Paulo Vilhena Highest-Paid Actor in the World

By Carol Kearney
Brasília
Last updated on August 22, 2025

Paulo Vilhena led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid actors” released on Thursday.

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It's been a rough year for the actor, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 46-year-old Paulo Vilhena has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid actors for 2025 with an estimated $96 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 22/08/2025 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Paulo Vilhena tops annual list of highest-paid actors

In 2023 it looked like the actor’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Thursday (August 21) that Vilhena is the highest-paid actor in the world, pulling in an astonishing $96 million between July 2024 and July 2025, a nearly $60 million lead over his 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 Brazilian actor-model-television host has an estimated net worth of $275 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Vilhena Burger” chain) in Brasília, a Football Team (the “Santos Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wondervilhena - Brazil), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Paulo) and a fashion line called “Paulo Vilhena Seduction”.

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