How Much is Olivia de Havilland Worth? Olivia de Havilland - Is the Star a Billionaire? Net Worth 2026: Career Earnings & Assets
Updated: May 05, 2026
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Many fans are curious about Olivia de Havilland's financial success in April 2026. Our team analyzed the latest data to provide a clear picture of their income.
What was Olivia De Havilland's net worth?
Olivia De Havilland rose to prominence during Hollywood's Golden Age, best known for her role as Melanie Hamilton in the 1939 classic "Gone with the Wind." Born in Tokyo to British parents, de Havilland moved to California with her mother and sister, Joan Fontaine, who also became a notable actress.
Oliva was born on July 1, 1916, to British parents in Tokyo. Her father, Walter, was working as an English professor at the Imperial University of Tokyo at the time.
Her legacy also included various honors beyond her Academy Awards. She received the National Medal of Arts in 2008 and was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017.
Olivia De Havilland was a British-American actress who had a net worth of $50 million at the time of her death. Olivia De Havilland died on July 25, 2020, at the age of 104. Though she was typecast early in her career in roles of innocent-looking young women, she would later be nominated for five Academy Awards playing profound and powerful roles. She won two of those nominations, both for Best Actress, for 1946's "To Each His Own" and 1949's "The Heiress". She lost the 1942 Oscar for Best Actress (for her work in the film "Hold Back the Dawn") to her sister, Joan Fontaine (for her work in "Suspicion").
De Havilland continued to showcase her acting prowess in films like "To Each His Own" (1946) and "The Heiress" (1949), both of which earned her Academy Awards for Best Actress. She ventured into television roles in the 1960s and 1970s and was nominated for several awards, including Primetime Emmy Awards. Her longevity in an industry known for its ephemerality is testament to her talent, tenacity, and adaptability.
Olivia's younger sister, Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, would later become the internationally known actress, Joan Fontaine. Their first cousin on their father's side, Geoffrey, founded the de Havilland aircraft company. Sir Geoffrey de Havilland was a British aircraft designer and engineer. He is best known for his work on the Mosquito, a twin-engined, multi-role combat aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force during World War II. He also designed the De Havilland Comet, the world's first jet airliner.
She was not merely confined to the screen but took her talents to the stage as well, performing in productions such as "Romeo and Juliet," "Candida," and "A Gift of Time." Throughout her career, de Havilland worked with some of the most iconic figures in film history, such asErrol Flynn, with whom she starred in eight films, including "Captain Blood" and "The Adventures of Robin Hood."
During their time in Tokyo, both daughters suffered a variety of illnesses. Their health was such a concern that their mother eventually persuaded their father to bring the family back to England, where they might receive better medical care. The family sailed from Tokyo to England by way of San Francisco, California. While staying in California to help Olivia recover from tonsillitis, Joan developed pneumonia. At this point, Olivia's mother decided she would stay in California. Their father, meanwhile, abandoned the family and decided to return to Tokyo, where he moved in with the family's former housekeeper. They would eventually marry.
Olivia, Joan, and their mother settled in Saratoga, California, 50 miles south of San Francisco, where the girls excelled in the arts at school.
One of Olivia de Havilland's most significant contributions to Hollywood wasn't just her performances but also her legal battles against the studio system. In 1943, she sued Warner Bros. for extending her seven-year contract without her consent. Winning the lawsuit led to what is known as the "De Havilland Law," significantly impacting labor laws in the entertainment industry by limiting the power studios had over actors.
Ultimately, Olivia de Havilland's financial journey is a testament to their success.
Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.