Who are some of the the Richest and highest-paid black actors in Hollywood as in 2023 is a burning question now. People want to know their favourite black actor’s net worth whenever any question like who is the most famous black actor in USA rakes up. One’s net worth is also related to his/her popularity. It’s to some extent, a measure of success too. In this article, we’ve ranked top 15 richest and highest-paid black actors in Hollywood as in 2023
Vote for your favourite highest-paid black actors in Hollywood – Ranked Based on Users Vote
Jamie Foxx
Contributed by Dana Martin 
Jamie Foxx, Average Annual Income: $7.02 million
Jamie Foxx is an American actor, comedian, and singer who has won numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award,
Will Smith
Contributed by Dana Martin Will Smith Age as on Today i.e. June 8, 2023: 54 years 8 months 13 days
Willard Carroll Smith II, better known by his stage name the Fresh Prince, is an American actor, rapper, and film producer who was born on
Eddie Murphy, Average Annual Income: $5.31 million
Contributed by Getaka Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer who was born on April 3, 1961. From 1980 until 1984, he was
Denzel Washington
Contributed by Dana Martin Denzel Washington, Average Annual Income: $30 million
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, director, and producer who was born on December 28, 1954. He has been dubbed an actor who
Morgan Freeman
Contributed by Dana Martin Morgan Freeman, Average Annual Income: $20.47 million
Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an actor, director, and narrator from the United States. Freeman is noted for his diverse appearances in a
Samuel L. Jackson
Contributed by Dana Martin Samuel L. Jackson, Average Annual Income: $42.70 million
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American actor who was born on December 21, 1948. He is one of the most well-known actors of his generation,
Spike Lee, Average Annual Income: $1.45 million
Contributed by Getaka Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and educator who was born on March 20, 1957. Since 1983, his production
Angela Bassett, Average Annual Income: $0.95 million
Contributed by Getaka Angela-Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an actress, director, and producer from the United States. Bassett has received multiple awards for her portrayals
Whoopi Goldberg, Average Annual Income: $1.76 million
Contributed by Getaka Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg (born Caryn Elaine Johnson on November 13, 1955) is an American actress, comedian, author, and television personality. She is one of 16 artists
Don Cheadle, Average Annual Income: $1.10 million
Contributed by Getaka Don Cheadle, Average Annual Income: $1.10 million Age as on Today i.e. June 8, 2023: 58 years 6 months 9 days
Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (born November 29, 1964) is an actor and filmmaker from the United States. In addition to nominations for an Academy Award,
Idris Elba, Average Annual Income: $3.99 million
Contributed by Getaka Idris Elba
Idrissa Akuna "Idris" Elba OBE is an English actor, producer, and singer who was born on September 6, 1972. Stringer Bell in HBO's The Wire,
Ice Cube, Average Annual Income: $4.98 million
Contributed by Getaka Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969) is an American rapper, actor, and filmmaker best known by his stage name Ice Cube. His political rap
Tyler Perry, Average Annual Income: $44.03 million
Contributed by Getaka Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter who was born Emmitt Perry Jr. on September 13, 1969. He created and embodies the
Contributed by Dana Martin 
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Contributed by Dana Martin 
Contributed by Dana Martin 
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Contributed by Getaka Highest-paid black actors in Hollywood – How we’ve calculated the net worth of an actor?
You must agree with me that determining one’s net worth is not easy task. No one, let alone celebrities and actors, keep their personal wealth information in public domain. Despite the fact, I’ve tried to determine the net worth of these 15 highest-paid black actors in Hollywood based on their extravagant life style, real estate possessions, salary per project, number of brands they endorse, their personal properties and businesses they’ve invested in. I’ve also taken references from ‘Forbes’ and ‘Bloomberg’ like sites to calculate the net worth of these actors.
Must Read | Top 40 Richest Hollywood Actors (Updated in 2021) – Who’s at the top of the list?
To add to the difficulty of calculating one’s net worth, the fluctuation of US dollar also play a major role. As most of these actors are heavily invested in share market, the volatility of NASDAQ also adds to the predicament.
In determining the wealth of an actor, I, also have taken into account the inflation rate of United States which is, on an average is 2.12% if the last 20 years US inflation rate is taken into account. That means, whose total valuation of wealth was $100 million in 2000, has now become $115 million.
