Steven Spielberg Net Worth, Career, Charity, Awards, Wife, House, And More

The movie ‘The Fabelmans‘ reflects the childhood and the experiences of young Sammy with cinema in post-war America, tracing his journey to becoming a successful filmmaker. And the movie is based on none other than the movie’s director and co-writer Steven Spielberg‘s life. The semi-autobiographical movie focuses on the fictionalized version of Spielberg’s teenage years. 

Spielberg is one of the richest celebrities in the world. However, he never made movies for money. It’s sure that there was a passion that drove him to make movies. Through ‘The Fabelmans‘, one can see the twinkle in Sammy’s eyes that was once Spielberg when he saw the cinema reels and a camera. Here’s more about Spielberg, his life, and the fortune he made by being one of the most successful directors in cinema history. 

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Steven Spielberg Net Worth

Steven Spielberg has a net worth of $8 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He has an annual income of $150 million. With the fortune that he has made over the years, Spielberg is the second richest celebrity in the world, just behind his fellow director and producer, George Lucas. The American filmmaker has a relatively low upfront salary of $10 million. But in exchange for backend points on the gross revenue of the film which earns him ten times his salary. 

Steven Spielberg’s Personal Life

Steven Spielberg, as a young boy, was filled with dreams and imagination. The prodigy started making short movies at a very young age. He was born on December 18, 1946, as the son of Leah Adherer, a concert pianist, and Arnold Spielberg, an electrical engineer in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

He made his first movie at the age of 12, with his toys which he screened for a few cents for the local kids to watch. At the age of 13, he made a 40-minute-long movie named ‘Escape to Nowhere‘, and at 16, he created his first feature-length, sci-fi movie named ‘Firelight‘.

He moved to California with his father as his parents divorced. Spielberg attended California State University, where he became part of the Theta Chi Fraternity. He applied to the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film, and Television three times but was rejected all three times. 

Steven Spielberg Career

Working as an unpaid intern is how Spielberg started off his career. At this time, he shot a 24-minute-long film named ‘Amblin‘ which impressed Sidney Shainberg, the vice president of production for Universal’s television division. Thus Spielberg became the youngest director to sign a long-term contract with a major studio.

The filmmaker started his career by directing a few episodes in a number of television dramas. However, it was Spielberg’s ‘Jaws‘ that made the director famous. The movie was seen by 67% of Americans in the theater. This film was followed by the movie ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’. Along with George Lucas, Spielberg created the first installment of the ‘Indiana Jones‘ series, Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was a greater success. 

‘E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial‘, became Spielberg’s iconic movie from the science fiction genre and was nominated for nine Oscars. His movies ‘Poltergeist‘, ‘The Twilight Zone‘, and ‘The Goonies‘ are some of the highest-grossing films of all time. Along with George Lucas and Harrison Ford, he created the ‘Indiana Jones‘ blockbusters.

In 1984, Spielberg worked his magic on the movie adaptation of ‘The Color Purple‘, which starred Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. The movies ‘Hook‘, ‘AI Artificial Intelligence‘, ‘Minority Report‘, and ‘Jurassic Park‘ are legendary works of the director that made him a global star. Spielberg also became the executive producer of the whole ‘Men In Black‘ franchise.  The movie genius has also been involved in the production, designing, and screenwriting of various video games. 

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Steven Spielberg Awards

The filmmaker received two Academy Awards for direction. It was for the 1993 film, ‘Schindler’s List‘ and the 1998 movie ‘Saving Private Ryan‘. He also won the best picture award for ‘Schindler’s List’.

He is one of the filmmakers who have consistently been nominated for the Academy Awards. Seven times in the Best Picture and six times in the Best Director category. He won the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1995 and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1987.

Philanthropy

In 2021, the iconic filmmaker donated his Genesis Prize money to 10 nonprofits that center work on racial and economic justice in the U.S. In addition, a contribution of $1 million by him and his wife Capshaw became a part of the total prize money.

Through their philanthropy Heartland Foundation, the couple had also extended their support to humanitarian relief in Ukraine by donating $1 million. The Polish Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, and Urgent Action Fund are among the organizations that received the funding.

According to Righteous Person’s Foundation, the influential figure contributed a portion of the profits received from the movie ‘Schindler’s List‘ to the organization. The organization aims to build and support a meaningful and relevant Jewish community. 

Steven Spielberg Wife

Spielberg married actress Amy Irving and the couple share a son named Max. They separated in 1989 after three and a half years of marriage. The fallout between the couple was due to the stress of their career. At that time, divorce was one of the most costly celebrity divorces to happen. Later in 1991, Spielberg married actress Kate Capshaw, whom he met when working in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Capshaw later converted to Judaism. 

Steven Spielberg House

The director discovered the stucco mansion in the Pacific Palisades in 1985. The 3-acre property is where many famous celebrities including Douglas Fairbanks, and Cary Grant lived. The mansion underwent modifications to make a Spanish-style home with narrow windows. The building has a Hobbit-inspired room for family gatherings in addition to the 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms.

In 2013, the director installed a vineyard in the compound overlooking the Santa Monica Mountains. In addition, there’s a freestanding bungalow within the property that has become a study for Spielberg. 

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