George Lucas Net Worth

American film director George Lucas is one of the most famous people in the world. He has created not one but two mega-movie franchisees that have spawned sequel after sequel and had plenty of marketing tie-ins with games: Star Wars and Indiana Jones. His motion pictures are some of the most profitable movies ever. 

What Is George Lucas’ Net Worth? 

As of 2022, George Lucas was estimated to be worth $5 billion. The bulk of that money came from his selling the Star Wars franchise to Disney for $4 billion. His net worth can fluctuate depending on the cost of Disney stock. Before that, he had already amassed a billion from Star Wars and Indiana Jones. 

Who Is George Lucas? 

The famed director was born on May 14, 1944, and lived in Modesta, California. In his early life,  George Lucas went to the University of Southern California and graduated in 1967. He then founded American Zoetrope with a fellow named Francis Ford Coppola. 

Lucas started his feature film career with two movies: “THX 1138” and “American Graffiti.” The second film was produced under his new production company: Lucasfilms. Then came the 1977 film that would change both his career trajectory and worldwide pop culture: “Star Wars: A New Hope.” Fans flocked to the theaters, excited to see this new type of moviemaking. They fell in love with Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia Organa, and Harrison Ford’s Han Solo. They also both feared and respected Darth Vader, the villainous Sith Lord. 

Star Wars

It turned out that “A New Hope” was only the first part of the Original Trilogy. After that came “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.” Over the course of the 1980s and 1990s, the world could not get enough of this franchise and set many box office records. Lucas made a lot from licensing and merchandising rights. 

Lucas had started an empire with Star Wars, but he also created another franchise – this one set on Earth decades ago. Harrison Ford starred as the intrepid archeologist Indiana Jones in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981. There were two more Indiana Jones films in that decade – “Temple of Doom” and “The Last Crusade.” The Indiana Jones movies were also quite lucrative and did well at the box office. 

The man who had Hollywood in the palm of his hand decided to branch out further. He created a studio audio system (THX) that improved the listening experience for theatergoers. He created a gaming company, LucasArts, that made PC and console games that also used the Star Wars and Indiana Jones characters. “Dark Forces” was one of the games that also created several sequels and centered around the Jedi Knights. 

It seemed like the original trilogy was all the fans would get, along with the expanded Star Wars Universe books. But then Lucas decided to go back and do prequels that would flesh out the story of how Anakin Skywalker, Luke and Leia’s father, became Darth Vader. Apologies if this is a spoiler for movies that are over 40 years old. 

Those movies were met with mixed reviews since fans were not fond of his directorial style. Lucas had let other people direct “Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” but he took complete control of the prequel trilogy after Steven Spielberg turned down his offer to direct them. The result was some very aesthetically pleasing film footage but some very wooden acting and dialogue. 

After that, Lucas decided he wanted to have an everyday life. Yes, he was wealthy beyond many people’s imagination, but he felt he was missing out. So Lucas sold Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise to Disney. 

Fun Facts About George Lucas

• Lucas’ father owned a stationery store and wanted his son to take it over. Fortunately, the son had other ideas. He began filming car races and first went to Modesto Junior College before USC. 
• The legendary director initially wanted to join the United States Air Force. They rejected him because he had too many speeding tickets. The Army turned him down because he was a diabetic. 
• Lucas also could have been a race car driver, but he had a bad accident that nudged him toward filmmaking. 
• Lucas was nominated for four Academy Awards. He did not win any of those Academy Award nominations. 
• In 2005, Lucas got a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute.
• He founded the George Lucas Educational Foundation in 1991.
• Lucas lives on Skywalker Ranch, which is 4,700 acres. Only 15 acres have been developed,  though.
• His daughter, Amanda Lucas, went in a very different direction from her father. She was a mixed martial artist. 
• Fellow filmmaker Steven Spielberg owes Lucas a debt of gratitude. He met his wife, Kate Capshaw, on the set of “Temple of Doom.” 
• He plans to open the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which will be located in Los Angeles. 
• Regarding his personal life, Lucas married Mellody Hobson after his first marriage ended in divorce. She was the head of Dreamworks Animation.
• Disney also owns the Indiana Jones franchise.
• Lucas met Coppola at USC thanks to a Warner Brothers student scholarship. 
• He donated $1 million for a statue of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King to be made. 
• Lucas loves fiddling with his movies. He made additions to the original Star Wars film and its sequels. Those included adding more creatures and putting the original Jabba the Hutt in the first Star Wars.

Steven Spielberg

George Lucas FAQs

What is George Lucas’ Net Worth? 

$5 billion

How Much Does George Lucas Earn? 

The American film director makes about $66 million a year. 

How Tall is George Lucas? 

He is 5’6″

How Old Is George Lucas? 

Lucas turned 78 in 2022.

When Is George Lucas’ Birthday? 

He was born on May 14. 

George Lucas FAQs