Highest-paid black actors in Hollywood – What mathematical formula we’ve used to calculate the net worth of an Actor?
It’s pragmatic to think that most of the celebrities net worth rises in an exponential manner. The more they get famous over time, the more money they make. We’ve considered, one’s net worth was zero before they entered into the entertainment industry and exponentially, his / her wealth had grown. The degree of this exponential growth depends on inflation rate. Lower the inflation means rate of rise of wealth is slower whereas higher the inflation means, the rate of rise of wealth is higher. Though we haven’t considered the rise of one’s spending due to the growth of inflation rate for the simplicity of understanding by our readers. If the rise of commodity price due to inflation is considered, the mathematical model becomes even complex to grasp.
Assumption to Calculate the Net Worth of black actors in Hollywood
- The initial annual income of an actor was zero
- The net worth increases exponentially
- An Actor’s annual pay is proportional to his / her Q Score
- Net worth is the area under the curve defined by the equation below, between zero to n (let’s say n=30 years)
Here y=Annual Salary of a Celebrity in the nth year of his / her career.
Q= Q Score of the Celebrity
t= Number of years, he / she is in the entertainment industry
z= Average US inflation rate over last 20-years which is almost 2.12%.
R= Rate of rise of popularity; Say a celebrity is known to 2 million people in his 3rd year of career and in the next year, he is known to 6 million people. So his rate of rise of popularity is 6/2=3.
r = Average Annual income over total career Span
What is Q Score?
Q Score is a measure of, to how many people, a celebrity or a product is favourite. It is the ratio of people to whom the celebrity or product is favourite and how many people know about the celebrity or the product multiplied by 100. Q score is represented in percentage.
For example, let’s say Whoopi Goldberg’s Q score is 24%. This means she is favourite to 24 people out of 100 people who know her.
To determine the Q score of a celebrity, we’ve taken help of websites like ranker.com, imdb.com, rottentomatoes.com and many others.
What is rate of rise of popularity (R)?
Rate of rise of popularity is the incremental growth of one’s popularity measured in terms of how many more people know him / her over one year period. Suppose Morgan Freeman is known to 40 million people in 2019 and in 2020, he is known to 46 million people. So his rate of rise of popularity 46/40=1.15. For the R in the formula, we have to calculate the average rate of rise of popularity over his / her entire career span.
If any of my readers can suggest any better mathematical model to presume one’s net worth, I’ll highly appreciate her.
How we’ve calculated the rate of rise of popularity?
One thing you’ll agree with me that the more, one is popular, the more articles will be there on Google on his / her name. What if we make a chart of number of articles published on one’s name in last 10 years and find the rate at which the number of articles increased over time? Let’s say, Tyler Perry had 93 articles on his name on Google in 2010 and in 2011, the number rose to 912. Thus, we’ve considered, his rate of rise of popularity in one year is 912/93=9.81 (R in our formula). But this rate is not the average. This ups and down over years. We’ve taken the average of rise of articles on Google against his name over 10 years. Below is the list of rate of rise of articles on Google against Tyler Perry which is also a measure of rate of rise of popularity over 10 years.
| Year | No. of Articles on Google | Rate of rise |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 93 | 9.81 |
| 2011 | 912 | 0.10 |
| 2012 | 91 | 0.96 |
| 2013 | 87 | 1.02 |
| 2014 | 89 | 10.11 |
| 2015 | 900 | 0.11 |
| 2016 | 97 | 6.55 |
| 2017 | 635 | 1.59 |
| 2018 | 1010 | 2.69 |
| 2019 | 2720 | 1.20 |
| 2020 | 3260 | 0.00 |
| Average (R) | 3.41 |
| Year | No. of Articles on Google | Rate of rise |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 617 | 0.15 |
| 2011 | 91 | 13.52 |
| 2012 | 1230 | 0.08 |
| 2013 | 96 | 0.91 |
| 2014 | 87 | 8.30 |
| 2015 | 722 | 2.04 |
| 2016 | 1470 | 1.05 |
| 2017 | 1540 | 0.66 |
| 2018 | 1010 | 0.09 |
| 2019 | 87 | 1.01 |
| 2020 | 88 | 0.00 |
| Average (R) | 2.78 |
highest-paid black actors in Hollywood: Graphical representation of exponential growth of wealth with inflation rate
The above graph shows, one with Q Score of 30 and average rate of rise of popularity of 4, would need 20 years to secure an annual earning of $38 million with zero initial investment at an average inflation rate of 2.12%. The celebrity would accumulate a net worth of $1830 million over 40 years. Mathematical Tool used: desmos.com
Richest black actors in Hollywood: Step by Step calculation of a celebrity’s annual income and net worth
Tabulation for 20 years US inflation rate (Z).
