Robert Downey Jr, also known as Tony Stark or Iron Man in the world-renowned Marvel Cinematic Universe, is an award-winning actor, producer, and singer. Considered by Hollywood as one of it’s most bankable stars, RDJ’s life is one roller-coaster ride that will surely inspire his fans worldwide. Read until the end of the article to know more about this charismatic actor.
Robert Downey Jr.’s net worth in 2021 is averaging at around $300 Million. His huge numbers are to be credited to his famous roles like Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man. As of July 2020, RDJ is ranked second of the highest-grossing actors of all time by Yahoo! Finance.
Walk Through the Article
Net Worth
RDJ’s Profit For Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Back in 2015 or 2016, it was reported that RDJ’s role in Civil War wasn’t included in his 6-movie contract with Marvel, and his role in that film was supposed to be a small one. Because of the impact of his role in the storyline, he suggested that Tony’s character has to have a bigger substance in the movie. The suggestion was faced with opposing opinions from the higher people in Marvel, especially Ike Perlmutter who ordered his role to be written out from the script because this will mean a bigger paycheck for Downey.
Eventually, the fans of the comic-book event won when Kevin Feige, the big boss, convinced Ike to allow this to happen because it’ll be a great investment for future movies to come. That being said, RDJ amassed an amount averaging to $40+ million as his paycheck. This is bigger than the estimated $15 million that Chris Evans earned in it.
The 8-Minute Million Dollar Appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming
In his 8 minutes total screen time in the Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) he earned an estimated $15 million (Jeez…). As for the recent Avengers films, it is expected that he’ll go back with the $10 million per movie contract since the said movies are part of his initial contract. Moreover, it was also reported by The Hollywood Reporter that the guy received a salary of $75 million which doesn’t seem to include the percentage yet coming from the film’s profits.
Thanks to his successful portrayal of billionaire Tony Stark in the MCU, from where he successfully garnered around $200 million in profits alone, his endorsements and guest appearances, he is now ranked at 20 in Forbes Richest Actors list and he ranks number 3 for Forbes Highest-Paid Actors.
Expensive Things RDJ Owns
When you play the role of crazy billionaire Tony Stark for so long, you’ll get drawn to what the character is and you become you who play. This is somewhat true to RDJ as he owns some of the most expensive things a man can buy.
The Malibu Mansion
Most of us are aware of the 2.5 million dollar mansion he owns in the Pacific Palisades which is a pretty normal sighting for celebrity A-listers like him, so we’ll go to one of his unique properties: The Malibu Mansion. The $3.5 million house in Malibu is situated few minutes south of the fictional Tony Stark’s mansion in Iron Man 2.
The 1.3-acre land is where the 3,384 square-foot house sits in. The whole property is composed of 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a black-bottomed pool, floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a whirlpool spa, a cabana, and a ranch which is his version of a mini zoo consisting of rescued animals.
Windmill House in the Hamptons
RDJ isn’t done yet with this Malibu property because he and his wife, Susan Downey, purchased another amazing mansion in the Hamptons: The Windmill House. It’s too gorgeous not to be recognized and it is made into the cover of Architectural Digest. As to why the Downey’s were drawn into the house is for a simple reason according to Robert himself: “We wanted something we haven’t seen a million times.” If you’re interested to have a quick tour of the said house, feel free to watch the video below:
The Avengers “A” Logo
In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live back in 20116, RDJ confirmed that he took home a souvenir from the Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015) set and that it is none other than the emblem of the Avengers. He didn’t pay for the movie prop but the item is estimated at around $4,000.
His Collection of Watches
RDJ is also known as a collector of men’s accessories and his passion lies within watches. His watches range from a $3,000 Omega Speedmaster Moon Professional to anything above the $92,000 – $125,000 Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX3 Tourbillon GMT which he used for filming Iron Man 2 (2010).
He also owns a $605,000 (retail price) Greubel Forsey GMT Tourbillon Watch and is considered to be one of the most expensive watches in the world. It is gravity-defying, contains 2 time-zones, the most accurate provided time, and a titanium globe that spins every full 24 hours.
The Custom BOSS 302 Mustang
Tony Stark isn’t only into modern sleek-styled cars but also has a passion for classic muscle cars. (Yes, we introduced him as Tony). The car is worth $131,000 which is fully restored and customized to show it’s 60’s fame.
