How Much is Richard Roundtree Worth? Richard Roundtree's Assets & Salary - Is the Star a Billionaire? Net Worth 2026: Career Earnings & Assets

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

What was Richard Roundtree's Net Worth?

Richard Roundtree was an American actor and former model who had a net worth of $2 million at the time of his death. Richard died on October 24, 2023 at the age of 81.

Richard Roundtree ws best known for his Golden Globe-nominated performance as John Shaft in the 1971 film "Shaft," a role that led to him being dubbed "the first black action hero." Richard had more than 150 acting credits to his name, including the films "Earthquake" (1974), "City Heat" (1984), "Maniac Cop" (1988), "Se7en" (1995), "Antitrust" (2001) "Corky Romano" (2001), "Brick" (2005), "Speed Racer" (2008), and "What Men Want" (2019) and the television series "Outlaws" (1986–1987), "Generations" (1989–1991), "Buddies" (1996), "413 Hope St." (1997–1998), "Rescue 77" (1999), "Soul Food" (2000–2001), "Desperate Housewives" (2004–2005), "Heroes" (2006–2007), and "Family Reunion" (2019—2022). Roundtree also played Paul Patterson Sr. on the BET series "Being Mary Jane" (2013–2019), and he voiced the title character in the 1998 video game "Akuji the Heartless."

Early Life

Richard Roundtree was born on July 9, 1942, in New Rochelle, New York. He is the son of Kathryn and John Roundtree, and he graduated from New Rochelle High School in 1961. As a high school student, Richard was a member of New Rochelle High's undefeated football team, which was nationally ranked. After graduation, Roundtree enrolled at Southern Illinois University, but he left in 1963 to launch his career.

(Photo by Stefanie Keenan/WireImage)

Career

In the early '60s, Richard was discovered by modeling scout Eunice W. Johnson and started modeling in the Ebony Fashion Fair. He later modeled for products such as Salem cigarettes and Duke hair grease. In 1967, Roundtree became a member of the Negro Ensemble Company, and his first role was boxerJack Johnsonin "The Great White Hope." In 1969, he appeared in a production of J. E. Franklin's "Mau Mau Room" at the Negro Ensemble Company Workshop Festival. Richard made his big screen debut in 1971's "Shaft," and he reprised the role of private detective John Shaft in 1972's "Shaft's Big Score!" and 1973's "Shaft in Africa" as well as the CBS series "Shaft" (1973–1974). He also appeared in the 2000 and 2019 sequels (both titled "Shaft"), which starredSamuel L. Jacksonas John Shaft II. In the first decade of his acting career, Roundtree appeared in the films "Embassy" (1972), "Charley-One-Eye" (1973), "Earthquake" (1974), "Man Friday" (1975), "Diamonds" (1975), "Escape to Athena" (1979), "Portrait of a Hitman" (1979), "Game for Vultures" (1979), and "Days of the Assassin" (1979) and played Sam Bennett in the Emmy-winning miniseries "Roots" (1977).

Ultimately, Richard Roundtree's financial journey is a testament to their success.

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