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 5 | ||||||||
| 2020 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| 2019 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 1.8 |
| 2018 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.4 |
| 2017 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| 2016 | 1.4 | 1 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 1.3 |
| 2015 | -0.1 | 0 | -0.1 | -0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| 2014 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 2 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| 2013 | 1.6 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 2012 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.1 |
| 2011 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3 | 3.2 |
| 2010 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0.2 | -0.4 | -0.7 | -1.3 | -1.4 | -2.1 | -1.5 | -1.3 | -0.2 | 1.8 | 2.7 | -0.4 |
| 2008 | 4.3 | 4 | 4 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 5 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 3.8 |
| 2007 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 2.8 |
| 2006 | 4 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 2 | 2.5 | 3.2 |
| 2005 | 3 | 3 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
| 2004 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 2.7 |
| 2003 | 2.6 | 3 | 3 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.3 |
| 2002 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 2 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 1.6 |
| 2001 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.8 |
| 2000 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
Top 15 Richest and highest-paid black actors in Hollywood
15. Spike Lee, Average Annual Income: $1.45 million
| Name | Spike Lee |
|---|---|
| DoB | March 20, 1957 |
| Age | 66 years 2 months 19 days |
| Source of Wealth | American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and professor |
| Debut | 1983 |
| Years Active | 40 years |
| Q Score | 6.28% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 1.04 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $3.12 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $1.45 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $55.37 million |
14. Angela Bassett, Average Annual Income: $0.95 million
| Name | Angela Bassett |
|---|---|
| DoB | August 16, 1958 |
| Age | 64 years 9 months 23 days |
| Source of Wealth | American actress, director, producer, and activist |
| Debut | 1991 |
| Years Active | 32 years |
| Q Score | 8% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 0.72 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $1.97 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $0.95 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $28.54 million |
13. Whoopi Goldberg, Average Annual Income: $1.76 million
| Name | Whoopi Goldberg |
|---|---|
| DoB | November 13, 1955 |
| Age | 67 years 6 months 25 days |
| Source of Wealth | American actor, author, comedian, and television personality |
| Debut | 1985 |
| Years Active | 38 years |
| Q Score | 11% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 0.79 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $3.70 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $1.76 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $63.53 million |
12. Don Cheadle, Average Annual Income: $1.10 million
| Name | Don Cheadle |
|---|---|
| DoB | November 29, 1964 |
| Age | 58 years 6 months 9 days |
| Source of Wealth | American actor and filmmaker |
| Debut | 1987 |
| Years Active | 36 years |
| Q Score | 5.28% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 1.06 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $2.35 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $1.10 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $37.50 million |
11. Idris Elba, Average Annual Income: $3.99 million
| Name | Idris Elba |
|---|---|
| DoB | September 6, 1972 |
| Age | 50 years 9 months 2 days |
| Source of Wealth | English actor, writer, producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and DJ |
| Debut | 1994 |
| Years Active | 29 years |
| Q Score | 51% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 0.54 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $8.19 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $3.99 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $107.84 million |
10. Halle Berry, Average Annual Income: $11.47 million
| Name | Halle Berry |
|---|---|
| DoB | August 14, 1966 |
| Age | 56 years 9 months 25 days |
| Source of Wealth | American actress |
| Debut | 1989 |
| Years Active | 34 years |
| Q Score | 57% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 1.09 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $24.40 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $11.47 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $367.29 million |
9. Jamie Foxx, Average Annual Income: $7.02 million
| Name | Jamie Foxx |
|---|---|
| DoB | December 13, 1967 |
| Age | 55 years 5 months 26 days |
| Source of Wealth | American actor, comedian, singer, songwriter, and record producer |
| Debut | 2004 |
| Years Active | 19 years |
| Q Score | 67% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 1.13 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $14.52 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $7.02 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $119.45 million |
