Celebrity Net Worth: Keanu Reeves earns $39,473 a word for John Wick 4
In our fortnightly celebrity investment and wealth round-up, Priyanka Chopra Jonas joins a series A investment in Rob’s Backstage Popcorn and Venus Williams aces her way into the private equity world
Words are more valuable than ever, it seems, going by Keanu Reeves’s reported salary in John Wick: Chapter 4. The Hollywood superstar banked $15 million in pre-release takings for the film, according to Cosmopolitan magazine.
But the role includes more than just dialogue and the actor performs a lot of his own stunts.
The film hits UAE cinemas in time for Eid Al Fitr. It raked in $150.1 million in box-office revenue around the world during its opening weekend, including $86 million in the US, according to film research website The Numbers.
Reeves reportedly earned between $1 million and $2.5 million for the first two movies in the franchise.
The Beirut-born Canadian has a fortune estimated at $380 million, according to wealth-tracking website Celebrity Net Worth.
Reeves, 58, has earned his fortune from an acting career that dates back to the mid-80s.
Films starring Keanu Reeves — in pictures
A Scanner Darkly (2006): Keanu Reeves stars in this Rotoscope-style-animation action film adapted from the book by famed sci-fi writer Phillip K Dick, and directed by Richard Linklater. The premise puts Reeves in the role of an undercover drug enforcement agent who must take down a narcotics distribution operation from within. All photos: Shutterstock
Constantine (2005): Adapted from the 'Hellblazer' comic book series, Constantine is an apocalyptic romp, with Reeves going up against angels, demons, and even the devil himself. The film was not a hit at the box office, but it has garnered appreciation over the years for its better-than-average CGI and big confrontation scenes.
The Replacements (2000): This movie doesn’t force the sport element, but it has you focusing on the characters and events surrounding the game, in this case, American football. But the story of how a franchise team must recruit a whole roster of amateurs and has-beens to replace their stars is fascinating. Reeves plays the leader and captain of this “replacement” team.
The Devil’s Advocate (1997): There’s a lot to like about this film, mainly Al Pacino. Most forget that Reeves appears at all, seeing as what people mostly remember is the larger-than-life performance by Pacino. But Reeves does more than enough to hold his own in his role as the conflicted lawyer who doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into.
Chain Reaction (1996): Political thrillers were all the rage in the ’90s. But one that doesn’t get mentioned often enough is 'Chain Reaction', which follows scientists who discover a source of clean energy, but whose lab is attacked and sabotaged. Reeves is excellent, and he’s supported by Morgan Freeman.
Johnny Mnemonic (1995): This film is an adaptation of a story by William Gibson. The film centres around a dystopian world controlled by computer hackers and big, evil corporations.
His films have grossed close to $4 billion, according to The Numbers. The total does not account for inflation.
The actor’s biggest salary comes from The Matrix franchise. The four films netted Reeves $250 million when upfront fees and his percentage of box-office takings are factored in, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Outside of acting, Reeves co-founded a production house called Company Films, and has launched a small press and a motorcycle company.
Reeves is notoriously reserved when it comes to his investments. He also appears in few endorsements, although in 2019 he fronted an Yves Saint Laurent fall-winter menswear campaign.
He owns an $8 million home in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles. He purchased it in 2003 after years of living at the city’s Chateau Marmont hotel, paying close to $5 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The actor has a reputation for philanthropy. He has set up a cancer charity but it does not carry his name. In addition, he supports Peta, Stand up to Cancer and the SickKids Foundation.
Last year, he and his partner, artist Alexandra Grant, became advisers to the non-profit Futureverse Foundation, which promotes underrepresented artists.
Venus Williams has a fortune estimated at $95 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Getty
Venus Williams
As tennis player Serena Williams focused on shattering records in recent years, her big sister Venus Williams has been playing a long game, focusing on her off-court passions and other life goals.
Now 42, the older Williams sister is serving out a midlife career shift into private equity.
Last month, she was appointed an operating partner of private equity firm Topspin Consumer Partners, the company said.
The tennis champion and entrepreneur will help Topspin and its consumer-focused portfolio companies in their marketing and brand exposure, identifying ways of enhancing value and helping to source new investment opportunities.
She has been working with Topsin since November, the company said.
“What resonated with me most about Topspin was the team’s deep understanding of consumer investing and genuine desire to help entrepreneurs and visionaries reach their full potential,” Venus said.
