Ryu Soo-young Highest-Paid Actor in the World
- By Carol Kearney
- Seoul
- Last updated on
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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 Ryu Soo-young has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid actors for 2026 with an estimated $75 million in combined earnings.
UPDATE 15/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)
Ryu Soo-young 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 Wednesday (January 14) that Ryu is the highest-paid actor in the world, pulling in an astonishing $75 million between December 2024 and December 2025, a nearly $40 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 Korean actor has an estimated net worth of $215 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 Ryu Burger” chain) in Seoul, a Football Team (the “Bucheon Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderyu - South Korea), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Soo-young) and a fashion line called “Ryu Soo-young Seduction”.
The ranking is significant for many Soo-young fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.
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