David Hookstead
Videos by OutKick
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were very foolish when they first started making some serious money.
The duo famously wrote and sold the script for “Good Will Hunting” before both went on and starred in the legendary film.
They were paid a total of $600,000 for the script, which the duo split equally. In a recent interview with Drew Barrymore, Affleck revealed the massive amount of money for the rising stars didn’t last more than six months.
Here’s how he broke it down:
- $300,000 gross for each
- $30,000 to their agents
- $160,000 in taxes
- $55,000 Jeep Cherokees
- $5,000 a month rent for a “party house”
“We were broke within six months,” Affleck revealed without hesitation during the interview.
Ben Affleck wasn’t good with his money as a young man.
Everything about this interview is perfect. He grossed $300,000 for himself and thought he was set for life. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but $300,000 is most certainly not “f**k you” money. Not even close.
It’s a great starting point and can help build a little nest egg that gives you some financial freedom. However, you’re 100% going to still need a job.
Well, Affleck and Damon didn’t seem to have much interest in investing and saving. They blew through their money within roughly 180 days. Imagine being a young man and finding a way to spend that kind of cash in six months.
Of course, nobody should be too surprised. How many stories do we see annually about rich athletes going broke?
Boxer Evander Holyfield made right around $200 million and went broke. It happens way more than people might realize.
The good news for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon is their careers were sent to the moon after “Good Will Hunting” was released. They’ve both made buckets of money. That probably makes it a lot easier to stomach and laugh about losing their entire payday for the “Good Will Hunting” script. Probably wouldn’t be nearly as funny if they were both still broke!
