Ever since the release of the first book in the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling’s net worth has continued to grow exponentially. But after being embroiled in controversy in recent years, many are curious to know whether J.K. Rowling’s net worth is still as impressive as it once was.
It’s been over two decades since Rowling first made a name for herself as the author and creative mind behind the Wizarding World of Harry Potter—and in that time, Rowling’s career has had its ups and downs.
The author, who was born in July 1965 in the United Kingdom, had hopes of being a writer ever since she was a child. She often wrote short stories for her friends and family, and the practice became an escape during her difficult childhood. Rowling’s mother struggled with multiple sclerosis for years before her death in 1990, whereas Rowling had a “strained” relationship with her father. It was her mother’s passing that inspired Rowling to write about her protagonist’s grief after his parents’ death in the first Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (later renamed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone), which was published in 1997.
Rowling went on to publish six more Harry Potter books, which were each adapted into feature films starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint playing the book series’ three main characters, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, respectively. The franchise captivated fans enough for HBO Max to greenlight a reunion special titled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, which premiered in January 2022 with the original actors, directors and producers who worked on the Harry Potter movies.
The author, however, was missing from the special—which raises questions about not only J.K. Rowling’s net worth, but her controversies following the film series. Keep on reading for everything to know about where the Harry Potter author stands now.
Why was J.K. Rowling Canceled?
Image: AP Images.
In June 2020, Rowling came under fire after posting a transphobic tweet in response to an article about menstruation. The Harry Potter author took issue with the trans-inclusive language of the article, titled, “Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate.” She wrote, “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out,” Rowling tweeted, referencing women. “Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
Shortly after sharing the tweet, Rowling faced immense backlash from social media users who attempted to educate her on why the use of phrases such as “people who menstruate” is ideal, as it includes trans men and non-binary individuals who menstruate, among others. Other social media users noted that menstruation and being a “woman,” as Rowling suggests, are not mutually exclusive experiences as there are many people assigned female at birth who have had hysterectomies, entered menopause or no longer menstruate due to other hormonal imbalances.
In a statement with the Trevor Project, Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the Harry Potter movies, criticized the author for her comments about the transgender community. “I realize that certain press outlets will probably want to paint this as in-fighting between J.K. Rowling and myself,” he said in his statement. “But that is really not what this is about, nor is it what’s important right now.
“While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honored to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment,” his statement continued. “Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I. According to The Trevor Project, 78% of transgender and nonbinary youth reported being the subject of discrimination due to their gender identity. It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.”
He added, “To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished. I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you…. And in my opinion, nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much.”
While Rowling doubled down on her stance in spite of the backlash, Harry Potter critics continued to weigh in on social media about some of the author’s other problematic moments—namely, her poor representation of Black characters and other people of color in the Wizarding World. One character, called “Cho Chang,” was an obvious example. Actress Katie Leung weighed in on the controversy herself: “So, you want my thoughts on Cho Chang? Okay, here goes…,” she wrote, sharing donation links to several organizations for Black transfolk in the process.
How much has J.K. Rowling made from Harry Potter?
Forbes’ profile on J.K. Rowling lists her as the second-highest-paid author in the world thanks to her Harry Potter books. The seven novels, which were published between 1997 and 2007, include Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
For her first book in the series, Rowling was given a £1,500 advance (about $2,000) along with an £8,000 grant, approximately $10,800, from the Scottish Arts Council to support her writing. This pales in comparison to her next big paycheck: One year after 1997’s Philosopher’s Stone was published, Rowling’s book was held for auction for the rights to publish it in the United States—and the auction was won for a whopping $105,000 by Scholastic Inc. The rest was history, as they say.
Surprisingly, her seven books are not her biggest cash cow today. Instead, Rowling makes a fortune off of the franchise at large, which includes the Wizarding World at Universal Studios, the eight Harry Potter movies (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was split into two films) and Broadway’s Harry Potter play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The latter clocked nearly $2.3 million in ticket sales in a single week, according to Forbes. It’s estimated that Rowling has earned over $700 million from the Harry Potter films alone.
How much is J.K. Rowling’s net worth in 2022?
As of 2022, J.K. Rowling’s net worth is an estimated £820 million, or around $1.1 billion, per The Sunday Times. According to the site, this makes Rowling the 196th richest person in the U.K. overall.
Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts is available to stream on HBO Max. Here’s how to watch it for free.
The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz
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'The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook'… $9.99
For more about Harry Potter, check out The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz. The New York Times bestseller features more than 150 recipes from the Harry Potter universe, from cauldron cakes to knickerbocker glories, for fans to re-create at home, regardless of if they’re wizard, witch or muggle. Other spell-binding recipes include Hagrid’s rock cakes, treacle tarts (Harry’s favorite dessert), Molly’s meat pies (Mrs. Weasley’s classic dish) and Kreacher’s French onion soup pumpkin pasties, a staple on the Hogwarts Express cart. The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook is a must-have for any Harry Potter fan who wants to know what it’s really like to eat in Hogwarts’ dining hall. For more Harry Potter collectible items, check out our Harry Potter gift guide here.