“I’ve learnt so much about navigating the competitive consumer landscape from my own ventures, and strongly believe this is the perfect opportunity for me to leverage my expertise to add value — whether it be helping the firm’s portfolio companies improve their marketing efforts or identifying up-and-coming businesses to partner with.”
Venus has been a rarer presence on tennis courts in recent years because of Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue, joint pain and dry eyes and mouth.
The four-time Olympic gold medallist and seven-time Grand Slam tennis champion has a net worth estimated at $95 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
She has earned slightly under half of that — $42.4 million — on court. The rest has come from a range of off-court activities.
Brand endorsements deliver between $5 million and $10 million a year, Celebrity Net Worth reports.
The former world number one has also founded several consumer brands, including lifestyle and activewear brand EleVen, plant-based superfood nutrition company Happy Viking and interior design company V Starr.
She is also chief brand officer of health brand Asutra and has launched a line of clean, mineral-based SPF products with retailer Credo Beauty.
She has nine portfolio investments, according to market intelligence platform CB Insights. Many of these are financial or investment companies.
Among the oldest is women-focused investment company Ellevest, commercial property ownership platform withco, as well as money she and her sister Serena ploughed into London-based social investing app Shares.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas and her husband Nick Jonas have a combined net worth of $70 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. AFP
Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Actor and producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas has joined a $7 million fundraising round into Rob’s Backstage Popcorn, which is co-owned by her husband Nick Jonas and e-commerce consumer products good retailer The Naked Market.
The company will use the funds to expand distribution across the US, including into stores such as Walmart and Albertsons, Forbes magazine reported.
Rob’s Backstage Popcorn was first created by Rob Garbowsky, father of the Jonas Brothers’ manager Greg Garbowsky.
Last month, Chopra also launched Mumbai Nights, a new Indian-inspired flavour for the brand.
“Mumbai is my home — I’ve spent about 15 or 20 years of my life there. And it’s a very specific, alive, cosmopolitan, glamorous city. And to me, this flavour is that,” Chopra said in an online presentation ahead of the launch, EatingWell magazine reported.
The couple have made several joint investments together since marrying in 2018. Last July, they signed up to back French luxury ski and surfwear brand Perfect Moment.
They have also invested in alternative beverage brand Olipop and in HumanCo, which makes healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free and organic foods.
Chopra, 40, is one of the highest-paid actors in India.
She built a successful career in Hollywood after finding she was being “pushed into a corner” in Bollywood. The former Miss World has starred in more than 70 films, including Baywatch, The Matrix Revolutions and The White Tiger.
She revealed last month that she only achieved pay parity for the first time as an actor while filming the upcoming Amazon Prime series Citadel.
Actor Robert Downey Jr has a net worth estimated at $300 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. AFP
Robert Downey Jr
Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr will take on a layered new role as strategist, board member and spokesman at online safety company Aura, the company said.
The multiyear partnership will see the actor pay particular attention to online safety for children.
Downey Jr made his first appearance for the brand at last month’s South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, where he moderated a discussion on online security.
“Honestly, the exponential growth of online crime, just in the last several years, is truly terrifying,” he said.
“It requires an innovative solution to protect our families, which is why I'm joining Hari [Ravichandran, founder and chief executive] and his team at Aura to tackle the crisis head-on.”
The Boston-based unicorn was valued at $2.5 billion in 2021, when it raised $200 million in series F funding. A unicorn is a start-up company valued at more than $1 billion.
Downey Jr, 57, has a net worth estimated at $300 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
The bulk of his earnings have come from his work as an actor and producer, in particular the Iron Man franchise.
Honestly, the exponential growth of online crime, just in the last several years, is truly terrifying
Robert Downey Jr, actor
From 2013 to 2015, he was the world’s highest-paid actor, Forbes magazine estimates.
His fee for the first Iron Man film was $500,000, but Downey Jr went on to earn a reported $345.5 million playing the superhero in various Marvel movies, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
The actor has several equity investments to his name, according to financial information platform Crunchbase.
These include security start-up 1Password, calendar-based social platform Saturn, classic car restoration company Kindred Motorworks, and AI platform Forethought, alongside actors Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashton Kutcher.
Downey Jr’s real estate portfolio is worth $50 million, Celebrity Net Worth calculates, with properties in Malibu, Venice and Manhattan Beach, all in California.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the countryand all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.
Daniella Weiss and Nachala Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
