How does Ellen DeGeneres spend her US$370 million net worth? The world’s top-paid TV host really likes Porsche sports cars, Rolex watches and luxury real estate
One of America’s richest self-made women, DeGeneres got her big break when asked to voice Dory in the 2003 animated film Finding Nemo, and debuted The Ellen DeGeneres Show the same year. By 2017, she was reportedly earning an estimated US$50 million a year just from the show, which made her the top-paid TV host at the time. On top of her salary on the show, DeGeneres receives around 60 per cent of the advertising and product placement fees.
Aside from TV, DeGeneres ventured into many other projects that contributed to her multimillionaire status. She built her own production company, A Very Good Production, and has made several brand deals with the likes of CoverGirl and JCPenney. With several published books and her successful home goods and clothing brands, she is continuously raking in the big bucks. She also received US$20 million from Netflix in 2018 for an exclusive stand-up special on the platform.
While we wait to hear what’s next with Ellen, the question that intrigues us most is: what does she spend her money on?
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Property
It’s no secret that DeGeneres is a real estate mogul who gets some of her fortune from investing in properties. Architectural Digest outlined that, since 2003, the star and her wife Portia de Rossi have reportedly bought and sold around 20 massive properties.
In 2019, DeGeneres bought her largest and most extravagant home: a US$27 million mansion in Montecito, California. The 3.2-hectare (8.2-acre) parcel of land houses her lavish 8,200 sq ft, Balinese-style home with five bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a cabana, a private two-bedroom guest house and an infinity pool with ocean and hill views. The couple sold it for US$33 million the following year.
The same year, they invested in another Montecito property spanning over 1.6-hectares (four-acres) with multiple buildings, such as a Cape Dutch-style house and a Tom Kundig-designed barn. The entire property was priced at US$49 million, making it one of the most expensive sales in the area.
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Cars (especially Porsches)
DeGeneres’ lavish taste includes expensive automotives too. In 2012, she was spotted cruising California with her wife in a Ferrari California – a two-door grand tourer which cost around US$200,000 at the time.
She also has a Porsche 993, an early 90s version of the original Porsche 911, which she got back when she and de Rossi first started dating. She also owns a Porsche Panamera, a more modern executive car.
Also in her precious collection are the US$150,000 Porsche Targa 4S – a high-end version of the 911 – a Porsche Cayenne S and a Porsche 997 Carrera S.
Just this month, DeGeneres splurged on a new limited-edition Porsche 950 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition, spending US$182,000 on the maroon classic convertible.
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Watches
Not only is DeGeneres a fan of expensive cars, she also loves luxury watches like the 2015 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40, which sells for over US$23,000 and features Rolex’s Oysterflex bracelet.
She also owns a highly coveted Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. This timepiece features a stainless steel case and a cream “Paul Newman” dial. Luxe Watches reported that DeGeneres owns a collection of Daytonas in all kinds of metals – which is impressive as each watch is reported to sell for around US$25,000!
One of her most lavish watches is her Patek Philippe Grand Complications, which costs upwards of US$200,000. It features an 18-karat rose gold case, perpetual calendar display, day and night indication and the exclusive rose gold Goutte bracelet.
Also found in her collection are the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40, Rolex Explorer II, Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time and some pieces from Audemars Piguet and Omega.
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Her beloved art collection
De Rossi is the owner of art curation and publishing company, General Public, which means DeGeneres’ love of art is near and dear. Architectural Digest reported that she sought help from a few well-known Los Angeles art dealers and designers, such as Tommy and Kathleen Clements, Cliff Fong and Harrison Holman, when curating art for their home in 2017.
Some of the pieces in DeGeneres’ home are even of museum quality, and she has works by famous modern artists such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Diego Giacometti.
She clearly loves eclectic furnishings too, having done up her home with pieces like a 19th century Agra carpet, a Spanish colonial bench and a Serge Mouille chandelier.
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- The Ellen DeGeneres Show might be ending, but not before its host made millions; she also got US$20 million for her Netflix special in 2018
- She and wife Portia de Rossi reportedly flipped over 20 properties since 2003, even selling a California home to Ariana Grande