The Richest Fictional Characters Of All Time, Ranked
Have you ever wondered if Tony Stark’s wallet was bigger than Scrooge McDuck’s? Then settle in, because we’ve got the answer for you! Actually, we’re comparing net worths from the 40 richest fictional characters to find whose bank account bulges the most. As best we can, anyway. After all, their fortunes are as fictitious as they are, so forgive us if we miss a gold-coin-filled swimming pool or two…
40. Patrick Bateman
From: American Psycho
Net Worth: $6 million
Source: Family Fortune
Executive Patrick Bateman spends so much time killing people — or possibly imagining murders, depending on your interpretation — that he never gets around to any work! Being a serial killer doesn’t pay, but that’s okay. According to his girlfriend Evelyn Williams, Bateman’s father “practically owns the company,” so he can afford his luxury apartment regardless. And does the name Bateman sound familiar? It’s a direct nod to Psycho antagonist Norman Bates.
39. Alexis Colby
From: Dynasty
Net Worth: $7 million
Source: Annual trust fund & business ownership
Woe and betide anyone who got in Alexis Colby’s way. She stepped on a lot of people during her run in Dynasty to get what she wanted. Her ambitions only increased when her ex-husband Blake bequeathed her a significant trust fund, as did the destroyed lives she left in her wake. “You either love her or hate her,” Krystle described Colby. “And she seems to enjoy it either way.”
38. Anna Scott
From: Notting Hill
Net Worth: $17 million
Source: Hollywood salary
Anna Scott leads a life of which a lot of people dream. She has a glamorous Hollywood job — at least superficially — the fortune it’s earned her and the love of the charmingly bumbling English gentleman Hugh Grant. But it turns out money doesn’t buy you happiness if the events of Notting Hill are anything to go by. It’s got to help, though, right?
37. Princess Ann
From: Roman Holiday
Net Worth: $23 million
Source: Family fortune
The legendary Audrey Hepburn plays the bored Princess Ann looking for excitement in her life. Having lots of money and being able to do anything regardless of the cost must be such a drag! But did you know that Hepburn allegedly based her character on the real-life English Princess Margaret? As such, we estimated they both had the same net worth. That is to say, a royal fortune.
36. Lestat de Lioncourt
From: Interview with the Vampire
Net Worth: $45 million
Source: Family fortune, rock star salary
Sure, aristocrat vampire Lestat was born into money, but it wouldn’t last forever — unlike Lestat himself. And the fun-loving leech throws some wild parties, which drains money like he drains blood. What better solution is there than becoming a successful rock star? He doesn’t even have to change his makeup.Of course, he probably earns some cash from the odd interview, too.
35. Miranda Priestly
From: The Devil Wears Prada
Net Worth: $50 million
Source: Fashion magazine editor’s salary
Miranda Priestly, the career-driven alpha editor in The Devil Wears Prada, earned her considerable fortune being a shrewd and cutthroat business woman. What’s more, Anna Wintour — the real-life person upon whom she’s loosely based — has a similar reputation. The novel’s original author, Lauren Weisberger, actually spent time as Wintour’s assistant. In 2002 when Wintour heard about the comparison, she said of the novel’s author, “I cannot remember who that girl is.”
34. Jeffrey Lebowski
From: The Big Lebowski
Net Worth: $55 million
Source: Property investment
Jeffrey “Big” Lebowski, not to be confused with “The Dude” Lebowski of the same name, started out as a military man and went into property investment after the war earning his fortune. Or did he? He was happy to take the credit for it anyway, even though it meant stealing his daughter’s success. In case you were wondering, he really is paralyzed, though. Honest.
33. Count Dracula
From: Dracula novels & movies
Net Worth: $77 million
Source: Property ownership
How does a man-slash-vampire who sleeps all day make any money anyway? Well, he could take the graveyard shifts. In any case, living a liquid diet probably saves a considerable amount of money. Vlad’s main net worth comes from his massive Romanian castle, though. It may be covered in spiderwebs and funeral paraphernalia, but it’s still worth considerable cash. Imagine how much property values would rise if Drac kept it in decent condition.
32. Marilyn Hamilton-Rexroth-Doyle
From: Intolerable Cruelty
Net Worth: $80 million
Source: Inheritance
As is suggested by her triple-barrel name, Marilyn Hamilton-Rexroth-Doyle made a mass of moolah by marrying rich men and cashing in on the payouts from failed-relationship fallout. It’s a dangerous game though, and when a hitman gets involved, things get complicated. Still, all’s well that ends well and it’s these shenanigans that turn her into a legitimate businesswoman. Who saw that coming?
