Category - Movies
The One Crucial Decision That Blew Up Sylvester Stallone's Incredible Net Worth
Sometimes it feels impossible to watch every single Sylvester Stallone movie. Even when you just think about the franchises he's in—like Rocky, Rambo, and The Expendables—you're already dealing with over 20 movies. But, when you start to factor in his other excellent work like Cop Land (1996) or Cliffhanger (1993), suddenly you realize this guy has been in pretty much all your favorites.
Recently, Stallone has probably been most visible as the star of Tulsa King, and the reality show The Family Stallone. He's also been involved in a few poorly reviewed newer movies like Armor and Alarum, neither of which are nearly as bad as the critics claim. But, Stallone doesn't care about critics, and he shouldn't. With a great career behind him and massive projects ahead of him (he's the writer behind the next exciting Jason Statham movie, A Working Man) Stallone seems like he's going to keep fighting forever.
But how did this 78-year-old badass get to where he is today? Here's a brief recap of the pivotal moment that made Stallone a massive success, plus his net worth today.
Sylvester Stallone's Heroic Rise to the Top

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Although Sylvester Stallone started acting in 1969, he didn't really get his footing until the 1970s. After being paid only $200 bucks for a role in a softcore movie called The Party at Kitty and Stud's, sleeping in bus stations, and getting turned down for a role as an extra in The Godfather, many would have quit trying to be an actor altogether. But Stallone was determined to control his own creative destiny.
Despite multiple rejections and setbacks, Stallone somehow never gave up on his professional goal of becoming a major actor. In 1973, Stallone finally nabbed a leading role, this time in the film No Place to Hide, but his breakthrough success was just around the corner.
In 1975, Stallone watched Muhammad Ali fight Chuck Wepner in the boxing ring and was inspired to write a screenplay. In three days time, he'd completed what would become the first draft of Rocky. By 1976, he starred in the title role of the film he wrote, and essentially became an overnight sensation, even though he'd been working tirelessly at his craft for nearly a decade. Rocky was unique because, at one point, Stallone was offered $350,000 dollars for the rights to the screenplay, but he refused that offer because the producers wanted to cast someone other than him in the lead role. Stallone was utterly committed to embodying the character he'd created, and that belief in his art was what led to his success. In 1977, Rocky won the Oscar for Best Picture.
Sylvester Stallone's Net Worth

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Stallone's current net worth is $400 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This includes his various box office hits, his business investments, and ownership of many of the franchises he created.
In terms of being a leading man in massive, box office successes, Stallone is literally one-of-a-kind, from the standpoint of profits. In the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s, when you look at opening weekend numbers, Stallone has had at least one #1 box office hit during those decades. This means he's the only actor alive—other than Harrison Ford—to have number-one box office hits for six decades running.
Stallone's ownership of his art helps, too. Among his classic action star peers (like Arnold Schwarzenegger), Stallone is unique for often writing his own material. This means that every time somebody watched Rocky for the millionth time, Stallone doesn't just get residual payments for being an actor, but a writer, too. The Rocky spinoff movie series, Creed, starring Michael B. Jordan, is of course, based on characters that Stallone created.
With every punch he lands, or doesn't, Stallone somehow manages to be a winner. In his movies, he's taught us it doesn't matter how many times you fall down, but that you always get back up. And his successes prove that in life, he lives by the same philosophy.
Related: Here's How to Binge All the 'Rocky' and 'Creed' Movies