How Much is Judy Garland Worth? Judy Garland's Assets & Salary ( Updated) Net Worth 2026: Career Earnings & Assets

As one of the most talked-about figures, Judy Garland has built a significant fortune. In this article, we dive deep into the assets and career highlights.

What Was Judy Garland's Net Worth and Salary?

Just a few years before her death, Judy discovered she owed the IRS $500,000. That's around $4 million in today's dollars. This was the result of embezzlement and mismanagement by her agents, Freddie Fields and David Begelman. The IRS placed a tax lien on her home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, and began garnishing royalties from her Capital Records recording contract and other business ventures. Judy ultimately was forced to sell the home at a steep discount, resulting in a period where she bounced around from hotel to hotel, frequently leaving a large unpaid bill.

At her peak, Judy Garland was one of the most successful actresses in the world, and she was also an accomplished singer. Garland came from an era when actresses were expected to know how to sing and dance, and she was one of the few who was able to carry out all of these tasks with equal proficiency.

In 1967, Judy earned more than $200,000 from a 27-night engagement at New York's Palace Theater, 75% of the show's profits. Unfortunately, the IRS seized the majority of these earnings. After Judy's passing, her daughter,Liza Minnelli, raised the money required to pay off the estate's debts. Over 500 of her personal items were auctioned off, raising $250,000 (roughly $1 million in today's money).Frank Sinatraalso personally contributed funds to clear the debts.

As a result of her achievements, Judy won a number of awards and honors. These included an AcademicJuvenileAward, a Golden Globe Award, a Special Tony Award, a Grammy Award, and many other accolades. She began her career as a teenager, and her introduction to the entertainment world came at a cost. Throughout the years, Garland suffered from feelings of low self-worth, and she battled substance abuse from a very early age. Financial issues also plagued the legendary actress, and this resulted in her extremely low net worth at the time of her passing.

Despite earning millions of dollars during the peak of her career, Judy experienced severe financial problems that left her in dire straits by the end of her life. Decades of financial mismanagement combined with her generosity to friends and family left her in so much debt that many of the philanthropic requests in her will could not be fulfilled.

In the early 1950s, Judy could earn $15-20,000 per week performing on Broadway. That's the same as making $163,000 per week today. When she appeared in "The Ford Star Jubilee" in 1955, she earned $100,000.

For her final film, 1963's "I Could Go On Singing," Garland was paid $200,000 and guaranteed 10% of the gross after the movie made $3 million.

Judy's very first contract with MGM in 1935 paid $100 a week. By the time she was chosen to play Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," her salary had been increased to $500 per week. Her primary cast mates made $3,000 per week. In total, Garland made $9,649 from Oz, the same as around $190,000 in today's dollars. Judy's mother took a cut of these salaries during much of her early career.

Judy Garland was an American actress, singer, and vaudevillian who had a net worth of $40 thousand at the time of her death – the equivalent of $300,000 in today's dollars after adjusting for inflation. She had earned more than $400,000 in movie salaries before turning 18 and would go on to make nearly $10 million during her career, roughly $100 million after adjusting for inflation.

In summary, the total wealth of Judy Garland reflects strategic moves.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.