Here's How Much Jean-Claude Van Damme Is Actually Worth
It's easy to assume that despite his great, Bloodsport-themed services to the splits and spin kicks industry, Jean-Claude Van Damme is not exactly rolling in cash these days. Although he is still making movies– Ultimate Movie Rankings shows that he has seen some box office success as the villain in Expendables 2 and with his small voice roles in Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3– his high-grossing leading man days ended in the mid-1990s. His IMDb page tells us that he still averages multiple movies per year, and he even turns in the occasional self-aware series like the critically acclaimed Jean-Claude Van Johnson, but it would appear his marquee player days are long over. What's more, Vice reports the star was also quite fond of cocaine in the 1990s, to the point that his nose candy budget was an estimated $10,000 a week.
As such, it wouldn't be out of order to assume that the millions Van Damme made during his heyday would have dwindled down to a much more modest pile of money. But is that really the case?
Jean-Claude Van Damme's net worth is bigger than you think
Surprisingly, it appears that Jean-Claude Van Damme is still practicing his splits atop a very respectable mound of cash. In fact, celebrity net worth sites such as the Richest, Net Worth Reporter and, well, Celebrity Net Worth all estimate his estate at somewhere around the $30 million range.
When you think about it, this does make sense. Van Damme has been making movies since the 1980s, and has over 70 acting credits to his name. What's more, while his movies rarely top box offices, they also cost significantly less to make than the ones that do. As a result, his profitability as an actor is off the charts. In fact, the New York Post reports that when analysts studied box office data between 1980 and 2017 to see which established leading actor delivered the most bang for a buck, Van Damme averaged a whopping $4.20 at the box office per every dollar spent on the movie. This extremely respectable return of investment placed him second on the list after Emilio Estevez ($6.70 per every spent dollar), and allows him to easily roundhouse kick blockbuster-making A-listers such as Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp to oblivion.