31. Catherine Tramell
From: Basic Instinct
Net Worth: $110 million
Source: Inheritance & novel sales
You’d think that Catherine Tramell’s impressive net worth would come from her wildly successful novels, but actually most of it is from family inheritance. To be fair, she did use her various experiences with the deaths of those close to her as inspiration. Yes, it’s a little suspicious, but if Tramell revealed the truth, she might have to kill you.
30. Cruella De Vil
From: 101 Dalmatians
Net Worth: $287 million
Source: Fashion industry
If you think The Devil Wears Prada’s Amanda Priestly isn’t a people person, she’s got nothing on Britain’s frightening fashionista, Cruella. She’s so evil she would gleefully make puppy coats! It doesn’t stop patrons pumping money into her House of De Vil fashion lines though — she’s made nearly $300 million in profits. The question is, what else did she skin in the process?
29. Karen Walker
From: Will & Grace
Net Worth: $740 million
Source: Marriage
Multi-millionaire Karen Walker took an assistant position at Grace Adler Designs just so she could get away from the hustle and bustle of family life. Ironically, her marriage is the source of her fortune! Grace describes Karen as "a spoiled, shrill, gold-digging socialite who would sooner chew off her own foot than do an honest day's work,” but she’s good for the company because she has frenemies in high places.
28. Blair Waldorf
From: Gossip Girl
Net Worth: $550 - $700 million
Source: Family fortune
Money runs in Blair Waldorf’s blood. Not literally, that would be painful. But her family fortune dates back to the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, which her family owns according to the Gossip Girl novels. Pretty much every member of Waldorf’s family is rich, including her lawyer stepfather, fashion designer mother and castle-owning father. She’s a traumatic childhood event away from wearing a bat costume and fighting crime.
27. Tony Montana
From: Scarface
Net Worth: $900 million
Source: Crime
They say that crime doesn’t pay, but Tony Montana would beg to differ. And you don’t want to argue with him and his “little friend.” After arriving in America as an immigrant with a questionable background, Tony worked hard to get to the top. Unfortunately, his trade of choice was drug trafficking, and he stomped on a lot of people to get there.
26. Lucille Bluth
From: Arrested Development
Net Worth: $950 million
Source: Real estate
Lucille Bluth — the female head of the Bluth Company — made a killing in real estate, though most of it was apparently illegal. She committed crimes aplenty, including fraud and building houses off the books for Saddam Hussein. Still, she wasn’t all bad. She brought the world the famous meme, “It's one banana, Michael. How much could it cost? $10?”
25. Jay Gatsby
From: The Great Gatsby
Net Worth: $1 billion
Source: Investments, possible shady dealings
Jay Gatsby’s an enigmatic figure surrounded by rumors of his lifestyle and fortune. He’s rich enough to throw indulgent weekend-long parties and live a jet-setting high life, but how could he have earned so much? Some believe he’s an honest businessman, others that he has a foot in crime — organized or otherwise. The novel’s supposedly a deconstruction of the American dream. You were paying attention in English Lit class, right?
24. Gordon Gekko
From: Wall Street
Net Worth: $1.1 billion
Source: Trust fund & the stock market
Gordon Gekko’s the epitome of the shady ’80s businessman, and he even spent time in jail because of his shifty practices. Nevertheless, he worked his way back to the top again after eight years behind bars. In fact, he displayed some real talent by investing his daughter’s impressive trust fund and turning it into a billion dollars. It was a risk, but apparently greed is good.
23. Lady Mary Talbot
From: Downton Abbey
Net Worth: $1.1 billion
Source: Family fortune
Lady Mary was born into the aristocratic Crawley family, which explains how her family holds the titular Downton Abbey mansion — not to mention how she can afford such lovely dresses. She’s had a bit of a tumultuous love life, but it could be worse. She’s got over $1 billion to cry into after all, and that’s bound to absorb some sadness.
22. Mr. Monopoly
From: Monopoly
Net Worth: $1.2 billion
Source: Real estate
Monopoly by name and by nature, Mr. Monopoly’s become the caricature of a rich gentleman. But if you picture him with a monocle as most people do, you’re mistaken. He’s never had one! Apparently, he was originally called Rich Uncle Pennybags, although whose uncle is anyone’s guess. They must have questionable judgment, though, considering how long they spend in jail.
