Hollywood A-lister Leonardo Dicaprio’s investments are as diverse as his roles: He amassed a net worth of about $300 million mostly from his acting career and real estate portfolio and is also a climate activist who has put his wealth behind sustainable companies from plant-based foods to vegan leather. Here's how he made his millions.
Key Takeaways
- Academy Award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio has amassed a net worth of about $300 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
- DiCaprio is also a climate activist who has put his wealth behind various sustainable companies from plant-based foods to vegan leather.
- DiCaprio has invested in many popular plant-based food brands such as Beyond Meat, HIPPEAS, and Califia Farms.
- The actor recently invested in a UK-based vegan fast-food chain, Neat Burger, which is also backed by British Formula One champion, Lewis Hamilton.
Acting
DiCaprio’s iconic performances and box office hits made him a household name and contributed to his wealth.
DiCaprio’s career skyrocketed after his role as Jack Dawson in Titanic opposite Kate Winslet. The film grossed $2.24 billion globally, according to Variety, and is the fourth highest-grossing film in history. According to Celebrity Net Worth, DiCaprio’s was paid $2.5 million for the role and also reaped $40 million from the film’s success.
DiCaprio has been known to earn salaries of $20 million or higher for films such as Catch Me If You Can, The Great Gatsby, and The Revenant, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The actor was paid $25 million up front for his role as Jordan Belfort in Wolf of Wall Street, according to Hollywood Reporter. DiCaprio’s 2010 hit Inception earned him at least $50 million, per Forbes.
DiCaprio has also had big paydays from his more recent works on streaming services. Netflix (NFLX) is said to have shelled out $30 million to the actor for his role in apocalyptic satire Don’t Look Up in 2019, according to Variety.
The actor earned $30 million from AppleTV (AAPL) for his role in director Martin Scorsese’s film Killers of the Flower Moon, according to Variety. The film is set for release in October. DiCaprio’s own production company, Appian Way, is among the film’s producers, according to Deadline.Appian Way has produced many of the actor’s films including Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Green Investments
A longtime climate change advocate, DiCaprio has spent millions of dollars to invest in sustainable companies from plant-based meat to vegan sneakers. His portfolio includes vegan meat brand Beyond Meat, and other plant-based food companies, such as Califia Farms and Hippeas.
Neat Burger
DiCaprio also invested in Neat Burger, a UK-based vegan fast-food chain backed by Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. The vegan burger joint opened its first permanent U.S. location in New York City in 2023.
LØCI
DiCaprio also invested in UK-based vegan footwear brand LØCI. The cruelty-free sneaker brand raised a £4 million ($4.5 million) seed round in 2022, a little over a year after its launch.
Beyond Meat
DiCaprio was an early investor in vegan meat brand Beyond Meat. The actor joined the Beyond Meat team as an investor and advocate in 2017, and has been known to promote the brand and to his millions of followers on social media.
Beyond Meat Inc. (BYND) went public in 2019 its shares rose to an all-time high of $239.71 in July of that year. The stock now fetches $14 a share, for a market cap to about $903 million.
Califia Farms
DiCaprio is an investor in plant-based food and beverage brand Califia Farms, according to VegNews. In 2020, the company raised $225 million in a Series D funding round.
HIPPEAS
DiCaprio is also an investor in vegan snack brand HIPPEAS. The organic chickpea snack company raised $50 million in 2021.
VitroLabs
Another sustainable startup in DiCaprio’s portfolio is VitroLabs, a California biotechnology company working to produce the world’s first cell-cultivated leather. In 2022, the company raised $46 million in a Series A funding round for its pilot production of cell-cultivated leather.
NuView
DiCaprio is also invested in Nuview, a startup with a mission to map the entire landmass of Earth using lidar technology. The company has raised $15 million in funding as of June 2023, according to TechCrunch.
Cell-Based Meat: Aleph Farms and Mosa Meat
DiCaprio has also invested in two companies pioneering slaughter-free, lab-grown meat, Aleph Farms and Mosa Meat, according to VegNews.
Mosa Meat created the world’s first lab-grown beef hamburger in 2013 and completed an $85 million Series B funding round in 2021.
Israel's Aleph Farms, which is growing steaks in a lab from non-genetically modified animal cells, raised $105 million in a Series B funding round in 2021. The company has raised over $118 million in funding.
Kingo
DiCaprio is and advisor and investor in clean energy company Kingo, which works to provide solar energy for families and businesses in remote areas across the world. As of 2018 (latest data available), the company has raised $25 million in funding.
Real Estate Empire
DiCaprio also has a real estate portfolio that has an estimated value of $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The actor owns several properties across Los Angeles, from Malibu to Studio City and the Hollywood Hills, according to She Knows.
The actor bought late singer Dinah Shore’s historic Palm Springs estate in 2014 for $5.2 million, according to Hollywood Reporter. DiCaprio also owns a property in New York City—the actor bought an apartment in a Battery Park high-rise in 2008 for $3.67 million in 2008, according to The Real Deal. In 2014, DiCaprio bought the unit next door for $8 million.
The Hollywood star also owns a private island off the coast of Belize called Blackare Caye, which he bought for $1.75 million in the early 2000s according to Business Insider. DiCaprio is working on building an eco-friendly resort on the island that will be fully powered by renewable energy.