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FAQs
Rowling's total net worth is estimated to be around $1 billion (£800 million) in 2023, as reported by Books of Brilliance. She continues to earn around £40 million to £80 million a year from various projects, most of which are connected to the Wizarding World, but she has previously claimed she is not a billionaire.
How much is Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling worth? ›
The 2021 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling's fortune at £820 million, ranking her as the 196th-richest person in the UK. As of 2020, she also owns a £4.5 million Georgian house in Kensington and a £2 million home in Edinburgh.
Is J.K. Rowling richer than the Queen? ›
Some casual facts for you: Not only have the Harry Potter books sold more than 500 million copies, but they've also been turned into a massively successful film series and they're the inspiration for three whole amusem*nt parks. So, yeah, J. K. Rowling is rich. In fact, she's richer than the Queen of England.
Does J.K. Rowling still own rights to Harry Potter? ›
J.K. ROWLING'S WIZARDING WORLD is a trademark of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Materials from the Harry Potter series of films and from the film Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them are courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Who is the richest writer in the world? ›
1. J.K. Rowling. British author J.K. Rowling is best known for the Harry Potter series — the series has sold more than 500 million copies, cementing Rowling's place in the billionaires club.
Where does J.K. Rowling's money go? ›
Rowling's Volant Trust, named after her mother, helps to fund charitable organisations and projects in Scotland helping women, children and young people and has built up £73.3 million of assets since Rowling founded it in 2000.
Who owns the rights to Harry Potter? ›
The films are owned and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Is J.K. Rowling a billionaire now? ›
J.K. Rowling's estimated net worth is $1 billion dollars but the author has insisted that she isn't a billionaire. That may be true if she has donated a lot of it. Rowling has made most of her money from the Harry Potter franchise which includes book sales, movies, theme parks, and merchandise.
Is J.K. Rowling richer than Oprah? ›
Winfrey, also on Forbes's most powerful women list, tops the tally of richest in entertainment with earnings of $1.5 billion US. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series,is second with about $1 billion US.
Who in Britain is richer than the Queen? ›
The King has an even bigger personal fortune than Elizabeth II held, according to a list ranking the richest people in Britain. The King's wealth is £600m, nearly double the £370m in assets held by the late Queen last year.
Akshata Murty, 42, owns shares worth almost a billion dollars in Infosys, according to the company's disclosure to the stock exchange. This makes her richer than Queen Elizabeth II, whose personal wealth is about 350 million pounds ($460 million), according to the 2021 Sunday Times Rich List.
Could Disney buy Harry Potter? ›
Yes, the Disney company could have bought the rights to Harry Potter but didn't. Disney could have bought the book rights, but didn't. Instead, Scholastic bought the rights to the Harry Potter series for $105,000 in a bidding war.
Who did J.K. Rowling sell Harry Potter to? ›
Warner Bros. Entertainment owns the production rights to the franchise, while Rowling owns the intellectual property rights and the Warner Bros. CEO has mentioned that he'd like to dive back into the Harry Potter franchise and work on some new movies.
Does J.K. Rowling get money from Harry Potter movies? ›
The simple answer is yes, both directly and indirectly. Rowling gets royalties from anything that makes use of the Harry Potter IP, and obviously Hogwarts Legacy is steeped in it.
Which is the best-selling book of all time? ›
25 Best-Selling Books of All-Time
- #1 – Don Quixote (500 million copies sold) ...
- #2 – A Tale of Two Cities (200 million copies sold) ...
- #3 – The Lord of the Rings (150 million copies sold) ...
- #4 – The Little Prince (142 million copies sold) ...
- #5 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (107 million copies sold)
The pen name J.K. Rowling belongs to the first billionaire author, Joanne Kathleen Rowling, a British novelist, who created the award-winning Harry Potter series that has sold over 400 million copies around the world.
Who is the best-selling writer of all time? ›
Best selling fiction authors by estimated sales
| # | Author | Estimated sales |
|---|
| 1 | William Shakespeare | 2 billion – 4 billion |
| 2 | Agatha Christie | 2 billion – 4 billion |
| 3 | Danielle Steel | 900 million+ |
| 4 | Harold Robbins | 750 million – 750 million |
26 more rowsFeb 16, 2023
Emma Watson earned $70 million during the eight movies of Harry Potter, $15 million for her role as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and $5 to $10 million a year in endorsem*nts.
Does J.K. Rowling make money from royalties? ›
Rowling consistently makes passive income on all Harry Potter products. Multiple sources have cited that Rowling earns anywhere between $50 million to a $100 million each year from royalties.
How much did Daniel Radcliffe make from Harry Potter? ›
Here's a breakdown of what Daniel reportedly earned for each HP film, per Celebrity Net Worth: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: $1 million. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: $3 million. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: $6 million.
Why Didn't Disney get the Wizarding Franchise? Disney did not get film rights to the Harry Potter series because Warner Bros beat them to the punch. Warner Brother bought the rights only one year after the first book was published.
