The former TV host was the first comedian to earn $20 million for a stand-up special on Netflix.

Ellen DeGeneres didn’t come from wealth, but through her years as a television host and her successful acting career, she became one of The richest self-made women in America.

The former talk show host has amassed a net worth of $450 million as of May 2024, according to Forbes. Although she’s made her name between comedy, acting, and hosting, DeGeneres has also built a reputation as a successful flipper. Alongside his wife, Portia RossiDeGeneres has bought and sold more than 50 properties – a stark contrast to how she grew up.

During her 2009 speech as keynote speaker Upon returning to Tulane University, DeGeneres described being “lost” throughout her school years.

“I had no ambition, I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” she said. “I shucked oysters, I was a hostess, I was a bartender, I was a waitress, I painted houses, I sold vacuum cleaners. I had no idea, and I thought I would finally get a job and make enough money to pay my rent, maybe get basic cable, maybe not, I didn’t have no real plan.

As DeGeneres became one of the most lucrative businesswomen in the United States, she recalled that she thought “success was something different” when she was younger.

“My idea of ​​success is different today, and as you grow up, you will realize that the definition of success changes,” she added.

From her TV career to her real estate portfolio, here’s everything you need to know about how Ellen DeGeneres amassed her net worth.

What is Ellen DeGeneres’ net worth?

In 2020, DeGeneres made the Forbes list of the 100 highest paid celebrities. At the time, Variety reported that she earned more than $50 million a year from her deal with Telepictures, the production company that produced THE Ellen DeGeneres Show.

DeGeneres’ fortune has continued to grow steadily each year and was last estimated at $450 million in May 2024.

Although she has earned income through numerous business ventures and brand partnerships, Forbes considers television as the main revenue driver of his wealth.

How did Ellen DeGeneres amass her wealth?

In addition to his eponymous show, which ended its run in 2022DeGeneres has participated in several projects in the entertainment and lifestyle industry.

She became an author in 1995, publishing My point… And I have one, which was the first of four books written throughout his career.

In 2003, DeGeneres starred in Disney’s Finding Nemo as the voice of the forgetful fish Dory, and reprized the role in Finding Dory in 2016.

The same year, she also founded A Very Good Production alongside Warner Bros., which would go on to produce The Ellen Degeneres Show. With the help of her production company, DeGeneres also created a record label, ElevenEleven, in 2010.

In addition to hosting a TV show, DeGeneres has found success as a comedian – making history as the first woman to receive $20 million for a Netflix stand-up special, according to Forbes.

In the early 2000s, she released HBO specials The beginning And Here and now, followed by a 2018 Netflix special, Relatable. In September 2024, his last stand-up show, For your approvalwas released on the streaming platform.

DeGeneres also owns a lifestyle brand, ED, which sells furniture, home decor and much more.

How much real estate did Ellen DeGeneres own?

DeGeneres is known for collecting multi-million dollar homes, sharing in a 2023 issue of The Riv, a local California outlet, that she has bought and sold more than 50 homes.

The former TV show host sold a Montecito, California, home for $32 million in May 2024 after sell another property in the same city she owned for less than a year for $15 million in April 2022. She also previously sold a chalet for 6 million dollars in 2022, and a Malibu house once owned by Brad Pittwhich she bought for $12 million in 2011.

In December 2022, Architectural compendium reported that DeGeneres and de Rossi broke the record for the most expensive deal ever in Santa Barbara County by spending $70 million on two neighboring parcels of Carpinteria land.

When asked about his activity at home with de Rossi on TODAY in October 2018, she said it was not “intentional” and instead attributed it to being “a bit bored”.

“We buy a house, we love it and we stay there, and then we get a little bored because we like a different style or a different aesthetic, and I like furniture and I like decorating,” DeGeneres said. “So if I find something else and we make money, why don’t we move to another house?

Although dozens of mansions and villas have been bought and sold over the years, the couple recently sold their Carpinteria estate in August 2024 for $96 million.

Three months later, a source told PEOPLE that DeGeneres had moved abroad after ‘finding a house she fell in love with in the UK’

What are Ellen DeGeneres’ biggest brand partnerships?

In addition to her activities, DeGeneres has partnered with numerous companies in various brand partnerships.

Its lifestyle brand, ED, worked with Wayfair in 2015 to create a special furniture collection tied to its brand.

In 2018, the businesswoman collaborated with Walmart to create a women’s clothing line, EV1, which would sell clothing and accessories in more than 2,300 stores. The same year, she entered into a year-long creative content partnership with Spotify, creating an Ellen Hub of her favorite music and podcasts on the listening platform.

DeGeneres has also had additional business relationships with PetSmart and Bed Bath & Beyond.

What did Ellen DeGeneres say about her worth?

During an April 2018 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Showthe actress explained how growing up “poor” shaped her attitude towards her wealth today.

“When I was poor, I told myself, ‘I will never have this attitude about money. I will always get what I want, I will do what I want because I know there is abundance and I will always have enough and that is how I live my life,” she said. “You shouldn’t live your life in fear of money because you’re going to manifest it.”