How NFL Star Christian McCaffrey Avoided Fumbling His Finances

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Christian McCaffrey has been making money moves for nearly a decade.

Drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2017 at age 20, Christian McCaffrey’s life—and finances—were instantly transformed. Thanks to advice from his father, Ed McCaffrey, a three-time Super Bowl champion, Christian has successfully managed his money over the years.

Christian, 29, shared that his father always advised him, ‘The best way to keep your money is to not spend it.’ He explained to TopMob News, ‘Even though I suddenly had a lot of money, it didn’t feel significant because I was completely dedicated to football – training hard and getting in top shape to succeed.’

He certainly made an impact right away. In his first season, Christian scored seven touchdowns for the Panthers.

Growing up in Colorado, I felt a lot of pressure after being drafted so high—first round, actually. I was determined to be responsible with my money, so I saved almost everything I earned for the first few years I played in the NFL. I just put it away and didn’t spend much at all.

I’ve been prioritizing learning lately, especially from people with more expertise than me. I’m actively seeking advice, observing how they work, and leveraging my professional network to gain a deeper understanding of personal finance and money management.

Now that he has this experience, Christian—father to 6-month-old Colette with his wife, Olivia Culpo—is able to help others.

On February 2nd, he partnered with Intuit at the Financial Literacy Forum. Just days before Super Bowl 2026, high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area attended the event to learn basic skills for managing money and establishing good credit.

I’ve been hearing the same thing from everyone I talk to – they all wish they’d had something like this when they were in high school! It’s incredibly rewarding for me to be able to share what I’ve learned about managing finances with younger students who are already so much more financially aware than I was at their age. It feels good to give back and help them get a head start.

For more stars who’ve spoken out about their paychecks, keep reading.

According to Joe Giudice, he and his ex-wife, Teresa Giudice, barely made any money during the first season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. He revealed on his daughter Gia Giudice’s Casual Chaos podcast in August 2025 that they earned around $25,000, which he considered a very small amount, but they accepted it.

Creating the first season of the show wasn’t inexpensive. The father of four recalled, “I remember that big party we threw in my living room – I think the whole first season cost me around $150,000.”

Although the winner of Dancing With the Stars doesn’t receive a cash prize, everyone who reaches the finale is paid for their time on the show, plus they get a bonus, according to season 33 winner Jenna Johnson, who won with partner Joey Graziadei.

Johnson explained that winning doesn’t come with a huge financial reward; it’s more about getting a trophy. While professional dancers earn around $1,200 to $1,600 per episode, potentially reaching $100,000 for the entire season (though ABC hasn’t confirmed these figures), celebrities start at a salary of $125,000. As they progress, celebrities also receive bonuses, with those reaching the semifinals and finals earning up to an additional $50,000.

Jennifer Lawrence, who has won an Oscar, earned $25 million for her role in the Adam McKay-directed comedy Don’t Look Up. Her co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, also an Oscar winner, received $30 million for the same film.

Jennifer Lawrence acknowledged that Leonardo DiCaprio earns more at the box office than she does. While she’s happy with her own earnings, she explained to Vanity Fair that it’s often awkward for women to ask for equal pay. She’s observed that when a pay discrepancy is questioned, explanations are often vague and avoid directly addressing whether gender played a role.

I’ve always admired Jennifer Lawrence, and I was so impressed by how she handled the news about the pay gap during the Sony hack. It wasn’t just about her – the fact that she was paid less than her male costars in American Hustle really sparked a huge conversation about how women are paid in Hollywood, and it felt like a turning point. It was clear her positive outlook wasn’t just natural, but something she’d really worked to achieve, especially in the face of that unfairness.

Lawrence expressed gratitude for her career, clarifying that her concerns weren’t financial. In a 2017 interview with Channel 4 News, she explained she wasn’t bothered by the amount she earned for films, but rather by the broader issues of unfairness and inequality.

Compared to Leonardo DiCaprio’s earnings, Jonah Hill made a much smaller $60,000 for his work in the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street – before taxes and commissions. The star of the film, meanwhile, earned $10 million.

In a 2014 interview on The Howard Stern Show, Hill remembered being offered very little money for the role. However, he was so excited about the opportunity to work on a film directed by Martin Scorsese that he rushed to accept the offer, fearing they might reconsider.

According to actor Jonah Hill, he’d be willing to sacrifice everything to work with director Martin Scorsese. He explained that while films like 22 Jump Street help pay the bills, working on something you’re passionate about is far more important. Hill, who received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role as a troubled stockbroker, said he’d do it all over again, and that the opportunity isn’t about the money—it’s about doing work you believe in.

Oprah Winfrey happily accepted only a little bit of green to star in 1985’s The Color Purple.

