What is Todd Phillips’ net worth and earnings?
Todd Phillips, the American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor, has a net worth of $200 million. He is best known for directing and producing movies like “Joker”, “Old School” and “The Hangover” franchise.
Todd famously took points over salary for his work on “The Hangover,” earning $150 million thanks to his trade. He and Joaquin Phoenix also traded salary for points on their movie “The Joker,” both earning $50 million from the first movie and will likely earn another $50 million from the sequel.
Despite attending NYU Film School, Todd dropped out to focus on his own film documentary projects. His first major project was a feature length documentary called “Hated: GG Allin and the Murder Junkies” which chronicled the life and death of controversial punk rocker GG Allin.
His next project was a documentary called “Frat House”, which earned a premiere at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. He also created a documentary about fans of the band Phish called “Bittersweet Motel”.
While at Sundance promoting “Frat House,” Todd met and befriended director/writer/producer Ivan Reitman. Reitman encouraged Phillips to write a comedy. The result was 2000’s “Road Trip” which was a sleeper hit that became a cult classic (as did the eventual sequel, Euro Trip).
Todd Phillips’ Hollywood Success
Todd Phillips rose to prominence in Hollywood after the success of his 2003 film “Old School”. The movie was a box office hit and became a popular DVD purchase worldwide. This was also the first time Phillips served as a producer.
Following the success of “Old School”, Phillips directed and produced the 2004 film “Starsky & Hutch” and the 2006 film “School for Scoundrels”. Both films received mixed reviews but still performed well at the box office.
Todd Phillips’ Big Break with “The Hangover”
In 2007, Todd Phillips began working on a script titled “What Happens in Vegas” which eventually became “The Hangover.” He took the project to Warner Brothers, where he had a first-look deal, and was approved to make the film with a budget of $35 million. Phillips wanted an R rating, which Warner Brothers agreed to, but they insisted on star power to sell tickets. Despite several A-list stars declining the project, Phillips pitched four relatively unknown actors: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, and Justin Bartha. Warner Brothers was initially stunned but eventually agreed to move forward.
The Hangover went on to earn more than $500 million at the global box office. Phillips believed so strongly in his script and cast that he agreed to forfeit his $6.5 million director’s salary in exchange for 16% of the film’s gross. When it was all said and done, Todd earned $70-80 million off the first movie from all income streams.
Phillips negotiated a similar pay structure for the two sequels, which allowed him to earn a total of $150 million from the trilogy.
Todd Phillips Earns $100 Million for Directing “Joker”
Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix accepted low salaries for their work on the dark drama “Joker”. Despite this, the film became the most-profitable R-rated movie of all time, earning more than $1 billion in revenue and $500 million in profits at the global box office. As a result, Phillips is expected to earn $100 million when all income sources are counted.
Todd Phillips’ Real Estate Transactions
In 2005, Todd Phillips bought a home in Malibu for $3.95 million and sold it for $3.25 million in 2010.
Later in 2010, he purchased an oceanfront home in Malibu for $9 million from producer Ryan Kavanaugh. In 2013, he listed the property for sale but it’s unclear if he sold it or not.
In 2012, Todd bought the double-lot Beverly Hills home of Sam Gores, the founder of Paradigm talent agency, for $17.25 million. He listed it for sale in July 2021 for $34.5 million and sold it in September 2021 to fellow producer David Zander for $30.7 million.