21. Walden Schmidt
From: Two and a Half Men
Net Worth: $1.3 billion
Source: Investments & start-ups
Walden’s highly intelligent, which his early fortune exemplifies. He was a millionaire by 19, and sold a couple of internet business start-ups that shot his bank account into the stratosphere. Yet that did little to improve his innate immaturity — if anything, it made things worse. Still, Walden put his money to good use by helping his girlfriend Kate achieve her fashion designer dreams. And anonymously, no less.
20. Lara Croft
From: Tomb Raider
Net Worth: $1.3 billion
Source: Trust fund
Lara Croft of Tomb Raider fame inherited a massive sum from her father, Lord Richard Croft. She wasn’t content to just sit around and spend it, though, and she earned her own archeology degree to follow in his footsteps. Sure, technically what she does is glorified grave-robbing, but if you have a permit for it, it’s tomb-raiding. And that makes it okay.
19. C. Montgomery Burns
From: The Simpsons
Net Worth: $1.5 billion
Source: Inheritance & nuclear power business
Happy little young Burns was adopted by his billionaire grandfather who left him a fortune, a business and his terrible personality. The result was the sociopath we know as Mr Burns, Homer’s boss and the heartless businessman who will do anything to earn a quick buck. He’s more supervillain than citizen, and even once captured the Loch Ness Monster. Don’t worry, they’re friends now.
18. Tywin Lannister
From: Game of Thrones
Net Worth: $1.8 billion
Source: Family fortune
The fact that the House of Lannister not only owns a castle but an entire army should tell you just how flush with gold they are, and since they always pay their debts they don’t owe anyone a piece of their huge inherited fortune. Still, all the money in the world couldn’t prevent patriarch Tywin’s life going down the toilet at the hands of his own mistreated son.
17. Morticia Addams
From: The Addams Family
Net Worth: $2 billion
Source: Family fortune, investments
The Addams family are kooky and spooky, but they’re also exorbitantly rich. How else could they afford their huge gothic mansion? The source of this wealth is Morticia’s husband Gomez, who was born into aristocracy — and therefore, riches. But he and his wife are also shrewd investors.They put money into whatever eccentric businesses take their fancy, which usually prove spookily successful!
16. Charles Xavier
From: X-Men
Net Worth: $3.2 billion
Source: Inheritance
On the surface, born-to-riches Charles Xavier is a renowned geneticist and teacher for gifted children. But this facade hides Xavier’s secret mutation and the team of superheroes who operate out of the high-tech facility in the basement. Actor Sir Patrick Stewart fulfilled many a fan-casting for Prof. X, and according to IMDb became the first live-action actor to get cast as an on-screen Marvel mutant.
15. John Hammond
From: Jurassic Park
Net Worth: $5.6 billion
Source: Inventions
John Hammond is rolling in so much cash because he’s an ingenious inventor when it comes to genetics and biotechnology. He’s so rich his company InGen can afford to bring dinosaurs back from the dead! On the other hand, he isn’t smart enough to know what a terrible idea it is to resurrect destructive apex predators with a taste for human flesh. You win some, you lose some.
14. Forrest Gump
From: Forrest Gump
Net Worth: $5.7 billion
Source: Investments
Forrest Gump had a heck of a life and became a very rich man by following his heart and his passions. His investment in the shrimping business and shares in an unnamed “fruit business” — which is heavily implied to be Apple — made him a multi-billionaire. If life is like a box of chocolates, Forrest’s is a luxury selection of solid-gold snacks.
13. Richie Rich
From: Richie Rich
Net Worth: $5.8 billion
Source: Inheritance
Richie Rich’s name is synonymous with wealth. He's got so much cash it’s in his name twice, and at such a young age too! The eight-year-old’s one of the youngest fictional billionaires, if not the youngest. Rather than squander his money on mountains of toys and sweets though, Richie invested the cash to help his peers improve the world. He’s not just got a fortune, he has a heart of gold.
12. Thurston Howell III
From: Gilligan's Island
Net Worth: $6.5 billion
Source: Inheritance
Thurston Howell III isn’t just the richest man on Gilligan’s Island, he’s also one of the richest people in the world. In his world anyway, but he still makes it high on our list. As the richest sometimes do, he often shirks work and has no concept of the value of money, but despite some unfavorable character quirks he doesn’t mind unchaining his wallet and using his connections when his friends need it most.
11. Jabba the Hutt
From: Star Wars
Net Worth: $8.4 billion
Source: Organized crime
It’s hard to quantify Jabba’s wealth considering he’s from a world set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. But considering the crime lord’s syndicate has given him power across entire galaxies and unfathomable wealth, he’s one of the richest fictional characters ever. But despite his station Jabba ultimately choked. His mistake? Taking Princess Leia as a slave. It was never going to end well.
