Reese Witherspoon is one of the richest actresses in the world, with a net worth of $440 million (£326m).
Witherspoon hasn’t relied solely on acting to earn her millions. In addition to her dazzling screen career, she’s boosted her bank balance through numerous savvy business ventures, including founding a production company and a book club.
Read on to discover more surprising ways she's built her fortune, and learn how she likes to splash her cash too. All dollar amounts in US dollars.
Reese Witherspoon starred in her first movie The Man in the Moon (1991) at just 14 years old.
However, she landed her big break by playing Annette Hargrove in the cult teen romance flick Cruel Intentions in 1999. She earned a cool $250,000 ($458k/£339k today) for the role.
The movie earned around $76 million ($139m/£103m today) at the global box office, putting Reese firmly on the map as a rising star.
One of her most iconic roles was playing law student Elle Woods in the 2001 rom-com Legally Blonde.
Witherspoon earned a trio of MTV Movie Awards in 2002 for her work on the flick, which also starred Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, and Jennifer Coolidge.
The film was a box office hit, grossing $141.8 million ($244m/£181m today). Its success paved the way for a series of spin-off movies, as well as a musical adaptation that ran on both Broadway and in London's West End.
Reese also starred in 2003's Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, which saw Elle Woods embark on a quest to promote an anti-animal testing bill.
The star commanded a $15 million ($25m/£19m in today's money) salary for the role and reportedly also got to take home her character’s extensive shoe collection.
Despite Witherspoon's star power, the sequel wasn't quite as successful as the original, grossing $124.9 million ($207m/£153m today).
Following in the footsteps of many other Hollywood stars, Reese is also a successful entrepreneur.
She founded the production company Type A Films in 2000, which would later become Pacific Standard in 2012.
Reese was inspired to venture into producing after she noticed a lack of female-driven content in the entertainment world, with the company behind movies like Gone Girl and Wild (both 2014).
In 2016, Reese partnered up with Otter Media (which is now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery) to turn Pacific Standard into Hello Sunshine.
With the support of The Chernin Group, the company began creating content with a focus on material with female narratives. As well as film and TV, Hello Sunshine also covers podcasting, web series, and books – the latter via the hugely popular Reese's Book Club.
The ambitious company has also collaborated with major brands such as DirecTV and Audible to break into the world of audiobooks and video streaming.
With its focus on female-driven stories, Hello Sunshine has produced hit shows such as Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, Apple TV’s The Morning Show, and Amazon Prime Video’s Daisy Jones & The Six.
The company has also produced films like Where the Crawdads Sing (2022), based on the best-selling novel by Delia Owens, and the rom-com You're Cordially Invited (2025), starring Witherspoon herself.
One of Hello Sunshine's biggest hits is the HBO series Big Little Lies, which is based on the best-selling novel by Liane Moriarty.
Witherspoon starred in and produced the hit drama, which also features Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Zoë Kravitz, and Shailene Woodley (pictured together).
When the second season of the hit show aired in 2019, Reese reportedly took home a whopping $1 million (£740k) per episode, or a grand total of $7 million (£5m).
Witherspoon also made a fortune thanks to Little Fires Everywhere. Based on the best-selling book by Celeste Ng, the series aired in 2020.
Her acting and behind-the-scenes production work on the critically acclaimed show earned her a juicy $1.1 million (£820k) per episode.
What’s more, Witherspoon is starring alongside Jennifer Aniston in Apple TV’s The Morning Show, with the fourth season currently airing. For her work as both an actress and executive producer, she reportedly earns a staggering $2 million (£1.5m) per episode, or $20 million (£15m) per season.
Following a string of successful projects, Reese Witherspoon sold a majority stake in Hello Sunshine to a Blackstone-backed media firm in August 2021.
The deal valued the entertainment company at an incredible $900 million (£667m). However, Witherspoon still retains an estimated 18% stake in Hello Sunshine and continues to have creative input on its productions.
An avid reader, Reese launched Reese’s Book Club in 2017.
The club highlights a different book each month, with a focus on celebrating female authors. Many of the titles she’s selected have gone on to appear on The New York Times Bestsellers list. The club boasts three million followers on Instagram.
Members can customise a reading package online or choose from pre-selected book bundles. Clever brand partnerships have also helped boost revenue. For example, a collaboration with furniture brand Havenly encouraged readers to design their perfect "book nook" at home.
Witherspoon has also authored several books. Her first release, Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life (2018), described as part memoir and part cookbook, became a bestseller upon its release.
She followed it up with her popular children’s book Busy Betty (2022), which has since sparked two sequels published in 2023 and 2024.
Next up, Reese is set to publish a mystery novel titled Gone Before Goodbye, co-written with acclaimed crime writer Harlan Coben.
In 2015, the famed fashionista launched her own Southern-inspired clothing line Draper James.
In addition to operating as a successful e-commerce business, Draper James has two brick-and-mortar stores located in Nashville, Tennessee.
While Draper James is positioned as a mid-market brand, it partnered with American department store Kohl’s in 2022 to launch a more affordable collection.
Reese also rakes in millions from endorsement deals. She’s appeared in commercials for leading brands such as Crate & Barrel, Avon, and Elizabeth Arden.
In July 2021, she was named the global brand ambassador for clean beauty brand Biossance in a five-year deal.
Most recently, in 2023, she partnered with healthy pet food brand Blue Buffalo. As part of the collaboration, she launched Reese’s Bark Club – a spin-off of her popular book club targeted at dog lovers.