Where is J.K. Rowling's house? ›
JK Rowling's Edinburgh townhouse, Scotland
She was uneasy with her growing celebrity, however, and installed security fences and reinforced doors to protect her privacy. The house subsequently became known as 'Fortress Rowling'.
Who is No 1 richest person in the world? ›
Who is the richest man in the world? As of July 1, 2023, the richest man in the world is Elon Musk, the CEO of electric car company Tesla; he's worth $237.7 billion. He moved into the number one spot in June, overtaking Bernard Arnault of France.
Is J.K. Rowling richest woman in England? ›
K. Rowling's net worth at £795 million, which is just over $1 billion USD. In other words, she has more money than Gringotts Wizarding Bank would know... Pin "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling has overtaken Queen Elizabeth on Britain's annual "rich list," published in this week's Sunday Times of London newspaper.
Who is richer Martha Stewart or Oprah? ›
The talk-show titan, who's amassed $1.5 billion over the course of her impressive career, has bested "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling and lifestyle guru Martha Stewart to take the No. 1 spot on Forbes.com's list of "The 20 Richest Women in Entertainment."
Who made more money Stephen King or J.K. Rowling? ›
Stephen King – $400 Million. James Patterson – $560 Million. J.K. Rowling – $1 Billion. Elisabeth Badinter – 1.3 Billion.
What is the net worth of Daniel Radcliffe? ›
As of 2021, Radcliffe's net worth is estimated at £95 million.
Will Harry inherit money from the Queen? ›
So what will Prince Harry inherit from Queen Elizabeth? Representatives told Forbes in 2021 that Harry was not a beneficiary of any of the $100 million left to the royal family by his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother.
Why is Princess Charlotte so rich? ›
Princess Charlotte has been refered as "the richest kid in the world" due to her status as a member of the British royal family, which is one of the wealthiest and most prominent royal families in the world.
Who owns Buckingham Palace? ›
Occupied Royal Palaces, such as Buckingham Palace, are not the private property of The Queen. They are occupied by the Sovereign and held in trust by Crown Estates for future generations. The Queen privately owns two properties, Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, which are not publicly funded.
The total net worth of Daniel Radcliffe who played the main Harry Potter character in Harry Potter is $110 million and he is the richest actor in Harry Potter.
How much did Daniel Radcliffe earn from Harry Potter? ›
According to reports, Daniel Radcliffe earned a total of $95.6 million from his involvement in the Harry Potter franchise.
How much is J.K. Rowling worth 2023? ›
J. K. Rowling is a British author and philanthropist who has a net worth of around $1.1 Billion in 2023. J. K. Rowling is one of the most famous and successful names you will listen to on the global stage.
How rich are the cast of Harry Potter now? ›
Harry Potter cast net worth: how much did original stars including Daniel Radcliffe make from movie franchise?
- Daniel Radcliffe - £90 million.
- Rupert Grint - £37 million.
- Emma Watson - £68 million.
- Michael Gambon - £16 million.
- Ralph Fiennes - £40 million.
- Tom Felton - £16 million.
- Maggie Smith - £16 million.
Who is the number one richest actor in the world? Currently, Jami Gertz is the richest actor in the world with a net worth of $3 billion.
Is the author of Harry Potter a billionaire? ›
J.K. Rowling's estimated net worth is $1 billion dollars but the author has insisted that she isn't a billionaire. That may be true if she has donated a lot of it. Rowling has made most of her money from the Harry Potter franchise which includes book sales, movies, theme parks, and merchandise.
Who is Emma Watson husband? ›
Emma Watson has purposely kept her love life out of the public eye for years, but in May 2021, the Daily Mail reported that Watson was rumored to be engaged to Leo Robinton, her boyfriend of over one year, after the two were photographed out together on May 13, 2021.
How much is Taylor Swift worth? ›
Swift's net worth was $570 million in 2022, according to Forbes.
How much is Ginny Weasley worth? ›
Bonnie Wright's net worth is about $12 million.
Bonnie Wright is another "Harry Potter" star who hasn't done all that much since appearing in the series, but her role as Ginny still gets her higher on this list than some veteran actors.
Does Daniel Radcliffe still get royalties? ›
Radcliffe's exact figures for royalty payments from the Harry Potter franchise isn't publicly known, but because his likeness is used in merchandise, he likely makes a healthy income from royalties from that and television runs of the films alone.
Harry Potter Kept A Quarter Of The U.K.'s Top Actors Paid
| RANK | PERFORMER | POTTERLESS GROSS (BILLIONS) |
|---|
| 9 | Gary Oldman | $6.7 |
| 10 | Morgan Freeman | $10.4 |
| 11 | Andy Serkis | $10.2 |
| 12 | Robbie Coltrane | $3.7 |
89 more rowsNov 11, 2016
Though Rowling did not create the game's characters or story, as the author of Harry Potter she owns the rights to the franchise's intellectual property, meaning that she makes royalties based on Harry Potter merchandise, the movies, the Warner Brothers theme park, and of course, sales of the books.
