Paulina Porizkova Net Worth 2022: How Much Money Does Porizkova Make A Year?

Paulina Porizkova Net Worth: Swedish-American Paulina Porizkova is a model, actress, and author best known for her time as a judge on the reality television program America’s Next Top Model. She was raised in a very harsh environment despite being born in Czechoslovakia.

After the Soviet attack, her parents left the country and relocated to Sweden. Only after Paulina turned 10 was she reunited with her parents. She was offered a modelling contract by a Parisian agency when she was 15 years old, and she started her modelling career in the early 1980s.

As soon as she started appearing in publications like Sports Illustrated and New York Magazine, her career took off. She soon appeared on the covers of magazines like Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, and Vogue, among others.

She walked the runways for many well-known designers and appeared in advertisements for brands like Hermes, Christian Dior, Chanel, and Versace. She has also been regularly appearing in movies and television shows since the 1980s. She gained notoriety in the US for serving as a judge on the talent competition program “America’s Next Top Model.”

Paulina Porizkova Early Life

Pavlina Elisa Porizkova, the daughter of Anna Porizkova and Ji Pozek, was born Paulina Porizkova on April 9, 1965, in Prostjov, Czechoslovakia. She was the family’s eldest child growing up, and after turning ten, she met her younger brother.

In the late 1960s, her parents were active in local politics and held staunch anti-Communist sentiments. When Paulina was just a toddler, the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia, forcing Paulina’s parents to flee to Sweden.

Paulina was abandoned to stay in Prostjov with her grandma. Despite a three-year legal struggle, her parents were unable to win custody of their daughter. When her mother was six months pregnant and had illegally entered Prostjov, she attempted to obtain custody of Paulina Porizkova but was unsuccessful.

When the government let it, Paulina’s parents did eventually take her to Sweden when she was 10 years old. At about the same time, Paulina’s father moved out to live with another lady, leaving the family to fend for themselves.

Paulina had to take care of her younger brother as a result, and she also had to go to school during the day. Paulina’s mother supported the family by working odd jobs. For Paulina Porizkova, it was a rough life growing up.

Her father had severed all relations with them after refusing to pay the child support. Because she worked as a nurse during the day and attended classes at night, her mother was generally not present.

In addition, Paulina experienced bullying at school because of her immigration status. She had made a few good friends despite dealing with a lot of bullying and teasing. One of her high school friends did her makeup when she was 15 years old to pursue a career as a make-up artist.

The images were sent to Elite Modelling Agency, a modelling agency in Paris. Paulina Porizkova’s photos were chosen and she was invited to Paris to start her modelling career, not the make-up gig. She accepted the offer and relocated to Paris because she wanted to leave her life in Sweden.

Paulina Porizkova Personal Life

During the filming of the music video for The Cars’ song “Drive,” Paulina Porizkova had the opportunity to meet Ric Ocasek, the American singer of the band. They started dating and eventually got hitched in August 1989. Before divorcing in 2017, the couple shared two sons.

Ric passed away while their divorce proceedings were still in progress. Paulina developed a severe case of depression as a result. In his will, Ric claimed that Paulina abandoned him just before he passed away soon after surgery when he was at his most vulnerable.

Paulina Porizkova Career

She started her modelling career in Paris at the beginning of the 1980s, swiftly rose to fame, and had assignments throughout France. Her reputation in the United States also skyrocketed overnight in 1983 after she appeared in a bikini on the cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine.

She appeared in Sports Illustrated once more in 1984, this time on the cover, which helped her land greater modelling jobs. Paulina Porizkova was featured both inside and out in the July 1985 issue of New York Magazine.

She had already made appearances on the covers of some of the most well-known fashion and lifestyle publications worldwide by the time she was in her early 20s, including Elle, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour.

She had an appearance on the chat show “Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes” in the middle of the 1980s. The program included celebrity and aspiring artist interviews led by Andy Warhol.

When Estee Lauder offered her a contract worth $6,000,000 in 1988, she rose to the position of the highest-paid model in the world. She had taken the place of the company’s well-known model Willow Bay in that.

