Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have revealed how they spent their massive Harry Potter fortunes.
The trio, now in their mid-thirties, earned a combined total exceeding $240 million across the eight-film franchise that concluded when they were between 20 and 21 years old. Radcliffe, 35, started with a $1 million salary for the first film and eventually commanded $50 million for the final two installments, while Grint, 36, and Watson, 35, began at $125,000 each and later earned between $15 million and $30 million for the closing films.
Radcliffe’s post-Potter career has leaned heavily into unconventional indie projects, from playing a flatulent corpse in Swiss Army Man to a man with guns bolted to his hands in Guns Akimbo. When asked as a child what he would buy, he admitted he “didn’t have any idea.” Since then he has acquired multiple homes in London and New York, though he said his relationship with wealth remains remarkably hands-off.
“I don’t really do anything with my money,” he said. “I’m very grateful for it, because having money means you don’t have to worry about it, which is a very lovely freedom to have. It also gives me immense freedom career-wise.”
His finances are managed through Gilmore Jacobs Limited, a holding company established by his parents during his childhood, which reported over $99 million in equity in its latest filing. Radcliffe is also a known donor to The Trevor Project and other philanthropic causes.
Grint took a similarly bemused view of his wealth as a child, jokingly dismissing it as “muggle money” and confessing he “didn’t really understand it.” His purchases since then have ranged from practical investments to whimsical toys. He has built a property portfolio and established an investment company to maintain his earnings, but it was his acquisition of a Bedford ice cream van that generated headlines.
Speaking with the outlet, he traced the purchase to a childhood ambition. “My first ambition was to become an ice cream man, which is why I bought the Bedford van,” he said.
He learned quickly that preparation matters. “Not long after I first got it, I pulled into a pub to do a U-turn and there were eight kids with their pocket money out, hoping to buy a 99 or whatever. But I had nothing to give them. I’ve learnt my lesson since then,” he continued. “I keep my van well stocked. It’s got a proper machine that dispenses Mr Whippy ice cream and I buy my lollies wholesale – 50 for a tenner – so I never run short.”
His collection of unusual vehicles also includes a hovercraft and a swan-shaped pedalo.
Watson’s childhood response to questions about her fortune proved the most prescient. “Erm, I’m afraid I’m really gonna bore all of you, but I’m afraid I’m gonna stick it in a bank until I’m 21,” she said as a young actor.
In an interview with British Vogue, she described discovering her true net worth at 18 during a conversation with her father, a moment that left her “sick” and “emotional.” Unlike her co-stars, Watson has achieved the most mainstream acting success post-Potter, with starring roles in Little Women and Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast significantly expanding her wealth.
She has remained largely private about her spending habits, though her name surfaced in the 2016 Panama Papers leak, which revealed she had established an offshore investment company. A spokesperson for Watson addressed the revelation directly, stating: “Emma (like many high-profile individuals) set up an offshore company for the sole purpose of protecting her anonymity and safety.”
“UK companies are required to publicly publish details of their shareholders and therefore do not give her the necessary anonymity required to protect her personal safety,” the spokesperson added. “Emma receives absolutely no tax or monetary advantages from this offshore company whatsoever—only privacy.”
Beyond that arrangement, Watson is known to donate to charitable causes and owns several properties.
In the viral moment that launched their collective fortunes, the three unknown children were cast in 2000 for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, a film that would gross nearly $975 million globally and cross $1 billion with subsequent re-releases. None of the trio have expressed regret about their early financial windfalls, and all three have continued working in film and television despite having accumulated enough wealth to retire permanently.
Grint most recently starred in the Apple TV+ series Servant, while Radcliffe earned an Emmy nomination for his role in Miracle Workers and appeared in the action comedy The Lost City. Watson has stepped back from acting in recent years, last appearing onscreen in 2019’s Little Women, and has focused increasingly on activism and fashion industry work.
Radcliffe is currently filming a lead role in the upcoming action-comedy film Office Uprising.