J.K. Rowling, the renowned author, gained immense popularity in the early 2000s due to her Harry Potter books and movies, which have been consistently successful over the past two decades. As a result, she has accumulated a considerable fortune. What is her current net worth, and what sources contribute to it ?
Despite the controversies surrounding Rowling in recent years, the popularity of the Harry Potter series remains strong, with book sales remaining relatively unaffected. However, the Fantastic Beasts movie series has not been as successful lately and is expected to conclude soon.
J.K. Rowling’s Net Worth :
Although J.K. Rowling’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 billion, the author denies being a billionaire, suggesting that she may have donated a significant portion of her wealth. Rowling’s primary source of income has been the Harry Potter franchise, which includes book sales, films, theme parks, and merchandise. She reportedly earns between $50 million to $100 million annually and earned $90 million from June 2018 to June 2019.
One of the most popular books in the world : The Harry Potter series
The Harry Potter series is one of the most successful books of all time, having sold over 500 million copies. It is also recognized as one of the most influential books of all time and was included in Time Magazine’s 100 most influential books list. Additionally, a Broadway show based on the series, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, was approved by the author, Joanne Rowling.
While Rowling is commonly known as the author of the Harry Potter series, her real name is Joanne Rowling. When her first novel was published, the staff at Bloomsbury Publishing asked her to use her initials, as the target audience of young boys would not want to read a book written by a woman. Rowling does not have a middle name and chose the K from her paternal grandmother, Kathleen. Additionally, the K was chosen because it comes after J, making it easier to pronounce.
Philanthropy
Rowling is a dedicated philanthropist who has leveraged her wealth and influence to champion various causes and charities close to her heart. In 2001, she founded the Volant Charitable Trust, which strives to eradicate childhood poverty. When Coca-Cola secured the rights to feature their product in the film series, Rowling insisted that they contribute $18 million to Reading is Fundamental, an American charity, and other community initiatives.
Few Interesting facts about J.K. Rowling :
- Before she became a successful author, J.K. Rowling worked as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International.
- Rowling wrote the first book in the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (published in the US as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”), while she was a single mother living on welfare in Edinburgh, Scotland.
- The idea for the Harry Potter series came to Rowling on a train ride from Manchester to London in 1990. She started writing the first book as soon as she got home.
- The Harry Potter books have sold more than 500 million copies worldwide and have been translated into over 80 languages.
- J.K. Rowling is the first author to become a billionaire solely from writing books.
- Rowling has a deep love of animals and has several pets, including a tortoise named Madam Mim and a dog named Bronte.
- She has also been very involved in charity work, supporting causes such as multiple sclerosis research and the fight against poverty and social inequality.
- J.K. Rowling has stated that she was always a big fan of the crime fiction genre and even wrote a series of detective novels under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
- Rowling has received numerous awards and honors for her writing, including the Order of the British Empire and the Legion of Honor.
- In 2020, she released a new book called “The Ickabog,” which was originally intended as a bedtime story for her own children. The book is not set in the Harry Potter universe and is geared towards a younger audience.