8. Morgan Freeman, Average Annual Income: $20.47 million
| Name | Morgan Freeman |
|---|---|
| DoB | June 1, 1937 |
| Age | 86 years 0 months 7 days |
| Source of Wealth | American actor, director, and narrator |
| Debut | 1970 |
| Years Active | 53 years |
| Q Score | 50% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 1.25 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $45.90 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $20.47 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $1044.33 million |
7. Eddie Murphy, Average Annual Income: $5.31 million
| Name | Eddie Murphy |
|---|---|
| DoB | April 3, 1961 |
| Age | 62 years 2 months 5 days |
| Source of Wealth | American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer |
| Debut | 1980 |
| Years Active | 43 years |
| Q Score | 69% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 0.35 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $10.89 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $5.31 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $217.89 million |
6. Martin Lawrence, Average Annual Income: $4.16 million
| Name | Martin Lawrence |
|---|---|
| DoB | April 16, 1965 |
| Age | 58 years 1 months 22 days |
| Source of Wealth | American comedian, actor, producer, talk show host, writer, and former Golden Gloves boxer |
| Debut | 1990 |
| Years Active | 33 years |
| Q Score | 52% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 0.48 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $8.53 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $4.16 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $128.98 million |
5. Ice Cube, Average Annual Income: $4.98 million
| Name | Ice Cube |
|---|---|
| DoB | June 15, 1969 |
| Age | 53 years 11 months 23 days |
| Source of Wealth | American rapper, actor, and filmmaker |
| Debut | 1988 |
| Years Active | 35 years |
| Q Score | 61% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 0.46 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $10.23 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $4.98 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $164.48 million |
4. Will Smith, Average Annual Income: $11.47 million
| Name | Will Smith |
|---|---|
| DoB | September 25, 1968 |
| Age | 54 years 8 months 13 days |
| Source of Wealth | American actor, rapper, and film producer |
| Debut | 1990 |
| Years Active | 33 years |
| Q Score | 54% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 1.18 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $24.46 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $11.47 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $355.70 million |
3. Denzel Washington, Average Annual Income: $30 million
| Name | Denzel Washington |
|---|---|
| DoB | December 28, 1954 |
| Age | 68 years 5 months 11 days |
| Source of Wealth | American actor, director, and producer |
| Debut | 1982 |
| Years Active | 41 years |
| Q Score | 58% |
| Average Annual Income | $30 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $1.17 billion |
2. Tyler Perry, Average Annual Income: $44.03 million
| Name | Tyler Perry |
|---|---|
| DoB | September 13, 1969 |
| Age | 53 years 8 months 25 days |
| Source of Wealth | American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter |
| Debut | 1990 |
| Years Active | 33 years |
| Q Score | 55% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 3.41 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $106.95 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $44.03 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $1365.06 million |
1. Samuel L. Jackson, Average Annual Income: $42.70 million
| Name | Samuel L. Jackson |
|---|---|
| DoB | December 21, 1948 |
| Age | 74 years 5 months 18 days |
| Source of Wealth | American actor and producer |
| Debut | 1988 |
| Years Active | 35 years |
| Q Score | 65% |
| Rate of Rise of Popularity (R) | 2.78 |
| Salary in 2023 (y) | $100.94 million |
| Average annual salary over total career span (I) | $42.70 million |
| Net Worth as of 2023 | $1409.14 million |
Who is the highest-paid black actor in Hollywood?
Based on the career span and average annual income, I’d say Samuel L. Jackson is the richest black actor in the world as of 2023. After his role in 1994 movie Pulp Fiction, Jackson‘s fame and net worth rose exponentially. His average annual income is approximately $45 million over a career span of 33-years and still on. With that annual average income in account, by this time his net worth has reached to a whopping $1.485 billion, making him not only one of the richest black actor but richest actor in the world. He is followed by Tyler Perry (Net Worth $1.24 billion), Denzel Washington (Net Worth $1.17 billion) and Will Smith (Net Worth $697.5 million)
Disclaimer
In this post, I tried to create a mathematical model of one’s net worth and yearly salary. The outcome of this mathematical model may vary widely with the reality. We are humans, not any inanimate object whose trajectory follows a mathematical rule. Our decisions are influenced by our social, emotional, behavioural, economical and so many other known and unknown factors. No mathematical formula can predict a human’s decision and our decisions impact our financial status also. The very purpose of this post is to mathematically predict one’s net worth instead of arbitrarily guessing the net worth which is rampant on so many online portals.
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