Matthew McConaughey's Net Worth: Risky Career Changes and Investments Have Paid Off

Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey has had a heck of a film career. Once primarily associated with rom coms featuring goofy premises and even animals with human qualities, he's covered a wide breadth of roles.

His turns as Rust Cohle in season one of True Detective, Joseph Cooper in Interstellar, Ron Woodroof in the Oscar-grabbing Dallas Buyers Club, provided a significant contrast to his work in films like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

McConaughey's body of work has not only earned him accolades but also a reportedly substantial net worth, to boot.

At least two separate outlets report Matthew McConaughey's net worth to be $160 million. Finance-Monthly writes that, between his "successful acting career, endorsements, business ventures, and investments," McConaughey has managed to secure a redoubtable amount of money to his name.

Furthermore, Cine Net Worth has also echoed this same figure, and both outlets have attributed a combination of his earnings he's accrued through film performances, along with brand deals and personal business ventures for his $160 million net worth.

Finance-Monthly writes that McConaughey actively participates in real estate endeavors, including a $10 million Malibu beachfront mansion, as well as a "sprawling Texas Ranch." The outlet went on to state that McConaughey has other investment properties he's put money into in order to expand his portfolio.

The star also delineated some of the hardships that came along with his decision to no longer pursue rom coms so that he could push himself into the different types of roles he was eager to get into. During a sit-down interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast, McConaughey revealed he turned down a $14.5 million paycheck for a romantic comedy.

After not receiving any offers for months, the sizable offer first came in with an $8 million paycheck, but McConaughey said he wasn't interested after reading the script. This prompted the production company to make a $12 million offer, but he still said no dice.

The third and final proposed salary for McConaughey was a staggering $14.5 million, which gave him some pause. He also said that the script was a bit better written, and that he could've definitely made the movie work. Ultimately, he remained steadfast in his decision to take on dramatic roles.

He adamantly believes that if he had taken that script, he wouldn't have been considered for The Lincoln Lawyer, which set him on a completely different career trajectory. McConaughey would go on to star in Killer Joe, The Paperboy, Mud, Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar, Magic Mike, and True Detective, among others.

Notable brand endorsements have also bolstered his net worth, too. Deals with Wild Turkey and Lincoln Automobiles are just a couple of companies McConaughey has worked with. He's also launched the non profit, the JK Livin Foundation, as part of his Just Keep Livin' brand. His online store, which sells shirts, hats, and accessories, utilizes proceeds to benefit the humanitarian causes supported by JKL, which you can check out here.