What Is Simon Kinberg's Net Worth and Salary?
Simon Kinberg is a British-born American screenwriter and film producer who has a net worth of $200 million. Simon Kinberg is probably best known for producing the "Deadpool" and "X-Men" film franchises. He has also worked on"Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Elysium," "Sherlock Holmes," and "The Martian," among others.
Deadpool Earnings
Kinberg was given 5% gross participation points for producing "Deadpool." To date, this has resulted in an $80 million payday.
"Red Shirt" Payday
According to an April 2023 report published by the Hollywood Reporter, Simon earned $8 million from Amazon for his script "Red Shirt." Amazon then paid $25 million to Channing Tatum to star in the film and $18 million to David Leitch to direct.
Early Life
Simon Kinberg was born on August 2, 1973, in Hammersmith, London, England. He is the son of Monica Menell-Kinberg and Jud Kinberg, both Jewish Americans. His father worked as a writer and producer. The family moved to Los Angeles when Kinberg was six years old. He attended Brentwood High School and then enrolled at Brown University, where he graduated magna cum laude. He later attended Columbia University, where he earned his MFA in 2003 and won the Zaki Gordon Fellowship for Screenwriting.
Career
While he was still in school, Kinberg pitched an idea to Warner Brothers and went on to have a successful early career writing scripts for Disney, Sony, and DreamWorks. During this time, he was able to work with famed directors like Steven Spielberg and Jerry Bruckheimer, among others, while he was in the midst of his studies. After finishing school, Simon moved to Hollywood and earned his first screenwriting credit on "XXX: State of the Union" in 2005. His next work as a screenwriter came when he worked on "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" directed by Doug Liman and starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The script had begun as Kinberg's thesis for film school. He also worked on a script for the pilot episode of a television adaptation of the idea. In the 2005 film, Simon can be seen on screen in a scene with Brad Pitt.
In 2006, Kinberg landed his next screenwriting job on the 20th Century Fox film "X-Men: The Last Stand." He co-wrote the film with Zak Penn. Comic-book writer Chris Claremont had written the storyline that served as the primary source material for the film. He also wrote the novelization of the film and made Kinberg a character in the book.
In 2008, Kinberg again worked with director Doug Liman for the film "Jumper." Simon wrote and produced the movie. The film stars Samuel L. Jackson, Hayden Christensen, and Diane Lane. The next year, he wrote "Sherlock Holmes" which was directed by Guy Ritchie and starred Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law. Meanwhile, he had also started a production company, Genre Films, which signed a first-look deal with 20th Century Fox in April 2010.
In 2011, Kinberg produced "X-Men: First Class." He also worked as a writer and producer on "This Means War" in 2010. He also was the co-screenwriter and an executive producer on the film "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" the same year. In 2013, Simon produced the film "Elysium." In 2014, Kinberg wrote and produced the film "X-Men: Days of Future Past." He also produced "Let's Be Cops."
(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
In 2015, Kinberg produced the film "Chappie" and the live-action version of "Cinderella" for Disney. Additionally, he worked on "Fantastic Four" as a writer and producer and on the science fiction film "The Martian" starring Matt Damon and directed by Ridley Scott. In 2016, he wrote and produced "X-Men: Apocalypse," the next film in the popular franchise. The same year, Simon also produced the very popular "Deadpool" starring Ryan Reynolds. In 2017, he produced the films "Logan" starring Hugh Jackman and "Murder on the Orient Express," an adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel of the same name. He then produced "Deadpool 2" in 2018. In 2019, he produced two "X-Men" spin-off films – "The New Mutants" and "Dark Phoenix." The latter film was also his directorial debut.
In July 2019, it was announced that Kinberg and his production company, Genre Films, would be leaving Fox after 20 years together. After his departure, he continued writing and producing films. In 2022, Simon wrote, produced, and directed "The 355." In 2023, he produced "A Haunting in Venice" and began working on "Lift."
Kinberg has also worked in television. From 2014 to 2018, he was a writer, creator, and executive producer on "Star Wars Rebels." From 2016 to 2019, he worked as the executive producer on "Designated Survivor." From 2017 to 2019, Simon was the executive producer on the shows "The Gifted" and "Legion." From 2019 to 2020, he directed, wrote, created, and worked as an executive producer on "The Twilight Zone." In 2021, he wrote, created, and produced "Invasion."
His work over the years has earned him a number of awards and accolades. In 2016, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Saturn Awards. His film "The Martian" won the Golden Globe Award in the Best Motion Picture category in 2015. "Deadpool" won the Golden Globe in the Best Motion Picture category in 2016.
Personal Life
On July 26, 2001, Kinberg married Mali Heled in a Jewish ceremony. They had two sons together. The couple separated in 2014 and then divorced in 2017. Simon then had a relationship with Cleo Wade, and the two became engaged in November 2019. They have had two daughters together.
Real Estate
In early 2018, Simon sold a Sunset Strip home to actor Sam Worthington for $7.9 million. Later that same year, he purchased a different house above the Sunset Strip in the Hollywood Hills for $31.5 million. Kinberg sold this home in 2021 for $28.5 million, a $3 million loss. That same year, he paid $15.5 million for a home in LA's Brentwood neighborhood.
