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ByAnna PapachristosandTrinity Archie
Jennifer Lopez has made a name for herself through her many movie and TV roles, her dancing, and her incredibly successful music career. All of these endeavors have collectively earned her a remarkable $400 million net worth, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Since her debut as one of the Fly Girls on the '90s television show "In Living Color," Lopez has skyrocketed to the top of Hollywood's A-list. J.Lo's title role in "Selena," the 1997 biopic about the late singer's murder, launched the Puerto Rican star's acting career. The role also earned her a Golden Globe, and over $1 million in earnings. According to the Daily Mail, Lopez was the first Latina actor to earn this much from a single film. This multi-hyphenate went on to also earn success as a fashion designer and producer with more than 125 acting credits, 27 producer credits, and 85 soundtrack nods, per IMDb.
Despite the buzz surrounding her previous relationship with former New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez and her reputation for allegedly being difficult to work with, everything J.Lo touches turns to gold — literally. Forbes reports that she made $43 million in fiscal year 2019, alone. That's not too surprising when you consider that her critically acclaimed film, "Hustlers," drew in $62 million within the first 10 days of its release that September, tripling its $20 million budget. The following year, she banked $150 million. Bottom line: Jenny from the block has come a long way.
Let's take a closer look at the impressive resume that backs up J.Lo's immense fortune.
Jennifer Lopez's rags to riches success story is inspiring
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Many Jennifer Lopez fans learned of the star's humble beginnings through her hit song, "Jenny from the Block." The lyrics, "Used to have a little, now I have a lot / No matter where I go, I know where I came from," refer to Lopez's transition from rags to riches. The New York native grew up in a small home in the Bronx, whereshe and her two sisters shared a bed. As you might imagine, her rise to fame wasn't easy because of her family's difficult financial situation. In fact, Lopez even experienced homelessness while trying to chase her dreams of becoming a professional dancer.
The "On the Floor" singer opened up to Wmagazine about losing housing after getting into an argument with her mother. "My mom and I butted heads," Lopez said during the 2013 interview. "I didn't want to go to college — I wanted to try dance full-time. So she and I had a break. I started sleeping on the sofa in the dance studio. I was homeless, but I told her, 'This is what I have to do.'"
Thankfully, this hardship was short-lived, and the aspiring dancer began booking gigs soon after. "A few months later, I landed a job dancing in Europe," she continued. "When I got back, I booked 'In Living Color.' I became a Fly Girl and moved to L.A. It all happened in a year."
She started out as a dancer
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Before Jennifer Lopez was a millionaire, she was a dancer with big dreams. As previously mentioned, her first major gig was as a Fly Girl dancer on the '90s sketch comedy show, "In Living Color." It seems that this show was just what Lopez's resume needed, because she went on to work as a backup dancer for New Kids on the Block before later working with Janet Jackson. The dancer can be seen in the music video for Jackson's 1993 song "That's the Way Love Goes." This was likely a full-circle moment for Lopez, because Jackson was one of her idols. "I probably started dancing because of her video 'Pleasure Principle,'" Lopez later said of the singer while speaking with Billboardin 2018. "It was one of my favorite videos ever, still is."
At this point in the New York native's career, she was no longer sleeping on couches, but she probably wasn't yet a millionaire either. For this reason, you may be shocked to find out that Lopez didn't want to go on tour with Jackson. J.Lo actually had a very good reason for passing on the opportunity to work alongside her idol, though. In a 2001 interview with Vibe Magazine, Jackson herself revealed (via Vogue): "She was supposed to do the whole 'Janet' tour, but she only did the 'That's the Way Love Goes' video. Then she called me and said she wanted out, because she wanted to do her own thing."
The Let's Get Loud singer's music career earned her millions
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Another major source of income for Jennifer Lopez is her incredibly successful music career. The singer released her first album "On the 6" in 1999, and it sold over 7 million copies worldwide. The project's lead single "If You Had My Love" earned Lopez her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100and proved that the musician had what it took to become a pop star.
As of this writing, Lopez's most recent album is "A.K.A," which was released in 2014. The project was not exactly a commercial successand considering how Lopez has not released an album in years, it seems that she's taken a break because she has already accomplished the unimaginable with her legendary career. The star discussed how she feels about her long-standing music career during an interview with Billboard at the time, revealing, "I don't feel like I have anything to prove anymore."
