Melanie Lynskey Highest-Paid Actress in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Wellington
  • Last updated on

Melanie Lynskey
Melanie Lynskey led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid actresses” released on Saturday.

It's been a rough year for the actress, but at least she has her millions of dollars to ease the pain. 48-year-old Melanie Lynskey has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid actresses for 2026 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 11/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Melanie Lynskey 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 Saturday (January 10) that Lynskey is the highest-paid actress in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between December 2024 and December 2025, a nearly $20 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 actress has an estimated net worth of $145 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 Lynskey Burger” chain) in Wellington, a Football Team (the “New Plymouth Angels”), has launched her own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderlynskey - New Zealand), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Melanie) and a fashion line called “Melanie Lynskey Seduction”.

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

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