Merritt Patterson Highest-Paid Actress in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Ottawa
  • Last updated on

Merritt Patterson
Merritt Patterson led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid actresses” released on Wednesday.

It's been a rough year for the actress, but at least she has her millions of dollars to ease the pain. 35-year-old Merritt Patterson has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid actresses for 2026 with an estimated $82 million in combined earnings.

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

Merritt Patterson 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 Wednesday (December 31) that Patterson is the highest-paid actress in the world, pulling in an astonishing $82 million between December 2024 and December 2025, a nearly $50 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 Canadian actress has an estimated net worth of $245 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 Patterson Burger” chain) in Ottawa, a Football Team (the “Whistler Angels”), has launched her own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderpatterson - Canada), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Merritt) and a fashion line called “Merritt Patterson Seduction”.

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

© 2026 MediaMass All rights reserved. Do not reproduce (even with permission).

Merritt Patterson: Recent News

 

page served in 0.038s (1,2)