From struggling actor to acclaimed writer
From struggling actor to acclaimed screenwriter
Taylor Sheridan ‘s journey to Hollywood could be considered a dream for many. A real-life cowboy and theater kid, he came from humble beginnings, mowing lawns and painting houses for pocket money, and struggled to make a living as an actor teaching theater classes.
He made his acting debut in 1995 with a role in Walker, Texas Ranger, and also became known for his characters on Veronica Mars and, most notably, Sons of Anarchy. Although he has made a name for himself as an actor, Taylor Sheridan’s true claim to fame is his talent behind the scenes.
Today, Sheridan is best known for his writing prowess, having penned the screenplays for Sicario, Wind River, Mayor of Kingstown, and Hell or High Water, for which he received an Academy Award nomination.
Despite being credited as the brains behind so many successful titles, it was 2018’s Yellowstone that seemed to put Sheridan on the map and seemingly added millions to his net worth.
His net worth went up by 5 times what it was, in just a year?
Yellowstone made its debut in 2018, and the western drama centered around the Dutton family and their ranch seemed to take everyone by surprise, wildly exceeding expectations and holding the top spot throughout its run. A record 16 million viewers tuned in for the Season 5 premiere, making Sheridan’s creation the most-watched show on all of television in 2022.
While the figure is unconfirmed, many sources claim that Sheridan earned $250,000 per episode of Yellowstone, with other sources claiming that the figure may have been as high as $1.3 million per episode. So it’s no surprise that his net worth skyrocketed during this time, but it’s even more surprising that it continued to rise astronomically after the news of Yellowstone’s cancellation broke.
In 2023, his net worth was estimated at $15 million, but just one year later, sources put Sheridan’s fortune at over $70 million.
The real life cowboy is still roping in the big bucks
There is still much speculation about his current net worth, with various sources putting it anywhere from $20 million to $200 million, and there could be many reasons for this.
The biggest may be Sheridan’s momentum after the success of Yellowstone. The hit drama series set the stage for two exciting spin-offs, 1883 and 1923, with a third one, 6666, set for release in the future.
Adding to his western authenticity and bank account, Sheridan is one of the owners of the ranch where many of his Paramount+ shows are filmed. Back in 2023, an investment group that Sheridan is the front for purchased the Four Sixes Ranch for nearly $200 million, with Sheridan reportedly charging nearly $50,000 per week for the use of the ranch and his other ranches as filming locations.
As of late, Paramount is said to be spending over $500 million a year on Sheridan’s shows, having renewed their contract with him in 2021, now running through 2028. His shows include the Yellowstone spin-offs as well as his other hits, Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King.
Sheridan’s ranch-centric universe may never have been what it is today had he not purchased the ranch. In the Oklahoma Farm Report interview, he revealed:
‘My plan was to retire and just run these movie horses and show horses. [I told my wife], it’s gonna change that. I’m going to have to go to the network and make a big overall deal with them and write a whole bunch of TV shows for them in order to pull this off.’
There’s still no definitive answer as to what Sheridan’s net worth is, but with the rate at which it seems to be rising, even after Yellowstone, it’s understandable that it may be difficult to pin down the ever-increasing number.
We can expect to see the second half of the final season of Yellowstone this November, as well as a continued increase in Sheridan’s net worth.