Critics praised the black and white promo for Estee Lauder for being very creatively shot. Up until the middle of the 1990s, she remained the magazine’s face. Another significant change that had occurred by the middle of the 1990s was the transformation of her image from that of a swimsuit model to that of a chic European socialite.

She also inked a multi-million dollar contract with the German brand Escada, which produces high-end, designer apparel for women. Paulina Porizkova was designated the model of the 1980s by American Photo magazine and one of the top 10 most beautiful women in the world by Harper’s Bazaar in the early 1990s.

This increased her appeal, and by the middle of the 1990s, she was a supermodel. She has walked the runways for numerous renowned international designers and was featured in print ads for numerous well-known fragrance, fashion, and beauty accessory firms.

Since she started modelling, she has been featured in ad campaigns for a variety of companies, including Chanel, Versace, Perry Ellis, Mikimoto, Ellen Tracy, Revlon, and Hermes. She has also frequently appeared on the Calvin Klein runway.

This is what I’m currently reading. Inspiring and oh so true. If you have entered the “invisible” stage, or getting there, this one is for you. https://t.co/1oX92roFXh

— Paulina Porizkova (@paulinaporizkov) November 29, 2022

She made her acting debut in 1983’s mockumentary “Portfolio,” which was based on the modelling industry. She made her debut as a full-fledged actor in the 1987 movie “Anna,” in which she portrayed Krystyna in one of the supporting roles.

Her performance was critiqued, even though the movie went on to receive positive reviews. She also earned negative feedback for her acting in the movie “Her Alibi.” She started receiving invitations to appear on American television in the 2000s, and in 2008, she made her television debut as a judge on the fourth season of the reality series “America’s Next Top Model.”

She participated on the show as a judge for one season, taking Twiggy’s place as the well-known English fashion icon. She did not, however, show up in the succeeding seasons. During an interview on “The Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” she stated that the producers thought she had a “huge ego” when questioned about the reasons behind her termination from the program.

She added that another judge, Tyra Banks, was frequently absent from the sets, which prompted her to voice her concerns and ultimately resulted in her dismissal from the competition.

She was sacked, according to the show’s creators, but they claimed it was for financial reasons. Paulina Porizkova also made another appearance in the late 2000s, appearing in five episodes of the serial opera “As the World Turns” in a supporting role.

She collaborated with renowned filmmaker Emir Kusturica on the 1993 film “Arizona Dream,” which starred Johnny Depp. She made her acting debut in the year 1998 in the critically and financially disastrous movie Thursday when she performed her first starring role.

She has additionally made appearances in supporting roles on television shows like “Jane by Design,” “Head Case,” and “Desperate Housewives.” She has been working as a blogger for websites like Modelinia and The Huffington Post in addition to her modelling and acting roles.

She released her debut book, A Model Summer, in 2007, and it was loosely based on her own teenage experiences when she moved to Paris alone. She is also a co-author of the picture book for kids called “The Adventures of Ralphie the Roach.”

Paulina Porizkova had nothing but nice things to say about #JohnnyDepp.https://t.co/BHHjQxfMgu

— GRAZIA (@graziatweets) November 30, 2022

Paulina Porizkova Net Worth

Paulina Porizkova is a Czech-American actress and model with a $10 million net worth. Sadly, Paulina’s exclusion from the musician’s will after his 2019 passing was revealed following the death of her longtime husband, Ric Ocasek.

She reportedly had so few liquid assets that she was forced to borrow money from friends shortly after Ric’s passing. In his will, Ric excluded Paulina from receiving a share of his personal property, including $5 million worth of copyrighted intellectual property, because she had deserted him.

However, Paulina was once among the highest-paid models in the early 1990s, making tens of millions of dollars per year at her peak, contrary to popular belief that Ric was the wealthier of the two.

Paulina would later admit that Ric had no other assets or source of income when he passed away, leaving her only with two mortgages and a pension. After living in their NYC townhouse for more than 30 years, she was ultimately compelled to sell it for $10 million. She still possesses a house in upstate New York.

Salary Highlights

Paulina entered into a contract with Estée Lauder in 1988 that would pay her $6 million annually through 1995. She received $42 million in total, before taxes, from just that one contract. This would be equivalent to earning about $80 million in today’s money after accounting for inflation.

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