Macaulay Culkin's Career as a Child Actor Led Him to a Significant Net Worth
Macaulay Culkin didn't even know he was wealthy until he turned 18.
Published Nov. 7 2024, 3:06 p.m. ET
Being a child star comes with major drawbacks, and Macaulay Culkin knows that better than most. The Home Alone star was famous before his age had two digits in it, and that fame came with more attention and money than any child his age should ever have to deal with.
Macaulay's early career success has also left many wondering what the actor's net worth is. Here's what we know about his net worth and about where he gets his money from.
What is Macaulay Culkin's net worth?
Macaulay's estimated net worth is reportedly around $18 million. In a 2018 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, the actor said that he didn't even realize he was wealthy while he was acting because he didn't have access to the money he had made until he turned 18, which was four years after he "retired" from acting.
"I didn't see it until I turned 18, I call it the 'Slip of Paper' meeting, where they pretty much put a number on a piece of paper and slide it across the table and then—boom! There you go," he said. "So I felt like some kid worked really, really hard, and I inherited all of his money pretty much. I had kind of no real sense, but at the same time, it allows me to treat everything like a hobby really. I do nothing for my dinner nowadays, so I can do all kinds of projects."
Macaulay Culkin
Former child star
Net worth: $18 million
Macaulay Culkin is a former child star who is best known for his central roles in films like Home Alone and Uncle Buck. He unofficially retired from acting when he was just 14 years old but had already made a substantial amount of money as one of the biggest movie stars in the world.
Birthdate: Aug. 26, 1980
Birthplace: New York, N.Y.
Birth Name: Macaulay Carson Culkin
Father: Christopher Cornelius "Kit" Culkin
Mother: Patricia Brentrup
Macaulay was one of the most bankable stars of his era.
Although he was just a child at the peak of his fame, there were few actors in Hollywood who could better guarantee a hit. Joe Roth, the chairman of 20th Century Fox in 1991, told The New York Times as much.
"There are no 11-year-old kids that sell tickets like Macaulay. To get the kid in a lead part, that's a great asset. Look, if Joe Blow were cast in a movie and Mel Gibson is suddenly available in nine months, you wait nine months," he said.
Macaulay mostly retired from acting before he was allowed to drive, but he has dipped his toe back in occasionally for roles in American Horror Story and other one-off projects. He has also done some work on music, and as he suggested while speaking with Ellen, he seems OK with the fact that he will probably never need to worry about where his next meal is coming from because of his huge success as a child actor.
