On Thursday, October 21, a New York Appellate Court ruled that Robert De Niro's estranged wife, Grace Hightower, would not be entitled to half of the actor's money. A 2004 prenuptial agreement signed between the couple suggested splitting the assets evenly.
In February, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Matthew Cooper ruled that,
"The prenup establishes that the bulk of [Robert De Niro's] income earned during the marriage, whether from acting, film production, or business ventures, constitutes his separate property."
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the appellate court declared that,
"The husband's income earned during the marriage and other business assets acquired during that time are his separate property."
Hightower will still receive half of the former couple's $20 million home value as part of the separation settlement. Additionally, she will get $6 million from De Niro for buying a new property where she will be living with her two children. Furthermore, the 66-year old actress will supposedly receive $1 million annually from De Niro as alimony.
How much is Robert De Niro worth?
78-year old Robert De Niro is worth around half a billion dollars, according to multiple sources. According to Hightower's legal filing, amidst their ongoing divorce, De Niro made $250 – $300 million between 2004 and 2018. This constitutes 14 out of 21 years of their marriage.
According to The Independent, Hightower's lawyers referred to De Niro as,
"A man who has an admitted worth of $500 million and makes $30 million a year."
This mostly corroborates reports that De Niro's peak net worth is $500 million. However, the cost of his ongoing divorce with spousal support and prenup agreement is sure to make a dent in his fortune.
A young Robert De Niro used to charge next to nothing for his earlier acting in roles. He reportedly made $35,000 for the 1976 cult classic Taxi Driver. It's only in the 90s that the actor is speculated to have been earning millions per movie.
In 2017, De Niro was rumored to have charged Netflix around $0.775 million per episode of an unreleased series. The star reportedly charges around $15-20 million or more for movies. His paycheck for The Irishman (2017) was apparently in the range of $25-30 million.
Robert De Niro is also the co-owner of the Nobu restaurant chain, which he co-owns with chef Nobu Matsuhisa in partnership with Drew Nieporent and Meir Teper. The star also owns The Greenwich Hotel in New York.