Kevin Costner’s Stunning $250 Million Fortune: The Shocking Truth Behind His Box Office Flops and Hidden Child Support Battles

Ever find yourself wondering what really fills a celebrity’s wallet beyond the glitz and glam? Sure, we peek at the mansions, the sleek rides, and those jaw-dropping red carpet outfits, but every once in a while, the curtains pull back and we get a real glimpse inside the vault. That’s exactly what happened with Kevin Costner, the fifty-something star whose finances came under the spotlight thanks to a very public divorce that stirred the pot. Now, after his epic resurgence with Yellowstone—where he’s reportedly pulling in a cool $1.3 million per episode—you’ve gotta ask: How does a Hollywood cowboy really make and spend all that cash? Spoiler alert: It’s a wild ride filled with blockbuster hits, hefty paychecks, a few costly gambles, and yep, some heartbreak along the way. Ready to unpack the dollars and drama behind the legend? LEARN MORE

For most celebrities, their financial situations are merely speculation. Based on the houses they live in, the clothes they wear and the cars they drive, it usually isn’t hard to put the pieces together regarding their monetary situation—but in some cases, those details come to light, and that was the case with Kevin Costner over the last few years. A messy and publicized divorce gave the world a look into the 70-year-old actor’s bank account, and in the wake of his Yellowstone success, the numbers were staggering. With an estimated net worth of $250 million per CelebrityNetWorth, here’s a look at how Kevin Costner makes—and spends—his checks. 

Kevin Costner made it big as a movie star

Long before Kevin Costner brought to life the character of John Dutton, the dashing actor was shining in the western genre on the big screen. In 1990, he starred in, produced and directed Dances With Wolves, which took home not only an Academy Award for Best Picture, but raked in over $400 million at the box office. And that was just one of many successes! Movies like The Bodyguard, which he starred in alongside Whitney Houston, also grossed over $400 million. Other box office successes lined his resume throughout the 90s, not only proving his skills on the screen, but building up the actor’s bank account to fund the projects that would come in the following years. 

The ‘Yellowstone’ career revival that boosted his bank account

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Kevin Costner acted in dozens of movies, but it was in 2018 when he originated the role of John Dutton in Yellowstone that he proved he still had it. The patriarch of the Dutton family and owner of the Yellowstone Ranch, the role put him back on the map and redefined the neo-western genre—and he didn’t do it for free! As reported by Taste of Country, when the show first began, Costner was making $500,000 an episode. By the time Season 5 rolled around, the show had grown into a worldwide sensation. Costner made a whopping $1.3 million per episode. 

A messy divorce cost Costner

In 2023 and 2024, Kevin Costner was making headlines—but not for his work on the screen. In 2023, Costner’s wife, Christine Baumgartner, filed for divorce from the actor, citing irreconcilable differences. The public proceedings got messy, and also shed light on Costner’s financials thanks to publicized legal documents. As reported by UsWeekly, back in 2022, Costner made nearly $20 million. After months of back and forth, with People reporting that Baumgartner once requested up to $248,000 a month in child support, their divorce was settled, with Costner paying around $63,000 a month in child support as well as covering much of the children’s expenses.

Costner’s passion project wasn’t a financial win

Costner’s finances took another hit with the production and release of his passion project, Horizon: An American Saga. The two-part film was financed by the actor, who revealed to GQ just how much of his own money he put into the film. “I know they say I’ve got $20 million of my own money in this movie,” he shared. “It’s not true. I’ve got now about $38 million in the film. That’s the truth. That’s the real number.” And that’s not all. “I’ve mortgaged 10 acres on the water in Santa Barbara where I was going to build my last house,” he told Deadline back in 2023. “But I did it without a thought. It has thrown my accountant into a f–g conniption fit. But it’s my life, and I believe in the idea and the story.” Despite the financial risks he took with the film, the reward didn’t exactly pan out. Regardless of the films’ poor box office performances, the actor expressed that he doesn’t regret bringing the movie to life. 

“I’ve faced life with people being dismissive of me,” Costner told E! News. “But they can’t be dismissive of Horizon, because now it’s out of their hands. And they might point to the finish line—well, this is what it did at the box office—but I know that this movie is going to play for the next 50 years.”