Reese’s acting career hasn't just made her millions. It's also seen her score some of the most prestigious awards and accolades in Hollywood.
The A-lister won an Oscar for her performance as June Carter in the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line and was nominated for the same award again for her role in the 2014 flick Wild.
She also scored a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her starring turn in Big Little Lies.
Reese’s impressive self-made success has led to the actress being hailed as one of the most influential names in Hollywood, with many even comparing her entertainment empire to that of media mogul Oprah Winfrey.
With such a diverse stream of incomes at her fingertips, it’s only natural to wonder what the actor does with her fortune...
Back in 2011, Reese admitted she's never felt any pressure to lead a particularly extravagant lifestyle, admitting that her childhood in New Orleans has helped her get the balance right between spending and saving.
"I’m really thrifty", the then-34-year-old explained to Yahoo! News. "I grew up in a really thrifty family, so I don’t spend a lot of money on things that are frivolous."
Despite that, there are certainly a few things she’s splashed the cash on over the years...
The star splurged on something rather unusual in 2010: she paid to have a barn installed at her home to house her collection of donkeys, goats, and pigs.
A self-confessed animal lover, Reese has also spent a fortune over the years on her beloved dogs.
She currently has three pooches: an American Bulldog named Lou, a French Bulldog named Minnie Pearl, and a Labrador named Major. She also had another Labrador named Hank, who had been part of the family for 14 years and passed away in 2024.
While her menagerie gets to enjoy life in a custom barn, Reese also doesn’t skimp on expenses when it comes to her own home.
The film star has purchased a number of lavish properties over the years, including a Malibu farmhouse for $6.3 million (£5m), which was previously used as a by-the-beach wedding venue.
The two-acre property (pictured), which she bought in 2019, features stables, a film studio, and a cosy guesthouse, while a wall of trees offers privacy from unwanted media attention. However, Reese put the charming abode on the market in 2023 $8 million (£6.5m).
The business-savvy star has built up an impressive property empire over the years.
In recent months, Reese reportedly splashed out $28 million (£22.8m) on four new properties: three in Nashville, including an $18 million (£14.7m) mega-mansion (pictured); and one in the star-studded Brentwood neighbourhood of California.
Radar Online estimates Reese's property portfolio to be worth a stunning $46 million (£37.5m), though some sources have valued it at nearly double this figure.
While it might be easy to assume that the actress is a workaholic, Reese is certainly partial to a holiday – although she opts to keep details of her trips largely offline.
However, occasional snippets of her vacations have made their way into the public arena over the years.
In 2014, for example, she gave fans a glimpse of a luxe family holiday in the Caribbean. In 2017, she shared shots from a girls' holiday aboard a yacht but kept the location a secret.
Reese also loves dining out, and is often pictured eating at some of the world's most exclusive restaurants. Among her favourites are The Ivy at The Shore in Santa Monica, as well as Gymkhana in London, which specialises in exquisite Indian cuisine.
And it turns out that even Hollywood millionaires can squabble over who foots the bill when it comes to dinner. During the 2019 press tour for Big Little Lies, Witherspoon joked that she was always left to pay after she and her co-stars had been out for dinner. However, Nicole Kidman quickly refuted this, noting that Meryl Streep paid once instead.
While Witherspoon is evidently blessed with great genetics, she's still enlisted some extra help by splashing cash on a dermatologist and personal trainer.
Along with Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian, the actress is reportedly a client of skin guru Dr. Harold Lancer, who hit headlines in 2014 due to his facial treatments made from sheep placenta.
Meanwhile, personal trainer Michael George helps Witherspoon keep in tip-top shape and reportedly puts her through 30 minutes of cardio six times a week.
Like her infamous character Elle Woods, Reese has a passion for fashion, and her enviable wardrobe comes with a serious price tag attached.
Often spotted wearing Tiffany jewels or holding a four-figure designer bag, the actress is always immaculately put together, even when she's off-duty. Labels she's been spotted in over the years include Isabel Marant, Burberry, and Chloé.
She's also partial to a statement look on the red carpet and has worn gowns by luxury designers such as Calvin Klein and Christian Dior.
The starlet spared no expense on her 2011 wedding to talent agent Jim Toth (pictured together). Described by one guest as "down-to-earth and beautiful, not flashy, just in exquisite taste", the chic celebration was organised by luxury events planner Yifat Oren while the stylish bride stunned in a custom-made blush gown by designer Monique Lhuillier.
Around 120 people, including famous faces such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Scarlett Johansson, Sean Penn, and Renée Zellweger, attended the lavish nuptials at Reese's sprawling Californian ranch.
The couple welcomed their son Tennessee James the following year, and Jim is also the stepfather to Reese's children Ava and Deacon from her first marriage to actor Ryan Phillippe. However, the couple shocked the world when they got divorced in 2023 following twelve years of marriage.
And finally: Ms Witherspoon has ventured into the world of crypto.
In 2022, She took to Twitter (now X) to share her excitement, telling her followers: "Just bought my first ETH! Let’s do this #cryptotwitter."
Witherspoon also started buying NFTs via the collective World of Women (WoW), and in February 2022 it was announced that Hello Sunshine had partnered with WoW to create a whole new world of entertainment.
According to Variety, the collaboration will "build out a character universe and franchise" based on WoW's 10,000 NFT artworks, with movies and TV shows already in the pipeline. Watch this space...
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