Best-selling author J.K Rowling rose to fame in the early 2000s because of the Harry Potter books and movies. She is easily one of the most popular authors to ever exist and she has earned a lot of money as a result. What is J.K. Rowling’s net worth and what makes up most of it?

The first Harry Potter book was published over two decades ago yet the popularity of the series has yet to decline. Even with all the controversies Rowling has gotten into in the past couple of years hasn’t affected the sales of the books much. The Fantastic Beasts movie series hasn’t done as well lately and should come to a halt soon.

J.K. Rowling’s Net Worth

J.K Rowling reading a Harry Potter Book
J.K. Rowling’s Net Worth

J.K. Rowling’s estimated net worth is $1 billion dollars but the author has insisted that she isn’t a billionaire. That may be true if she has donated a lot of it. Rowling has made most of her money from the Harry Potter franchise which includes book sales, movies, theme parks, and merchandise. She makes around $50 million to a $100 million each year and made $90 million between June 2018-June 2019.

One of the Best Selling Books of All Time

The Harry Potter books are one of the best-selling books of all time with over 500 million copies sold. They are also considered one of the most influential books of all and made Time Magazine’s 100 most influential novels list. A Broadway show called Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was also made with Rowling’s approval.

Many people know the author of the Harry Potter but do not know that her real name is Joanne Rowling. When publishing her first novel, the staff at Bloomsbury Published asked her to use her initials because the target audience of young boys would not want to read a book written by a woman. Rowling doesn’t have a middle name and chose the K from her paternal grandmother Kathleen. It was also chosen because K comes after J and made it easy to pronounce. 

Book Cover for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Philanthropy

Rowling is strongly involved in philanthropy and has used her wealth and influence to support many causes and charities dear to her. In 2001, she established the Volant Charitable Trust which helps fight and end childhood poverty. When Coca-Cola won the rights to get their product in the film series, Rowling demanded they donate $18 million to the American charity Reading is Fundamental and other community programs.

Conclusion

We may never know if Rowling is a billionaire as she keeps her finances private. But she has easily made over a billion dollars in her career and is still going strong. The Harry Potter books are still as popular as ever and will be for a a long time.

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