Paul Verhoeven Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth

What is Paul Verhoeven’s Net Worth?

Paul Verhoeven, a renowned Dutch director, screenwriter, and producer, possesses a net worth of $12 million. He is particularly famous for films characterized by explicit sexual content and violence, including the thriller “Basic Instinct” featuring Sharon Stone and the iconic action film “Robocop.”

Early Years

Born on July 18, 1938, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Paul Verhoeven is the son of teacher and hat-maker Wim Verhoeven. The Verhoeven family lived in The Hague, the South Holland province’s capital, which was the site of German headquarters during World War II, facing frequent bombings from the Allies.

Paul began his education at the Van Heutszschool, where his father taught, before moving to Gymnasium Haganum, a public secondary school. In 1955, he enrolled at Leiden University, graduating with a double major in mathematics and physics. Alongside his studies, he attended the Netherlands Film Academy, where he produced his first film titled “Een hagedis teveel.”

Military Life & Television

Following his university years, Paul Verhoeven joined the Royal Dutch Navy, a component of the Netherlands Armed Forces. In 1965, he directed the military film “Het Korps Mariniers,” which earned a “Golden Sun,” a French military film award.

After completing his service, Verhoeven transitioned to the Dutch television sector. In 1968, he produced a documentary on Anton Mussert, the politician who co-founded the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands.

In 1969, Paul Verhoeven gained significant recognition for directing “Floris,” a Dutch action television series.

Film

As he ventured further into filmmaking, Paul Verhoeven produced the 1971 Dutch comedy “Business is Business,” which did not achieve critical acclaim. His breakthrough came in 1973 with the erotic romantic drama “Turkish Delight,” which garnered an Academy Award nomination for “Best Foreign Film” and won the “Best Dutch Film of the Century Award” at the Netherlands Film Festival.

His success continued with the 1977 romantic war thriller “Soldier of Orange,” co-written by Verhoeven, which was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. This film, based on true events from the Dutch resistance during World War II, also took home the LA Film Critics Award for “Best Foreign Language Film.”

Verhoeven made his Hollywood debut with “Flesh and Blood” in 1985, featuring Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh. He received widespread acclaim for his American films, including “Robocop” in 1987 and “Total Recall” in 1990. Both productions won Academy Awards—”Robocop” for “Sound Effects Editing” and “Total Recall” for “Visual Effects”—and he collected a Saturn Award for “Best Director” in 1987 from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films.

Upon concluding his American film career, Verhoeven returned to Europe, directing the Dutch war film “Black Book” and the psychological thriller “Elle.” Both films received BAFTA nominations for “Best Film Not in the English Language,” with “Elle” winning a Golden Globe for “Best Foreign Language Film” and a Cesar Award for “Best Film.”

In 1992, Paul Verhoeven debuted his new film “Basic Instinct” at the Cannes Film Festival. The erotic thriller, starring Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas, became the ninth highest-grossing film of that year and won two Academy Awards for “Film Editing” and “Original Music.”

Awards: Good & Bad

Subsequently, Verhoeven received several negative awards, notably at the Golden Raspberry Awards where he was one of the rare winners to accept the awards in person. His 1995 film “Showgirls” received seven Raspberry Awards, including “Worst Picture” and “Worst Director.” Despite this, once it hit the home video market, it grossed over a million dollars in rental fees, becoming one of the top video rentals of its time.

In 1997, he released “Starship Troopers,” a science-fiction action movie that won an Academy Award for “Best Visual Effects.” His 2000 film “Hollow Man” also collected an Academy Award for the same category.

In 2006, Verhoeven returned to the Netherlands to film “Black Book,” a war drama featuring Dutch actress Carice Anouk van Houten and German actor Sebastian Koch. The film debuted at the Venice Film Festival, earning three Golden Calf Awards at the Netherlands Film Festival.

Books

Paul Verhoeven is a member of “The Jesus Seminar,” which comprises scholars focusing on Biblical criticism. In 2007, he authored “Jesus of Nazareth,” depicting Jesus Christ as a radical political figure rather than merely a divine miracle worker.

Personal Life & Real Estate

Paul Verhoeven married Martine Tours in 1967, and they have two children: Claudia and Helen. In November 1991, the couple acquired a home in LA’s Pacific Palisades for $2.65 million, which is now valued at around $5 million.