In a 2023 interview with Essence, the media billionaire shared that they were only paid $35,000 for the film, but it was the most valuable $35,000 they ever made. They explained that the experience was transformative and taught them a great deal.

Jennifer Lopez made history when she played the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 movie Selena. She was the first Latina actress to be paid $1 million for a film role.

Looking back at her first big movie, Lopez recalled being very young and not fully understanding what was happening. She said it was amazing to be offered a million dollars, and she believes everyone involved was trying to prove a point.

This success allowed her to earn hundreds of millions of dollars, and often she doesn’t even need to invest any of her own money to do so.

In a 2019 interview with GQ, Jennifer Lopez explained that she pursues projects out of passion, not just for financial gain. She shared that she even produced and acted in Hustlers without a large salary, choosing to invest in herself and follow her creative instincts – much like the spirit of her song Jenny From the Block.

Adrien Brody wasn’t motivated by money when he made The Brutalist. He chose the role of a struggling Hungarian architect in post-war America for a salary of $250,000 and went on to win his second Best Actor Oscar.

Brody told Variety he’s ready for a big studio film, explaining he’s invested everything he has into renovating a unique property – a barn resembling a castle – in upstate New York.

When asked how he spent his first paycheck from Saturday Night Live, Pete Davidson joked to New York magazine, “Do you know how much we make?” He explained that he earned around $3,000 per episode when he started in 2014, adding, “So I think I just bought dinner.”

It’s notable that pay for new cast members on Saturday Night Live has stayed consistent over time. In 1975, original stars like John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, and Chevy Chase each earned $750 per episode. When adjusted for inflation, that’s about $3,300 in 2014, or roughly $4,428 today (in 2025).

Kenan Thompson earns considerably more than $3,000 per episode of SNL these days, especially since he’s currently in his 22nd season. However, he began his career like everyone else, starting from the beginning.

In Demi Lovato’s 2024 documentary, Child Star, the former All That cast member shared that their first paid commercial earned them $800. They added that, being 12 at the time, it felt like a fortune – basically, a million dollars.

It turns out Gilmore Girls’ status as a beloved rewatchable classic is literally priceless.

Actress Lauren Graham, best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore in the original series and its 2016 revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, recently shared that she doesn’t receive any ongoing payments (residuals) from Netflix. She told Jimmy Kimmel in March 2025 that she’s instead been ‘paid in love and appreciation’ for her work.

During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, actress Tommy Dorfman revealed details about her pay for the show 13 Reasons Why. The strike, like the WGA strike happening at the same time, was partly caused by streaming services such as Netflix not typically giving extra pay to actors and crew even after a show became very popular.

Dorfman revealed on Threads on July 24th that she earned $29,953.24 for her work on the first season of 13 Reasons Why before her agency, manager (combined 20%), and taxes were taken out. She worked on 8 episodes over six months, doing all the promotional work and appearing in key artwork for the show. She also traveled frequently between New York City and San Francisco to film, often working for days without pay and barely qualifying for health insurance.

Dorfman also noted that the show’s first season reached 476 million viewing hours within its first 28 days, which is the reason for the strike.

Dax Shepard recently shared with Lauren Graham, a former co-star from their show Parenthood, that he was one of the lowest-paid actors on the six-season NBC drama. He didn’t reveal any specific figures, but indicated his salary was quite low compared to others on the cast.

But, the Armchair Expert host stressed that he did not mind.

Before becoming a parent, I always made it a priority to find out how much my coworkers were earning. I’d either ask them directly or discreetly check with my agent to get the information.

He deliberately avoided finding out details about his family’s history at the company, which allowed him to appreciate the experience, even when he started to realize his position within the organization’s hierarchy.

In 2005, George Clooney told the Los Angeles Times that he and Grant Heslov each only made one dollar from the film Good Night, and Good Luck. Clooney explained that he had to cash his directing check and forgo his acting salary to get the film made, and Heslov did the same.

George Clooney’s passion project, a play about CBS News journalist Edward R. Murrow and his courageous reporting in the 1950s, proved to be a success. Clooney made his Broadway debut playing Murrow, and the production ran until June 2025. Before its official opening on April 3rd, the play earned a record-breaking $3.3 million during previews (for a non-musical), demonstrating it was a significant financial success – far exceeding a simple $1 profit.

Christian Bale revealed in a 2022 interview with GQ that he earned very little for his role as Patrick Bateman in the 2000 film American Psycho. He explained that the production wasn’t initially eager to cast him, and he was paid only the legally required minimum wage, with director Mary Harron being his primary advocate.

Bale recalled earning so little that he remembered the makeup artists joking he was paid less than they were, while he was sitting in the makeup trailer.

Despite his uncle being Rico, Jon Heder revealed in 2010 that he originally earned just $1,000 for his role in Napoleon Dynamite.

