J.K. Rowling is an extremely rich person. Just how rich remains a mystery, because she’s been tight-lipped on the subject matter after telling a TV interviewer in 2005 that, “I’ve got plenty of money, more money than I ever dreamed I would have. But I am not a billionaire.”
Forbes dropped her off its billionaires list in 2012 (after eight years of being there), citing high British taxes and large charitable contributions as eating into her Harry Potter-sized fortune.
The New York Times‘ James Stewart now reckons Forbes needs to revise. He did the math, and estimates that even by accounting for a large margin of error, Rowling’s fortune now sits north of $1 billion.
Here’s how Stewart did the math:
- The seven ‘Harry Potter’ books: $1.15 billion.
- The Robert Galbraith series: “at least another” $50 million.
- The first four ‘Harry Potter’ films: $250 million.
- The second four ‘Harry Potter’ films: $400 million.
- The first ‘Fantastic Beasts’ film: $50 million.
- Licensing fee from Universal Studios: $60 million to $80 million, plus annual development fees.
- Universal Studios revenue percentage since opening: $100 million.
- NBCUniversal television rights: $125 million.