EXCLUSIVE: How Jim Carrey Blew Through His $300Million Fortune in Only 2 Years — 'He's Been Sunk in Dreams of Being Picasso and Nihilist Philosopher'
Hollywood favorite Jim Carrey was once worth $300m but he's now burned through much of his fortune and needs to work again.
Dec. 12 2024, Published 2:11 p.m. ET
Hollywood favorite Jim Carrey was once worth $300m but he's now burned through much of his fortune on property deals and fast cars while dreaming of being the "next Picasso".
He quit the silver screen to shutter himself away creating daubs, tinkering with sculpture and even trying his own brand of nihilist philosophy where he spouted that everything in life was meaningless, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Everything, it seemed, apart from money as Carrey, 62, still needs to make sure the bills get paid — which is why he’s come out of retirement.
He's spent the last two years creating his art of spending his ever-dwindling fortune before realizing he needed a quick influx of cash.
One respected art critic said of his work: "This is not a scientific law, probably, and I cannot suggest what causes the phenomenon, but the most embarrassing and talentless of all celebrities who try their hand at art tend to be Hollywood actors.
Carrey has traded Hollywood for art but his financial reality has painted a different picture.
"Talentless at art, I mean. Jim Carrey may or may not be a great comic actor. He is an astonishingly bad painter and sculptor. Carrey has released a video of his artistic efforts that makes for painful viewing. Can he be serious? Is this all a build-up to a film in which he plays a deluded character who thinks he’s an artist?
"To be fair, Carrey took up art to get over a painful end to a relationship and preaches it as therapy. If his art helps and heals him, that’s great. He just should not be showing this stuff to anyone and expecting anything except derision. Crudely colored Jesus-like faces, fluorescent portraits, random abstractions and kitsch clay figures – this is a joke. Please, say it’s a joke.
"The art Carrey has been making would be turned down if he offered it to a Salvation Army store. It gives amateurs a bad name."
A showbiz insider added: "The numbers just didn't add up for Jim. He's whistled through his cash in a few years caught up in a dream of paintings and philosophy. Now he needs to earn again. The dream of being the next Picasso is over."
"I came back to this universe 'cause, first of all, I get to play a genius, which is a bit of a stretch, and it's just... it's just... I bought a lot of stuff and I need the money, frankly," he quipped on the red carpet of Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s London premiere on Monday.
Carrey’s art sparked mockery from a leading critic as his creative dreams crumbled.
Finances appear to be on Carrey's mind as he is still holding out for a big payout on his stunning Los Angeles mansion, which remains on the market after a series of price cuts, according to Realtor.com.
Initially listed in February 2023 for a lofty $28.9 million, the five-bedroom, nine-bathroom Brentwood estate has now been reduced to a more palatable $19 million.
Two months after listing the property, he cut the price to $27 million, and in October 2023, he reduced that number to $24 million.
And in May 2024, the Truman Show actor slashed the price to $21.9 million — bringing the total discount to $7 million.
When he first listed his home for sale in February, he said that he was ready for changes in his life.
Carrey claimed he had 'retired' from showbiz in 2022 but he returned for the third Sonic The Hedgehog movie for the 'money'.
"For three decades it's been a sanctuary for me, but I don't spend a lot of time there now and I want someone else to enjoy it like I have," he said.
"Cha cha cha cha ... Changes!", he added as he referenced the iconic David Bowie song.
He bought it as he shot to fame starring in the hit movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
The actor also owns a property in Maui, confirming in 2017 that he is a resident of the island after buying a home near the waterfront in Makena.
Some of his art is even displayed in the local Wyland Gallery.
Carrey has a bolthole in Maui where he continues to paint and dabble in art.
His luxury car collection is rumored to have taken a bite out of his fortune as well.
The comedian owns several Mercedes, a Porsche Panamera and a Tesla.
He’s also shared stories of his travels to various corners of the globe, from humble trips to Buffalo, NY, to lavish getaways in London and awe-inspiring visits to Machu Picchu, Peru.
Carrey’s journey from humble beginnings to Hollywood icon began in the streets of Toronto, where he grew up.
By age 15, he was already performing stand-up comedy in local Toronto clubs, and by 1979, he was earning a living as a comedian.
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From humble roots to luxury cars and world travels, Carrey’s journey is nothing short of remarkable.
At 19, Carrey took a leap of faith and moved to Hollywood, where he quickly immersed himself in both television and film. In 2004, he solidified his place in both countries by obtaining dual U.S. and Canadian citizenship.
Interestingly, in 1985, Carrey made a daring and prescient decision: he wrote himself a check for $10 million for 'acting services rendered,' dated it ten years into the future, and kept it in his wallet as a symbol of his ambition.
In November 1995, Carrey learned that he had been cast in Dumb and Dumber for exactly $10 million.
In 2022, he announced his plans to retire from acting once and for all, claiming that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 would be his final film.
At the Sonic 3 premiere, an interviewer said to him: "You said in a past interview that you'd come back if you got a script written in gold ink written by angels...?"
As Carrey began to laugh he replied saying: "That might've been hyperbole, yeah."