After J.Lo put a pause on releasing new music, she signed a deal for a three-year stint of Las Vegas residency shows that ultimately brought in millions. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the residency lasted from 2016 to 2018 and grossed $100 million. Another notable money-making gig was the "True Love" author's 2011 performance at an oil tycoon's wedding, where she reportedly charged $1 million to perform. It may be safe to say that this business-minded musician knows her worth.
Jennifer Lopez is a TV veteran
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Jennifer Lopez has both starred in and produced a number of TV shows over the years. She was one of the masterminds behind ABC Family's "The Fosters," and its spin-off show "Good Trouble." The busy celeb was an executive producer for both shows, as well as NBC's "Shades of Blue," in which she also starred. During a 2016 interview with Parade, the actor spoke about balancing both of these demanding responsibilities. "I have to say they really give me the space to do the acting that I need, but you're really involved in every decision that goes on, from the way the set looks, to what everybody is wearing, to the way the scene feels, to the development of it, reading the scripts, and putting your input into it, the casting of the show, the bringing in of all the crew, everything," Lopez revealed.
"American Idol" was arguably one of the "I'm Real" singer's most notable TV gigs, however. In 2010, it was revealed that the star would join the show as a judge. TheDaily Mail reported that Lopez was offered $12 million to join the popular singing competition, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, her earnings were bumped up to around $20 million by her second year on the show. With theDaily Mail later noting that the musician was offered $17.5 million to return to the show after a season-long absence, Lopez's stint as an "American Idol" judge was obviously a great financial move.
The actor's movie career broke barriers
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Movie roles have brought in a significant portion of Jennifer Lopez's earnings since the beginning of her career. After all, her iconic portrayal of the "Queen of Tejano Music," Selena Quintanilla, in the 1997 biopic "Selena" made her a household name. This film alone earned Lopez $1 million, and she was the first Latina actor to make this much money from a single movie, per Variety, as previously mentioned.
After "Selena," Lopez went on to star in a string of other films, including "The Wedding Planner," "Anaconda," and "Gigli," just to name a few. "The Wedding Planner" helped the star garner another record-breaking earning, as she was paid $9 million for her role in the 2001 film. Lopez and her former agent, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, revealed to Varietyin 2020 that they had to fight for fair pay. "You were my agent, and you were asking for a certain price that you thought I merited, and they were buckling back," Lopez recalled to Goldsmith-Thomas. "Then [director Adam Shankman] came to one of my record signings, and he said, 'Give her whatever she wants.' The line was around the block."
Lopez also starred in and produced "Hustlers" in 2019, as previously mentioned. The popular film tells the true story of a group of New York City-based exotic dancers who stole from their wealthy clients, but it also humanizes these dancers and explores their struggles. The movie grossed over $157.5 million worldwide.
Glow by J.Lo paved the way
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Glow by J.Lo made celebrity perfumes a staple in the beauty world. The first edition of the fragrance was released in 2002, long before stars like Britney Spears or Paris Hilton released their debut perfumes. Jennifer Lopez's first scent proved that celebrity-centered beauty products could bring in millions. According to Paper, Lopez's fragrance and clothing brands made $325 million per year by 2004. So, what made Glow by J.Lo such a success? Well, Lopez released the fragrance at the height of her career. The perfume hit store shelves shortly before the release of the star's third album "This Is Me... Then," which featured her hit song "Jenny from the Block." She was also in a relationship with Ben Affleck at the time, and tabloids couldn't get enough of these two. We imagine all of this media attention likely contributed to perfume sales.
Another factor in the perfume's success was its fragrance profile. Lopez knew what notes would appeal to consumers from the beginning. "I had a very clear concept and direction for our first juice — it was all about being fresh, sexy, and clean," she wrote in an email interview for Inc., explaining,"We talked about the scents I like: soap, vanilla, white flowers, grapefruit, and we put together the right combination! Through detailed descriptions of my favorite scents, we were able to come up with Glow by J.Lo very quickly."
Jennifer Lopez's beauty brand sells out
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Jennifer Lopez has made an impact in the beauty industry with both her fragrances and her skincare products. She launched her JLo Beauty skincare line in 2021 and has already expanded the brand by adding body care products. It's admittedly on the pricier side, with a serum going for $79 and a body balm priced at $65, but Lopez's money-making star power helped the brand become a success despite its expensive products. JLo Beauty announced a presale prior to the brand's official launch, and Lopez took to Twitter to share that every item had sold out.
