content and projects while serving as an executive producer and actress.
In 2020, Julia starred in the comedy-drama “Downhill” with Will Ferrell and lent her voice to the elf mother in Pixar’s “Onward” alongside Tom Holland and Chris Pratt.
Her 2021 entrance into the Marvel universe via the Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine led to a reprisal of that role in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in 2022, with an appearance set in the upcoming film “Thunderbolts” in 2024.
Personal Life
Julia has been married to comedian Brad Hall since 1987; they met at Northwestern University and have two children, Henry and Charlie. Henry Hall is a singer/songwriter who appeared on “The Tonight Show,” while Charlie Hall pursues a career as a television actor. Louis-Dreyfus disclosed that her first pregnancy during the premiere of “Seinfeld” ended in a miscarriage.
Her maternal half-sister, Lauren Bowles, is also an actress, and she has two paternal half-sisters, Phoebe and Emma, with Emma’s passing in August 2018. Julia’s cousin, Robert Louis-Dreyfus, formerly served as CEO of Adidas and owned the Olympique de Marseille football club.
Diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2017, Julia received the news a day after winning an Emmy for “Veep” and shared the update on Twitter. By October 2018, during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” she announced she was cancer-free. Louis-Dreyfus has endorsed the presidential campaigns of Al Gore, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton.
Data from years 2023 and 2024, with forecast data included for 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028. Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Australia (Oceania), Middle East, South America.
* This information was taken from various sources around the world, including these countries:
Australia, Canada, USA, UK, UAE, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, US, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia, U.S., South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates.
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan.
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi.
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling Islands), Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia (Hrvatska), Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic.
Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Metropolitan, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories.
Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy.
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg.
Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar.
Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand (NZ), Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway.
Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe.
Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Helena, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria.
Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), UK (United Kingdom), USA (United States of America, U.S.), US Minor Outlying Islands.
Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State (Holy See), Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (US), Wallis and Futuna Islands, Western Sahara, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Net Worth (Money & Salary)