Once the unexpectedly successful comedy film took off, he was able to negotiate a share of the earnings. He told the New Zealand Herald that the offer increased, saying, “They went a little bit higher.”

Despite a successful career with acclaimed films like Amistad and Blood Diamond, Djimon Hounsou believes he doesn’t earn enough money for his work in Hollywood.

The Beninese actor told CNN’s Larry Madowo in January 2025 that despite working in the film industry for over twenty years – and even with two Oscar nominations and appearances in many successful blockbusters – he still finds it difficult to earn a living.

In her 2024 memoir, Rebel Rising, Rebel Wilson revealed she earned $3,500 for her work on Bridesmaids, but the entire amount went to joining the Screen Actors Guild. Essentially, she didn’t receive any pay for the film.

Still, she wrote, the experience was “everything!”

The Australian actress’s career soared, and her salary increased dramatically. She earned the standard union rate of $65,000 for the 2012 film Pitch Perfect, but by 2017’s Pitch Perfect 3, she was commanding $10 million. In total, she made $20 million from Pitch Perfect 3, Isn’t It Romantic, and The Hustle. However, after paying almost 50% in taxes, 10% to her agents, and 5% to her lawyer, along with other professional fees, she still considered her earnings a huge success.

In late 2017, Ellen Pompeo successfully negotiated a new contract for her role on Grey’s Anatomy. She secured $575,000 per episode, a substantial signing bonus, and a share of the show’s profits estimated to be worth between $6 and $7 million.

In a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, 48-year-old Pompeo explained that she’s now comfortable asking for fair compensation, something she feels comes with experience. She acknowledged the industry often doesn’t see her as ‘relevant’ after playing the same character for 14 years. However, she pointed out that while many actors can perform well during a show’s first couple of seasons, maintaining that quality for 14 years demonstrates real talent.

Ellen Pompeo recently shared that she didn’t resent her “Grey’s Anatomy” costar, Patrick Dempsey, despite consistently earning less than him, even though her character was the one the show was named after.

In a March 2025 episode of her podcast, Call Her Daddy, she explained that she felt she deserved equal recognition, considering the show was named after her. She wasn’t upset about his success, but rather that her contributions weren’t valued as highly, and she believed that would always be the case.

Jamie Lee Curtis remembers earning $8,000 total – $2,000 a week – for her first movie, 1978’s Halloween. As she explained to Rotten Tomatoes in 2018, essentially no one involved received significant pay.

Although the actress playing Laurie Strode made a good amount of money – around four figures – director John Carpenter’s friend, Nick Castle, felt wealthy earning $25 a day to share the role of Michael Myers. (Actually, Anthony Moran is the face you briefly see under the mask, and editor Tommy Lee Wallace also appeared on screen as Michael.)

Looking back, it was a whirlwind,” said Castle, who went to film school with Carpenter at USC. He explained to Vanity Fair in 2018 that he was primarily interested in getting on set to learn how movies were made and to understand directing. “I figured I’d work for free, just to be there. But I ended up making $25 a day just for wearing a rubber mask!”

Taraji P. Henson received an Oscar nomination for her supporting role in the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. However, she was still frustrated years later that she only earned $150,000 for the movie, despite initially requesting $500,000.

In a 2021 interview on the Ladies First With Laura Brown podcast, producer Scott Henson discussed the high salaries of the film’s stars, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. He noted that $20 million paychecks for actors were less common at the time, but he believed Pitt and Blanchett were worth it, stating, “They deserved what they were paid.”

She explained that she was also bringing value to the project and felt her salary request was reasonable, considering the potential ticket sales she’d help generate. She wouldn’t have accepted less. Henson was very disappointed when they initially offered only $100,000. In the end, she received $150,000, but admitted it was difficult to accept, even though it was less than she’d hoped for.

Henson understands some people might think $150,000 is a lot of money, but she wants to be clear she’s not ungrateful. However, after taxes and paying her team, the actual amount she’s left with is significantly less. She estimates that after the government takes 50% ($75,000) and she pays her team 30% of the original amount, she might only have around $40,000 remaining.

Although Cate Blanchett has earned a substantial income throughout her career, her role as the elf Galadriel in the highly successful The Lord of the Rings films—which earned $2.9 billion worldwide—wasn’t her sole source of wealth.

She was shocked when Andy Cohen suggested The Lord of the Rings was her most lucrative role during an August 2024 appearance on Watch What Happens Live. “Absolutely not,” she replied. “We didn’t make any money on that film—I pretty much just got free sandwiches and was allowed to keep my elf ears!”

Orlando Bloom, known for his role as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, revealed on The Howard Stern Show in 2023 that he earned only $175,000 for all three films.

Hopefully he also got to keep his ears.

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2026-02-04 22:49