JLo Beauty's success likely motivated the brand's CEO, Lisa Sequino, to expand the line. While speaking with Glossy, Sequino explained why body care had the potential to garner even more sales. "We see body care as a high-growth category," she said during the interview. "We see [Booty Balm] as a tremendous opportunity to gain a foothold in that space. JLo [is known for her] glow, but also her body."
Lopez also chimed in about how her passion for body care influenced this decision. "We give all this care and attention to the skin on our face, but we sometimes neglect the body," the musician said. "It was important to me to create a skin-care routine for the body to address its specific and unique needs."
She's a real estate expert
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Like many celebrities, Jennifer Lopez owns multiple properties across the globe. Fortunately, her massive earnings allow her to splurge on these multi-million dollar investments comfortably. Lopez is so passionate about real estate that she founded Project Destined, a real estate and financial literacy program aimed at teens, alongside her ex, Alex Rodriguez. The "If You Had My Love" singer bought her first spacious property for $4.3 million in 2000. Four years later, shesold the Beverly Hills home for $10.95 million, per Architectural Digest. Lopez also purchased her second property in 2002: The massive mansion was located in Miami and sat on 1.2 acres of land. Just three years later, Lopez sold the home for $13.9 million.
When Lopez and Marc Anthony started a family, they invested millions in a larger property to house their little ones. In 2004, the couple moved in together and purchased the house across the street to expand the property. Anthony later sold the home for $4.5 million after he and Lopez called it quits, according to Architectural Digest. When Lopez moved on with Rodriguez, the couple purchased a number of properties together, including a $32.5 million mansion on Miami's Star Island.
The musician's real estate portfolio wouldn't be complete without a vacation home, and she settled on the Hamptons as her desired getaway destination. Lopez purchased her Hamptons mansion for $10 million back in 2013, and she still owns the vacation spot, as of this writing.
Jennifer Lopez has a knack for fashion
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Jennifer Lopez's red carpet appearances through the decades prove that she has an incredible fashion sense. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that the star has dabbled in the fashion industry with a few clothing lines of her own. Lopez launched her first fashion brand J Lo in 2001. It was successful, selling $175 million in products during its time online and in stores. The brand paused production in 2007 before relaunching in Kohl's stores in 2010. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic put an end to this business partnership in 2020 when Kohl's dropped J Lo due to poor sales, per Fox Business.
After J Lo hit shelves, Lopez launched Sweetface, a streetwear line inspired by the "All I Have" singer's more casual looks. While speaking with The New York Times (via theDaily Mail) a decade later in 2011, Lopez admitted that she wasn't as involved with Sweetface as she wanted to be. "I just felt like I never got a fair chance to do it right," she said at the time."And on top of it, I felt like I was trapped in a situation I couldn't get out of, and my name was stamped on things that I didn't believe in."
Lopez's third clothing line Just Sweet was targeted at teen girls looking to emulate the pop star's looks for department store prices, per the New York Post. The brand's colorful pieces didn't seem to catch on following its 2007 debut, however, because Just Sweet has since been discontinued.
The star scored deals with iconic brands
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Brand deals and endorsements line Jennifer Lopez's pockets along with her many other money-making ventures. One of the star's most notable partnerships was her work for Versace's Spring/Summer 2020 collection. She was the face of this campaign, which was inspired by Lopez's iconic green Versace dress. The garment started the star's long-standing relationship with the brand.
Lopez fans may recall that the star first wore the green pattern dress on the Grammy Awards red carpet in 2000. The dress created so much buzz that Google users flooded the search engine with inquiries about Lopez and Versace. This led to the creation of Google Images. As surprising as it sounds, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt confirmed this fact. "At the time, it was the most popular search query we had ever seen," Schmidt said of users looking for images of Lopez in the revealing garment, per Project Syndicate. "But we had no surefire way of getting users exactly what they wanted: JLo wearing that dress. Google Image Search was born."
Lopez continued her streak of luxury fashion brand partnerships by teaming up with Coach in 2019. She spoke with WWD about why she decided to become the global face of the brand. "It is a timeless brand that I've always been a fan of and the upcoming collection really speaks to my personal style — an uptown/downtown mix," the "Aint Your Mama" singer said.
