Jim Brown net worth: How did Browns legend earn and lose his millions?

When we talk about the greatest NFL player of all time, Jim Brown certainly has to be in the discussion. The former Cleveland Browns great was a bonafide superstar. He won the NFL Championship with Cleveland in 1964 and was named the league MVP three times in his playing career. Considering that he only played nine seasons in the NFL, that is a phenomenal achievement.

What is perhaps more remarkable is that he made it to the the Pro Bowl in all nine of his seasons. He was the rushing yards leader in eight of those nine seasons, missing out only in 1962. He became the first player ever to rush for more than 10,000 yards. In five of those seasons, he was also the rushing touchdowns leader. His output measured at 104.3 rushing yards per game, which remains the highest to date.

Considering his achievements in football, it is no surprise that he earned most of his net worth playing the game. However, his other passion was acting and he took up that career even while playing football. In fact, owner Art Modell threatened to fine him because he was missing training camp while at a movie set.

Jim Brown did not take kindly to that and retired instead. Who knows how much longer he could have played had the acting bug not bitten him. At that time, he was reportedly earning over $60,000 salary when he was playing in the NFL.

Jim Brown made many films with MGM, with Dirty Dozen being his first big hit. In 1968, he was cast in his first lead role in The Split. The next year, he was the lead in Riot and his films were huge hits. His acting career was a success and he did over 50 movies and documentaries. His reported biggest earnings were $200,000 for the movie 100 Rifles.

All of this contributed to his net worth, which is currently estimated to be around $30 million. Some people have claimed that it could be as high as $50 million. There is no doubt that it would have been much higher had he not got into the off-field problems that caused him to lose a lot of money.

How did Jim Brown's net worth fall down to $30 million

Jim Brown had a stellar playing and entertainment career. But he had many issues off the field that caused him to lose money. He was married to Sue Brown from 1959 to 1968, with the divorce finalized in 1972. He was ordered to pay an alimony of $2500 per month and $100 in weekly child support payments.

In 1965, Jim Brown was charged with assault and battery but was later acquitted. In 1968, he was charged with assault to murder but they were dropped after the alleged victim refused to cooperate. He had to pay $300 for striking an officer. In 1970, he was charged with assault and battery again. In 1975, he was convicted of misdemeanor battery and had to pay $500 and also spend a day in jail. There was also a rape charge and other assault charges that were dismissed over the course of the years.

In 1998, Jim Brown married again but by 1999 things had soured and he was arrested for making domestic threats. He also smashed his wife Monique's car with a shovel. He was fined $1,800 for that. He was later sent to jail for ignoring the terms of that sentence.

Such instances really damaged Jim Brown's legacy and left him out of pocket, fighting multiple charges and paying fines. Since the turn of the millennium, he has thankfully not been involved in any glaring controversies such as these. He is now remembered more for his exceptional playing career.

He was an advisor to the Cleveland Browns and in 2012 became part owner of the New York Lizards in Major League Lacrosse. Better decisions in the past few years have allowed him to recover much of his net worth both in terms of money and image.