Matt Damon Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Matt Damon’s net worth?

An American actor, writer, producer, and philanthropist, Matt Damon possesses a net worth of $170 million. His notable breakthrough occurred in 1997 with the co-writing and starring role in the Academy Award-winning film Good Will Hunting. This film achieved both critical and commercial acclaim, earning Damon and co-writer Ben Affleck an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Since the success of Good Will Hunting, Damon has featured in numerous other hit films, including Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), The Bourne Identity (2002), The Departed (2006), and The Martian (2015). Collectively, his films have amassed over $3.88 billion at the North American box office, positioning him among the highest-grossing actors in cinematic history.

Additionally, Damon has found success as a producer. He has taken on producing roles for several films, including Good Will Hunting, The Departed, and Manchester by the Sea. Furthermore, he co-founded the production company Project Greenlight, known for generating successful independent films.

As expanded upon later in this article, Matt chose to forgo the chance to become the highest-paid actor ever by declining an exceptionally lucrative film opportunity; nevertheless, he has still achieved considerable success.

Below are some of Damon’s most significant box office achievements:

• Good Will Hunting (1997): $225 million worldwide
• Saving Private Ryan (1998): $481 million worldwide
• The Bourne Identity (2002): $214 million worldwide
• The Departed (2006): $292 million worldwide
• The Martian (2015): $630 million worldwide

Early Life

On October 8, 1970, Matthew Paige Damon was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His parents, stockbroker Kent Damon and professor Nancy Carlsson-Paige, separated when Matt was just two years old. He and his brother Kyle were brought up in Cambridge by their mother within a six-family communal arrangement. Among Matt’s childhood best friends was fellow actor Ben Affleck. Both boys aspired to become actors from a very young age. Damon attended Harvard University from 1988 until 1992, but he left university only 12 credits short of completing his BA in English.

Early Career

During the late ’80s and early ’90s, Matt secured a few roles in films such as Mystic Pizza, Courage Under Fire, and School Ties. Upon leaving school in 1992, he accepted the chance to film Geronimo: An American Legend, mistakenly believing it would lead to his first major box office triumph.

A few years afterward, his major breakthrough materialized when he and Ben Affleck crafted and starred in Good Will Hunting. The initial concept for the script originated from Damon’s school project, which the friends later developed into a screenplay while residing together in Los Angeles. Both Damon and Affleck were awarded the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Screenplay, and Damon received a nomination for Best Actor for his role in the film. This rapid transition from obscurity to fame caused a degree of cultural disorientation for both actors.

Quickly thereafter, he secured important roles in blockbuster films such as The Rainmaker, Saving Private Ryan, and The Talented Mr. Ripley. While a few films from the late ’90s and early 2000s did not perform well at the box office,

Generally, Damon’s performances received positive feedback.

Film Franchises

Being cast in George Clooney’s “Ocean’s” trilogy was a significant success for Matt Damon. He played the role of conman Linus Caldwell in all three films, alongside some of the most prominent names in Hollywood. To facilitate the project, the A-list cast agreed to take substantial pay cuts from their usual salaries.

The leading role in the Jason Bourne franchise turned out to be another lucrative opportunity for him. Released in 2002, The Bourne Identity brought him critical acclaim and established his status as a rising action star. Although he didn’t return for the fourth installment, The Bourne Legacy, released in 2012, he reprised his role for the fifth film, Jason Bourne, in 2016. In total, he earned around $87 million from all four Bourne films.

Awards and honors: In 2007, Matt Damon was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Throughout his career, he has received numerous award nominations, including five Oscar nominations, five from the Screen Actors’ Guild, and seven Golden Globes nominations. Among his accolades, Damon won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2007, People Magazine named him the Sexiest Man Alive.

Producing: Along with Ben Affleck and others, Damon was a producer on the reality series Project Greenlight, which provided emerging filmmakers with the chance to develop their own film projects. He, along with Affleck and Chris Moore, established the production company LivePlanet for the project. Subsequently, Damon and Affleck founded a new production company, Pearl Street Films.

Opting to take on a producing role instead of leading actor in Manchester by the Sea, Matt famously gave up the opportunity. His replacement, Casey Affleck (Ben’s younger brother), ended up winning an Oscar for the part. In 2023, he starred in Air alongside Ben Affleck and also participated in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, portraying Leslie Groves, the director of the Manhattan Project.

Philanthropy

Matt is deeply committed to philanthropy, supporting 37 charitable organizations. He acts as an ambassador for ONEXONE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of children in North America, and serves as a spokesperson for Feeding America, which works to combat hunger. Damon established the H2O Africa Foundation and co-founded the Not On Our Watch Project, which aims to prevent catastrophic genocides like those in Darfur. Other organizations he supports include the One Campaign and Water.org.

Personal Life

In 2003, Matt wasWhile filming the comedy Stuck On You in Miami, he met Luciana Barroso, then a single mom and bartender, one night at a local club. He instantly knew he wanted to marry her. They tied the knot in 2005 and have since welcomed three more children together.

Jimmy Kimmel “Feud”

For years, Damon and Jimmy Kimmel have maintained a public “feud” that dates back to the early days of Jimmy Kimmel Live. It all began with a casual joke: Kimmel ended a lackluster show with the line, “I want to apologize to Matt Damon. We ran out of time,” implying that A-lister Damon had been cut from the episode. From that moment on, the two have directed many playful jabs at each other, yet it’s all in jest; in reality, Damon and Kimmel are friends.

Avatar Missed Paycheck

Matt disclosed in October 2019 that he was proposed a leading role in Avatar back in 2009. As part of that offer, he would have garnered a share of the film’s box office earnings. Avatar ultimately became the second highest-grossing film in history, amassing over $2.8 billion globally. Damon shared with an interviewer in 2019 that he could have taken home around $250 million from that deal.

Controversy

During the peak of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement in 2017, Damon gave several interviews that appeared to downplay the abuse faced by victims of sexual assault. He later expressed regret for his remarks during an appearance on The Today Show in 2018.

Real Estate

Matt and Luciana acquired a stunning mansion in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood in 2012 for $15 million. They put the 13,500-square-foot residence on the market in January 2021 for $21 million. Later, in August 2021, they reduced the asking price to $17.9 million and secured a buyer within a month.

In 2017, they purchased a penthouse in Brooklyn Heights, New York City, for $16.8 million, marking it as the highest price ever paid for a home in Brooklyn at that time.

In 2022, Damon made a move by acquiring a retreat in Westchester County, Bedford, New York, for $8.5 million.

In April 2024, Matt made headlines again by purchasing a condo in Los Angeles for $9 million.