Inside Robert Downey Jr.’s massive million net worth as he celebrates 61st birthday

Robert was born on April 4, 1965 to parents Robert Downey Sr. and Elsie Ann, who both worked in the industry. His dad was a filmmaker, creating films like Ball’s Bluff and Rittenhouse Square. His mom was an actress who appeared in Robert Downey Sr.’s films.

Influenced by his parents, Robert always wanted to be an actor and even appeared in his dad’s films. As a kid, he attended Stagedoor Manor, a summer acting camp in upstate New York. After dropping out of high school in Santa Monica, California, Robert moved back to New York City to pursue acting full-time.

In 1983, Robert made his stage debut which kicked off his career. That same year, he was credited in his first film, although most of his scenes were cut. But, his breakout role was in the 1987 film, Less Than Zero, where he starred as a wealthy man spiraling into drug addiction.

Around the same time, Robert joined Saturday Night Live at the same time as Joan Cusack. While he only stayed on the show for one season, he learned a lot.

“I learned so much in that year about what I wasn’t,” Robert told People in 2025. But there’s not a more exciting 90 minutes you could have, whether you are any good or not.”

In 1992, Robert starred in the biographical comedy-drama, Chaplin, about silent actor Charlie Chaplin. While the film itself bombed at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics, Robert’s performance garnered critical acclaim.

For his performance, he won a BAFTA and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. After losing the Oscar to Al Pacino, Robert was relieved.

“I was young and crazy,” Robert said during a 2025 appearance on The View, adding that if he had won it “would have put me under the impression that I was on the right track.”

Throughout his entire life, Robert battled with addiction. At just six, he was introduced to marijuana by his father. Soon after, he experimented with cocaine and heroin. As he aged and became more famous, his addiction worsened.

In 1996, Robert was arrested for possession of heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine. A month later, he illegally entered a neighbor’s home while under the influence. As a consequence, Robert pleaded no contest to his arrest and was sentenced to six months of live-in rehab, three years’ probation, and regular drug testing.

Seven years later, in 2003, Robert became sober after his wife Susan gave him an ultimatum that changed his life.

It was in 2008 that Robert’s net worth really took off. For his role as Tony Stark in the first Iron Man, it was reported that the actor made $500k. Due to the massive success of the film, Robert negotiated for an incredibly lucrative deal for the next installments of Iron Man and Avengers.

In 2012, Robert reportedly made $50 million from the first Avengers film – a salary over 15 times bigger than his co-stars. With a total paycheck of $75 million for both Infinity War (2018) and Endgame (2019), the actor is believed to have earned over $380 million in total for his nine films as Iron Man.

In 1993, Robert welcomed his first child, son Indio, with his then-wife, Deborah. Throughout Robert’s career, Indio has been spotted on the red carpet with his dad and is in a band called Indio Ink.

After marrying Susan in 2003, the couple welcomed their first child together, Exton, in 2012. When he was 10, Exton appeared on Robert’s documentary chronicling the life of his dad, Sr. Two years after Exton was born, Susan and Robert welcomed their daughter, Avri.

Robert announced her birth on Facebook, writing: “After 9 months of intensive development, Team Downey is pleased to announce our 2014 fall/winter project. Yep…Avri Roel Downey joined the party and is accompanied by a variety of Susan’s traits that have seemingly overwritten my ‘junk DNA.'”