Idris Elba's Net Worth Is Sky-High, and He's Earned Every Penny of It

Over the decades, Idris Elba has been out here adding movie and TV roles to his IMDb like no other, which, according to our calculations, translates into major moolah for the actor. And when the debonair British celeb isn't out here captivating the screen with his 10/10 face card, he's reigning as the king of Multiple Revenue Streams™️. Case in point? He has an apparel brand with ties to a philanthropic cause, a skincare company, and an entire separate career as a world-renowned DJ (yep, you read that right).

Let's get into all of the deets surrounding Idris' enviable net worth, shall we? We shall!

Idris Elba's acting creds are top-tier

The actor has been accumulating IMDb credits (and therefore tons of $$$) since the mid-'90s, with an amalgam of roles on British television shows including Crimewatch and The Boot Street Band. His first major break on the small screen came in 1995 on the series Bramwell, which was then followed by appearances on Absolutely Fabulous, The Bill, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Family Affairs, Ultraviolet, Dangerfield, and Inspector Lynley Mysteries.

Fast-forward to the early 2000s, and Idris decided to take the leap and move to New York City to continue furthering his career in the United States. The decision proved to be a massive milestone for Idris, who wound up landing a supporting role in a 2001 episode of Law & Order. But it was his next stint as Russell "Stringer" Bell from 2002 to 2004 on the critically-acclaimed show The Wire that finally catapulted the celeb to stardom and even led to opportunities such as a hilarious, six-episode arc on The Office in 2009. Just gonna leave this here:

Apart from signing onto all of these ^^ roles, there are many, many other projects the famous actor has been part of, including:

• An iconic role in the TV show Luther in 2009.

• The creation of and lead role in the semi-autobiographical comedy In The Long Run.

• An appearance in the movie Obsessed alongside *the* Beyoncé.

• Roles in multiple (!!) MCU movies.

• A dip in the ~animated~ world c/o Zootopia and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 gigs.

• A feature in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw that reportedly earned him as much as $8 million buckaroonies.

• A lead role in James Gunn's 2021 film The Suicide Squad, which apparently landed him yet another $8 million payday.

• Netflix's stamp of approval via the popular 2021 Western The Harder They Fall.

TL;DR: A 24-hour Idris Elba movie and TV marathon isn't enough time to truly get into all of his roles.

His music career is seriously impressive

What do Driis, DJ Driis, and Big Driis have in common? Yeah, they're all monikers for Idris' iconic DJ ~persona~. And, no, we're not joking in our use of the word "iconic." Idris has quite literally played sets at music festivals—including Glastonbury—and has even been the opening act for Deadmau5 and Madonna.

Oh, and in the event that you wanna make your aspiring DJ friend feel even more jealous, Idris not only launched his own music label called 7Wallace in 2018, but he was a DJ at THE royal wedding for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and was even featured on a Jay-Z album. Here's him talking about the royal wedding in case you wanna feel inspired:

He's also collecting tons of $$$ from his albums (plural!). In 2014, Idris released his first project titled Idris Elba Presents Mi Mandela. He then followed that up with 2015's Murdah Loves John and the 2022 EP Cordi Elba. Following the latter release, he continued to bless our ears with his single "Biggest," which was used in Apple’s launch film for the iPhone 14.

Live footage of Idris encouraging us people who have no shot at becoming Golden Globe-winners/superstar DJs to follow our dreams, incoming:

Multiple revenue streams? Yeah, he's heard of 'em

In 2018, Idris created 2HR SET, a collection of clothing inspired by his DJ career. "A two-hour-set is the acid test for a DJ," wrote the actor on the clothing brand's website (via MixMag). "For me, I've taken that concept a step further. Whether I'm behind the decks on stage, in the gym, or studying a new script, I'll give myself two hours and really get stuff done. It's my window to go for it, get it done, and get it done well."

Oh, and 2HR SET was actually a precursor to Idris' subsequent fashion brand Don’t Stab Your Future, which launched in 2019 in order to raise awareness about knife crime. DSYF has since partnered with legacy companies such as Adidas and the Arsenal Football Club.

Idris has also used his artistic talents to create two (!!) collaborative collections with Christian Louboutin, the first of which raised over $2 million for charity. During an interview with Harper's Bazaar, the actor reflected on how the project came together alongside his wife, Sabrina Dhowre Elba, who said, "I loved how organic it was."

"It was really three friends coming together to just like, 'What do we do? How do we give back?' It was such a beautiful conversation at a time when you just wanted all your friends around you having that kind of conversation, because it was hard to talk about it," Sabrina said. "It was painful to talk about it, and Christian was so warm at a time when I was feeling really low and Idris was feeling low."

Another project Idris took on with Sabrina? A genderless skincare brand called S’Able Labs. "We're a partnership, and skin care is something we can share. We are both on the same page about feeling good externally and it helps us approach our day," he mused during a convo with Allure about the venture.

His book deal offers are def worth $$$

While you're still reeling thinking about all of the multi-hyphenate's income streams, let me toss another one at ya: Idris signed a multi-book deal with publisher HarperCollins in 2021 to publish "a number of books for young readers" alongside co-author Robyn Charteris. In a statement that was released at the time, the author gushed, "I feel privileged to have the opportunity to bring stories inspired by my daughter to life with my incredible partner Robyn Charteris, and the powerhouse team at HarperCollins." *Le sigh* Seriously, what can't this man do?!

So what is Idris Elba's net worth, in total?

Oh, just a cool $4o million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Meanwhile, your situationship is still trying to learn how to transition songs on his DJ deck. 😭😭😭

You Might Also Like

• Here’s What NOT to Wear to a Wedding

• Meet the Laziest, Easiest Acne Routine You’ll Ever Try