Some casual facts for you: Not only have the Harry Potter books sold more than 500 million copies, but they’ve also been turned into a massively successful film series and they’re the inspiration for three whole amusem*nt parks. So, yeah, J. K. Rowling is rich. In fact, she’s richer than the Queen of England. The once beloved and now controversial writer has made an absolute fortune off The Boy Who Lived—she’s currently one of the wealthiest authors in the world. Which, it should be noted, puts her in an enormous position of influence—influence she’s currently using to make hateful and dangerous comments against the trans community.
Unlike her opinions on Twitter, Rowling is extremely private about her personal finances—but here’s everything we managed to rustle up about her vast net worth.
Harry Potter Has Earned Her an Enormous Amount of Money
In 2019, Business Insider reported that Rowling’s book sales totaled more than $7.7 billion, while the Harry Potter movies grossed more than $7.7 billion. So…how much of that $$$ did she actually get? Let’s assume Rowling earned a standard 10 percent and then do some simple math (so sorry): 10 percent of $7.7 billion is $770 million, multiplied by 2 for book and movie sales = just over $1.5 billion. Cool, so the opposite of shabby. But honestly…that’s not even the main way she earns money from Harry Potter.
Forbes reports that—despite her astronomical book sales—the primary way Rowling makes Harry Potter money these days is from Universal Studios’ Wizarding World. And even her website Pottermore is a huge earner, bringing in a reported $19 million in revenue in 2016. Meanwhile, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child earned $2.3 million in ticket sales in a single week.
She Made a Whopping $60 Million Last Year
According to Forbes’ list of 2020’s top earners, Rowling earned $60 million from June 2019 and June 2020—from a combination of book sales and Wizarding World sales. Obviously, this is a huge amount of money, although not as much as she earned in 2017 ($95 million).
She Was Named the World’s First Billionaire Author
But despite this, Rowling actually denied being a billionaire in 2005, telling Katie Couric, “I’ve got plenty of money, more money than I ever dreamed I would have. But I am not a billionaire.”
This is probably because of Rowling’s charitable donations, which actually knocked her off Forbes’ annual list of billionaires in 2012—with the outlet saying, “New information about Rowling’s estimated $160 million in charitable giving combined with Britain’s high tax rates bumped the Harry Potter scribe from our list this year.”
So, What’s Her Net Worth Right Now?
Not quite a billion pounds, but just over a billion dollars. The 2020 Sunday Times Rich List put J. K. Rowling’s net worth at £795 million, which is just over $1 billion USD. In other words, she has more money than Gringotts Wizarding Bank would know what to do with. Here’s to hoping she gives most of it away to worthy causes that help marginalized people.
FAQs
Rowling is consistently one of the highest-paid authors and celebrities in the world, earning $60 million in 2020, according to Forbes's celebrity earnings ranking. The Harry Potter book series has sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling series of all time.
Does J.K. Rowling still make money from Harry Potter? ›
EXCLUSIVE: JK Rowling has pocketed an £8.25M ($10.5M) paycheck after stage show Harry Potter And The Cursed Child proved to be a post-pandemic crowd pleaser.
What is J.K. Rowling's net worth in 2024? ›
As of April 2024, her estimated net worth stands at around $1.15 billion, primarily attributed to her literary achievements, business ventures, and strategic investments.
Is J.K. Rowling a billionaire now? ›
Ms Rowling, who has triggered controversy over her comments on gender and the clash between women's and trans people's rights, has been named a dollar billionaire in the past but has yet to reach that mark in the currency of her native country.
Is J.K. Rowling richer than Queen Elizabeth? ›
Some casual facts for you: Not only have the Harry Potter books sold more than 500 million copies, but they've also been turned into a massively successful film series and they're the inspiration for three whole amusem*nt parks. So, yeah, J. K. Rowling is rich. In fact, she's richer than the Queen of England.
Is J.K. Rowling richer than Oprah? ›
Topping the list is Zhang Yin, founder of a paper recycling company, who is worth $5.6 billion. She's followed by two more Chinese women who are each worth more than $4 billion. To put that in perspective, Oprah ranked ninth with $2.3 billion and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is 20th with $1 billion.
What has J.K. Rowling done with her money? ›
Harry Potter brought her wealth and recognition, which she has used to advance philanthropic endeavours and political causes. She co-founded the charity Lumos and established the Volant Charitable Trust, named after her mother.
Who is the wealthiest author of all time? ›
Edinburgh author J.K. Rowling is believed to be the world's wealthiest author, with a fortune of around $1 billion. It's all a long way from the struggling and skint single mum who started her world-conquering Harry Potter series of novels in a cafe in Scotland's capital.
Who is the highest paid author of all time? ›
1. J.K. Rowling. It's no surprise that J.K. Rowling leads the way in the highest-paid authors. The world knows her as the author who inspired a generation to read.
How is J.K. Rowling a billionaire? ›
In 2004, Forbes reported that Rowling had a fortune worth a staggering $1 billion. She was the first billionaire to have amassed her wealth solely through writing! However, in 2012, she was dropped off the billionaire list as she had given $160 million to charity.
For the third year in a row, Asos founder and fashion tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen has been named the richest person in the country.
How much does J.K. Rowling make on royalties? ›
Rowling consistently makes passive income on all Harry Potter products. Multiple sources have cited that Rowling earns anywhere between $50 million to a $100 million each year from royalties.
How old was J.K. Rowling when she became rich? ›
Billionaire author JK Rowling has lived a true rags-to-riches story. The writer of the famous Harry Potter stories about a young wizard and his friends always wanted to be an author, but had little success until she was in her 30s.
Did Queen Elizabeth give Harry money? ›
Representatives told Forbes in 2021 that Harry was not a beneficiary of any of the $100 million left to the royal family by his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother. It's unclear if Harry was left any money from his grandmother the late Queen Elizabeth II, whose will is expected to stay sealed for at least 90 years.
Is J.K. Rowling richer than King Charles? ›
The newly-crowned King Charles III has the relatively low ranking of 263 on the Rich List with a fortune of £600m. However, he is wealthier than his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who was worth £320m, according to last year's list. Considerably richer is JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books.
Who's richer than the royal family? ›
Rishi Sunak will become the wealthiest ever prime minister of the U.K., with his family's personal fortune surpassing even that of the royals. Sunak, 42, is breaking plenty of ground as he becomes the country's third premier in under two months.
How much has J.K. Rowling made from Harry Potter? ›
Rowling, who was born near Bristol and studied at the University of Exeter, is thought to have earned more than £1 billion from her pen over the years. The author is believed to have brought in a further £200 million from the original eight Harry Potter films.
How much has J.K. Rowling made from Harry Potter movies? ›
It's estimated that Rowling has earned over $700 million from the Harry Potter films alone.
Did J.K. Rowling sell Harry Potter to Warner Bros.? ›
History. In 1999, J. K. Rowling sold the film rights for the first four Harry Potter books to Warner Bros.
Does J.K. Rowling make money from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Broadway? ›
The show, which is a long-runner in London's West End and New York's Broadway, saw Harry Potter author JK Rowling make £8.25 million in the last 12 months through her HPTP Holdings company, which manages her theatrical interests.
