November 9, 2024 at 11:55am EST
If you think about it, Tom Cruise should be up there with Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Kylie Jenner as one of the world’s billionaires — but Scientology is the reason the Mission Impossible star “pretty much lives out of a suitcase” as he hops from project to project to recoup his donations to the controversial organization, insiders allege.
“After all the hits and all the starring roles, the economics of Tom’s movie career are still completely upside down because of his devotion to Scientology and his willingness to back that up with money right out of his own pocket,” a source told InTouch Weekly.
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But exactly how much money are we talking here? He earned $100 million for both Mission: Impossible 2 and War of the Worlds. Those are just two of his films; he’s been in 44. Compounded by his producer roles, he made an estimated $745 million between 1983 and 2019. And people with that kind of wealth don’t just let sit in the bank — it’s invested and compounded Mathematically, Cruise should be in the billionaire club.
According to reports, his net worth in 2024 is estimated at $600 million. Despite this staggering amount, Cruise’s lifestyle seems to be more akin to a touring band than a veteran Hollywood star.
“Tom should have hundreds of millions of dollars from his decades of success, but that is not how he lives at all, and, especially in the last few years, he’s whittled down his property holdings and pretty much lives out of a suitcase and moves from movie project to movie project with little to no vacation time,” the insider added.
This financial juggling act becomes clearer when considering the controversies surrounding Scientology. The organization is criticized for its secretive nature and alleged financial exploitation, as described by many former Scientology members.
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“Tom has been making more than $20 million per movie since the mid-nineties,” the source continued. “He says he’s all about the work, but there’s a lot more going on here and you can’t help but wonder where all the money he’s making is going. He should be a billionaire by now and he clearly isn’t!”
“Scientology is clearly benefiting from Tom’s sky-high status, even if Tom himself isn’t,” The insider said.
While Cruise’s donations remain undisclosed, Leah Remini claimed she spent about $5 million on Scientology, including roughly $2 million on courses and materials. Given Cruise’s net worth, it’s safe to assume he has spent more than that in his 38 years with Scientology.
Before you go, click here to see celebrities who have left the Church of Scientology.