Stephen Rea Highest-Paid Actor in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Belfast
  • Last updated on

Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid actors” released on Sunday.
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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. 79-year-old Stephen Rea 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 12/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Stephen Rea 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 Sunday (January 11) that Rea 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 Irish 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 Rea Burger” chain) in Belfast, a Football Team (the “Belfast Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderea - Northern Ireland), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Stephen) and a fashion line called “Stephen Rea Seduction”.

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

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