Lupita Nyong'o Highest-Paid Actress in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Nairobi
  • Last updated on

Lupita Nyong'o
Lupita Nyong'o led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid actresses” released on Tuesday.

It's been a rough year for the actress, but at least she has her millions of dollars to ease the pain. 42-year-old Lupita Nyong'o has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid actresses for 2026 with an estimated $75 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 18/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Lupita Nyong'o tops annual list of highest-paid actresses

In 2023 it looked like the actress’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, she was back on top. People With Money reports on Tuesday (March 17) that Nyong'o is the highest-paid actress in the world, pulling in an astonishing $75 million between February 2025 and February 2026, a nearly $40 million lead over her closest competition.

People With Money’s factors

In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

The Kenyan actress has an estimated net worth of $215 million. She owes her fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. She also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Nyong'o Burger” chain) in Nairobi, a Football Team (the “Mexico City Angels”), has launched her own brand of Vodka (Pure Wondernyong'o - Kenya), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Lupita) and a fashion line called “Lupita Nyong'o Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Lupita fans, who have been waiting for her triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.

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