The forgotten '80s movie star whose shared net worth is bigger than Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, and Rihanna combined


This '80s actress starred in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom alongside Harrison Ford and is now a well known painter


Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Rihanna split image© Getty Images
Tess Hill
Tess HillNews and Features Writer
1 hour ago

While Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, and Rihanna may take over the headlines, their combined net worths don't touch this forgotten movie star from the 1980s.

But, who is this billionaire actress?

Kate Capshaw starred in 10 films in the 1980s, including in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom alongside Harrison Ford. In 1991, Kate married director Steven Spielberg and stepped back from acting.

Now, at 72, the actress and her famous husband are worth even more than Taylor, Jay-Z, and Rihanna combined!

Steven and Kate Capshaw met on set© Getty Images
Steven and Kate Capshaw met on set

How much are Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg worth?

While Kate is individually worth $100 million from her impressive acting career, she and Steven are worth $7.9 billion, per Forbes. To put that in context, Taylor, Jay-Z, and Rihanna are worth $5.9 billion combined.

Steven, who is the highest-grossing film director of all time, is responsible for films like Schindler's List (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Jurassic Park (1993).

American actors Kate Capshaw and Michael Douglas on the set of Black Rain directed by British Ridley Scott.© Getty Images
The star acted alongside many A-listers, like Michael Douglas

Steven co-founded DreamWorks studios in 1994, increasing his wealth drastically 22 years later when the studios were acquired by Comcast. Steven owned 4.6 million shares in DreamWorks, and made some $187 million when it was sold, per Yahoo Finance.

And, after the theme park Universal Orlando opened, the director earns every time a guest buys a ticket. This means Steven can accept anywhere from $30 to $50 million a year just by fans enjoying a theme park.

When did Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg get together?

Both Kate and Steven were married before they got together. Kate divorced her husband of four years, Robert Capshaw –  with whom she shares daughter Jessica Capshaw – in 1980. And Steven divorced Amy Irvin, with whom he shares son Max Spielberg, in 1989 after four years of marriage. After Kate starred in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which Steven directed, the two fell in love.

Kate Capshaw, Taylor Swift and Steven Spielberg pose backstage during the 2026 Songwriters Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at The New York Marriott Marquis on June 11, 2026 in New York City.© Getty Images
Kate and Steven celebraeted with Taylor Swift at the 2026 Songwriters Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony

Aside from their two children from previous relationships, Kate and Steven went on to have five children together – Theo, 38, Sasha, 36, Sawyer, 34, Mikaela, 30, and Destry, 29. Like their parents, the Capshaw-Spielberg crew is involved in Hollywood.

Kate's daughter Jessica is well known for her 10-season run on Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Arizona Robbins. Max is a well known graphic designer of video games, and Destry directed the 2023 short film Four Assassins (And A Funeral). 

What does Kate Capshaw do now?

Kate's last acting role was in the 2001 TV movie A Girl Thing alongside Stockard Channing and Elle Macpherson. In her retirement from acting, she continued to pursue a creative career. In 2009, Kate started studying visual arts.

Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg attend the "Hamnet" screening during the 69th BFI London Film Festival at the The Royal Festival Hall on October 11, 2025 in London, England© WireImage
The couple have been married for 35 years

In 2019, three of her portraits of homeless youth were selected as finalists for a competition at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Her success as an artist continued. In 2024, Kate held a solo exhibition titled Kate Capshaw: Exclusive Tonsorial Services in Miami. And, in 2026, a portrait she painted of former Obama Administration White House chef Tafari Campbell was included in the Obama Presidential Center.

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