The Palladium Powered Car
RDJ isn’t done yet with cars and as a matter of fact, he’s in love with the speed that’s matched with coolness. One item in his collections stands out, and it’s the Acura NSX Concept Car that holds up to $9 million to own. It was first designed for Iron Man 3 (2013) and he liked it so much he got one. The car has diamond quartz drilled brake calipers, 3.2 valve engine, 9-speed shift, and outstanding palladium powered 80,000 THC.
Early Life
Born on April 4, 1965, in Manhattan, New York City, Robert John Downey Jr. is the younger child of Robert Downey Sr. (actor and filmmaker) and Elsie Ford (an actress). His older sister is named Allyson. Their family name was originally Elias which had to be changed after Downey Sr. had to enlist for the army.
The Childhood Drug Use
RDJ was introduced by his father to the use of drugs, in the form of marijuana, at the age of 6. As Downey recalls: “When my dad and I would do drugs together, it was like him trying to express his love for me in the only way he knew how.” According to his dad, this is the part of their life that he regretted doing with his son. As time passed, RDJ became more and more obsessed with alcohol abuse and making calls all night just to get a substance in his hands.
Body Stats
His height is 5’8 and a half, weighing 78 kg, and his vital statistics are 43-32-15 (may vary depending on his role). His eye color is dark brown as well as his hair color.
His Rough Days During the 80s and 90s.
His younger years aren’t Stark-ish. It was his toughest days. His parents divorced in 1978 and he eventually dropped out of school. RDJ went to New York to go after an acting career. In 1985, he got the spot to appear in a season for Saturday Night Live but was labeled as the worst part of the show’s history.
The Late 80s
Although the 80s were marked with some of RDJ’s best acting works such as Less Than Zero (1987) and some critically acclaimed films like True Believer (1989), his struggle against substance abuse is always coming back to him. In 1988, he was sent to rehab by his manager and fired her after he came out of the institution
His Downward Spiral in the 90s
Despite returning clean several times and having some stellar acting performance during the 90s, his old habits are something he couldn’t get rid of. He was arrested several times and ordered by the court to be sent to rehab. He escaped the facility but then got caught and he got sent to jail. This moment in his life is like a full circle running in 360 degrees. It was a never-ending cycle of getting clean, being cast in a good film, and getting arrested.
Past Relationships
In 1991, after 7 years of dating, his relationship with Sarah Jessica Parker ended for the reason of RDJ’s uncontrollable drug abuse. Deborah Falconer, his ex-wife from whom he’s been married since 1992 separated him in 2004 declaring that his abuse and prison time was a great factor in their broken relationship.
Who is RDJ Married to?
Susan Levin. He met this woman in 2003 and married her in 2005. Like what many people had been saying, Susan was a vital part of Downey’s recovery. She stated that he agreed with Robert that she wouldn’t marry him unless he drops all of his drug vices from which RDJ willingly comply and was able to successfully overcome his addiction. They were blessed with 3 kids: Indio Falconer, Avri Roel, and Exton Elias.
Movies
His Life’s Reflection on Less Than Zero (1987)
Labeled as one of Downey’s great performances in cinema, L.T.Z. is a story about some drug addiction battles in which Robert realistically portrayed every inch of it. There’s nothing more surprising and convincing than playing a character that shows his personal struggles.
RDJ in Chaplin (1992)
The role that solidified Downey’s acting prowess among the critics. He played the titular role of the famous silent-movie comedian Charlie Chaplin and earned RDJ the nomination for Best Actor.
The Greatest Detective in Sherlock Holmes (2009)
RDJ has been known to have some comedic antics for which the character of Sherlock Holmes became a perfect fit for the actor. He gave the role a different kind of class and the entirety of the film was filled with intelligent puns, carefully analyzed fighting scenes, and a Robert Downey Jr. charisma. He even won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy Film for the first installment.
“I Am Iron Man”
Probably RDJ’s role of a lifetime, the character that boosted his career back on the fast tracks, the hero that made an impact on the hearts of many, the second identity born of his persona: Iron Man. Back in 2008, the idea of culminating several heroes in a shared universe was introduced by Marvel, and Iron Man was their tribute to the public. It was a make or break situation that would define the future of Marvel in the following years.
Due to Downey’s solid performance, and a drip of luck, the movie was well-received by fans and critics worldwide. His over a decade run being the playboy billionaire philanthropist Tony Stark was the foundation of what the MCU is today.
Talking about great redemption stories? Count Robert Downey Jr in. This guy wouldn’t be who he is today if it weren’t for his friends who stayed with him and his undeniably out-of-this-world strength to overcome obstacles are just some of the things we can take from this man, this Iron Man.