J.Lo's many divorces didn't leave her broke
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Divorce can be expensive, and Jennifer Lopez is no stranger to this legal process. Luckily, the musician's $400 million net worth means it'll be difficult for a divorce to cost her all of her wealth. The star'sfirst marriage lasted from 1997 to 1998. Her then-husband, Ojani Noa, met her while he was working as a waiter and trying to get his acting career off the ground. However, it was Lopez's second divorce that cost her a pretty penny. In 2002, theDaily Mail reported that husband No. 2 Chris Judd would receive $11 million in exchange for his silence about their failed relationship, with a source cited by the outlet claiming, "Jennifer doesn't want her bedroom secrets splashed across the press, so she's hedging her bets."
Lopez's divorce from third ex-husband Marc Anthony was a bit more complicated because the pair share two children. The former couple spent three years trying to come to an agreement on custody of their kids and possible child and spousal support, per Fox News. By 2014, both Lopez and Anthony reportedly decided that the kids would spend most of the time with mom. The exes also concluded that neither party would pay spousal or child support.
The mom of two sold photos of her kids for millions
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It is not uncommon for celebs to sell the first photos of their newborns before paparazzi sneakily snap photos themselves. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that the business-savvy Jennifer Lopez took advantage of this money-making opportunity by selling photos of her twins to People and OK! in 2008. Roxanne Motamedi of Getty Images explained to the New York Daily News(via People) why celebrities make what some might consider an arguably unethical decision. "It's more beneficial for celebrities to cooperate with a company like us to do their baby pictures versus not doing it, because then paparazzi will chase them and will not stop until they get the picture of that celebrity with the baby," she revealed. "But once the pictures are out, there is really no value of paparazzi chasing them and trying to get the baby shot."
Advertising Age reported that Lopez sold the baby photos for $4 to $6 million dollars (via ABC News). This price made Lopez the celebrity parent with the highest-earning baby photos. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt previously held the top spot after they sold photos ofShiloh Jolie-Pitt and donated the proceeds to charity, per People.
J.Lo and Alex Rodriguez were business partners
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Jennifer Lopez and her ex-fiancé, Alex Rodriguez, were not only lovers but also business partners. With Rodriguez being one of the highest-earning athletes, he has quite an impressive net worth himself. This couple wasted no time using their shared wealth to invest in a number of startups and real estate properties. According to Forbes, the pair put money into Oscar Health and telehealth company Hims & Hers Partners. Rodriguez first put $5 million into Him & Hers Partners, and the company was later valued at $13 million.
It turns out that the athlete taught Lopez much of what she knows about business and investments. "Alex made me realize as an artist, I was a scarce asset and the business world was searching for people like us so they can build billion-dollar businesses," the "Love Don't Cost a Thing" singer told Forbes. "He got me comfortable with investing my own money into other companies and into myself."
As you might have guessed, the duo's finances were affected by their split. Rodriguez's breakup with Lopez put a pause on the athlete's purchase of the baseball team Minnesota Timberwolves: He reportedly had trouble holding up his end of the deal because he delayed in paying back a $250 million down payment.
Jennifer Lopez gives back
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Jennifer Lopez has made generous donations to a number of charities, including Children's Health Fund's Operation Assist and her own organization, the Lopez Family Foundation, among many others. Much of the work the star did with the Children's Health Fund was during her relationship with Marc Anthony. The former couple even accompanied one another to a benefit dinner for the organization in 2007. J.Lo opened up about her passion for the cause during an interview with Access(via Today) at the event. "I think it's our responsibility as human beings to do as much as we can to help each other," she shared. "And for us, for me, I've always had close to my heart the children's charities."
The singer's passion for children's charities may explain why she and her sister, Lynda Lopez, decided to launch the Lopez Family Foundation, which aims to improve healthcare for women and their children. Jennifer explained to Varietyin 2014 that she was motivated to bring the foundation to life after her own daughter was hospitalized. "Very early after my twins were born, my daughter [Emme] developed this bump on the back of her head," she said. "So I rushed to the hospital, and it was the middle of the night and the doctor met me there. And I had all these privileges, which wasn't lost on me. I went back that night and thought, what if I didn't have that? What if something was really wrong with her?"