Exactly how rich is Will Smith? Here's what we know about his net worth

Will Smith isnt just the Prince of Bel-Air. Hes also certified Hollywood royalty - and has the net worth to prove it.

It wasn't always that way. The rapper-turned-actor from West Philadelphia was once in serious debt to the government, but he turned it all around when he landed his breakout acting role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He went on to become Hollywood's most bankable star, bringing in major cash at the box office - and along the way, accumulated quite the bank account of his own.

Here's everything we know about Will Smith's net worth.

Will Smith was once in trouble with the IRS.

These days, the two-time Oscar-winner and Men in Black star has a sky-high net worth, but it wasn't always that way. After rising to fame as a rapper, Smith started splurging on things he couldn't afford...and ended up owing $2.8 million to the government because he'd stopped paying his taxes.

"Being famous and broke is a shitty combination," he said in a 2018 YouTube video, "because you're still famous and people recognize you, but they recognize you while you're sitting next to them on the bus."

Exactly how rich is Will Smith? Here's what we know about his net worth

Thankfully, he scored the starring role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and the rest is history. (Well, almost - the IRS reportedly took 70 percent of his earnings from the show's first three seasons.)

Will Smith earned $100 million for

Smith's 2012 turn as Agent J remains one of the highest-paying movie roles of all time. He took home around $100 million of the film's $624 million gross earnings, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Exactly how rich is Will Smith? Here's what we know about his net worth

Will Smith made $20.5 million in 2016.

The year after Concussion came out, Smith snagged the #20 spot on Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid actors.

Will Smith earned $42 million in 2018.

Bright may have been dubbed the "worst movie of 2017," but the Netflix original still added $20 million to Smith's bank account, according to Forbes.

In 2018, Smith ranked #71 on Forbes' list of the world's 100 richest celebrities.

Will Smiths net worth is at least $250 million.

Some celebrity wealth sites put Smith's net worth around $250 million, while others say it's closer to $300 million. But hey, it's nice to know that no matter how big he gets, the guy never forgets his roots.

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