10. Jed Clampett
From: The Beverly Hillbillies
Net Worth: $9.2 billion
Source: Oil
When Jed discovered his impoverished family were living on a rich field of oil he became an instant billionaire, hence the ensuing shenanigans of the Beverly Hillbillies. Jed would prefer his home in the swamp, but circumstances placed him in Beverly Hills, presumably because it was better for comedy. Did you know he also has a doctorate degree? He donated to a college, and earned one as an honorary reward.
9. Bruce Wayne
From: Batman
Net Worth: $9.2 billion
Source: Inheritance & businesses
Daytime playboy and nighttime superhero Bruce Wayne isn’t just a philanthropist in business. He also makes the world a better place by dressing up as a giant bat and beating sense into costumed criminals as the Batman. It’s not the safest hobby in the world, but it does get him out to meet new people. Very colorful ones, and some don’t even try to kill him.
8. Charles Foster Kane
From: Citizen Kane
Net Worth: $11.2 billion
Source: Family fortune & newspaper business
The famous Citizen Kane inherited a lot of money to begin with, but he put in the hours at his newspaper corporation to keep the benjamins rolling in. But all the money in the world couldn’t buy the happiness he had with Rosebud. Sometimes it’s having the little things in life that make you truly rich. Though huge piles of cash certainly can’t hurt.
7. Tony Stark
From: Iron Man
Net Worth: $12.4 billion
Source: Inheritance & Business
Tony Stark didn’t just inherit his father’s business, he also contributed to it with pioneering inventions and kept the cash flowing. But he kept his greatest invention — the iconic Iron Man suit — for himself and joined the Avengers, the world’s greatest superheroes. And that’s the way Tony will always be remembered. Unless they decide to bring him back from the dead, that is. Marvel’s afterlife has a revolving door.
6. Dr. Evil
From: Austin Powers
Net Worth: $15.9 billion
Source: Evil doings, Investments
Try as he might, Dr. Evil can never quite live up to his namesake. He’s more the Diet Coke of evil. All the same, he’s still vastly rich. Although Dr. Evil often held the world hostage for $1 million — or is it $1 billion? — dollars, his company Virtucon made his fortune through legitimate investments in businesses such as The Hollywood Talent Agency and Starbucks.
5. Willy Wonka
From: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Net Worth: $19.5 billion
Source: Confectionery industry
The enigmatic and entertainingly-named Willy Wonka became a very wealthy man by giving the world the sweets he never got to have a child. His confectionery is known far and wide as the best in the world, but Wonka’s business practices are questionable. Specifically, he employs Oompa-Loompas, a race of small men, to operate his factories. And he only pays in cocoa beans.
4. Carlisle Cullen
From: Twilight
Net Worth: $46 billion
Source: Investments
Most vampires seem to amass a huge fortune, and thanks to some shrewd investments and the accruing interest, Carlisle is no different. Yet he separates himself from the others of his kind by conquering his reliance on human blood, and teaching his family to do likewise. Oh, and unlike the vampires in other franchises, he sparkles in the sunlight, which raises so many evolutionary questions.
3. Smaug
From: The Hobbit
Net Worth: $54.1 billion
Source: Treasure horde
Although he’d look dapper in a business suit, Smaug didn’t need to work for his fortune. He’s a dragon, so he just set fire to everything and took their gold. He sits on a huge pile of it that’s equivalent to over $54 billion and enviously guards it from any would-be thieves. But what the heck is he going to spend it on? Mouthwash?
2. Scrooge McDuck
From: Ducktales
Net Worth: $64.4 billion
Source: Lucky dime?
Is Scrooge’s lucky dime responsible for making him the richest duck in the world? It could all be hearsay, since Scrooge himself attributes his fortune to being “smarter than the smarties, tougher than the toughies, and making it square.” Whatever the real source, Scrooge allegedly has “three cubic acres of cash,” a literal swimming pool full of gold coins into which he can dive. That has to hurt though, right?
1. King T'challa
From: Black Panther
Net Worth: $500 billion
Source: Inheritance, vibranium
They don’t come any richer than T’challa, the rightful king of the most technically-advanced country on the planet — Wakanda. The nation has more than just impressive tech, though. Wakanda’s rich in one of the most valuable alloys known to man, vibranium. But that’s not all! The king himself is a highly skilled fighter and joined the Avengers under the name Black Panther. Wakanda forever!
