Gene Hackman's Net Worth Proves He Was No Lex Luthor
And yet, because Hackman was in so many iconic films, one wonders: What was Gene Hackman's net worth before he died? Turns out, that although he was very much a rich man, Hackman was not on the same level as his billionaire alter-ego, the Superman villain, Lex Luthor. Here's what Gene Hackman's net worth was before he died, and how he got there.
As of March 2025, Hackman's net worth was estimated at $80 million according to Celebrity Net Worth and The Economic Times. This fortune came largely from his longtime acting career. In the 1978 Superman film alone, Hackman was paid $2 million dollars. For roles in The Quick and the Dead (1995) and Lucky Lady (1975), Hackman reported was paid 1.5 million for each.
For The French Connection in 1971, Hackman was paid $100,000. Over the years, these roles, and the residuals from his box office hits clearly added up. Although he didn't appear in the third Superman film in 1983, Hackman did return for Superman IV in 1987 in which he technically, played a dual role: That of Lux Luthor, but also the voice of Nuclear Man. (The body of Nuclear Man was played by Mark Pillow.)
That said, Hackman wasn't only about getting huge paychecks for films. According to Ben Stiller, Hackman's role in the beloved 2001 Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums "wasn't a money job."
All the Superman films stream on Max
You can rent The Royal Tenenbaums on Prime Video and elsewhere for $3.99
The Quick and the Dead is streaming on Pluto TV for free.
You can rent Unforgiven on YouTube and elsewhere for $3.99
You can rent The French Connection on Apple TV and elsewhere for $3.99
You can rent The Poseidon Adventure on Prime Video and elsewhere for $3.99
You can rent Crimson Tide on Google Movies and elsewhere for $3.99
You can watch Lucky Lady on DVD or YouTube.
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