Modern Family actress Sofía Vergara took the top spot on Forbes’ annual list of the world’s highest-paid actresses, banking US$43 million in just 12 months up to June, and beating out veteran actresses Angelina Jolie (US$35 million) and Gal Gadot (US$31 million), who ranked second and third on the list.
Vergara’s rise to fame began at age 17 when she was noticed on the beach in her native Colombia by a photographer who cast her for a Pepsi commercial. Then she moved to Miami in the mid-90s, booked a job with Spanish language TV network Univision, and hosted a travel show called Fuera de Serie. She also landed roles in films Big Trouble, Four Brothers and Entourage and in TV shows Hot Properties, The Knights of Prosperity, and Dirty Sexy Money.
Then along came her breakout role in Modern Family, which got her US$500,000 per episode and made her a household name. Her new job as a talent judge on America’s Got Talent pays her at least US$10 million per season, too, contributing greatly to her net worth, reported to hover around US$180 million in total.
So that’s how the actress earned her fortune, but more importantly, what does she spend it on?
She owns several businesses
Vergara’s business ventures are rooted in empowerment. She owns an underwear subscription service called EBY where 10 per cent of net sales go to underprivileged female entrepreneurs. In 1994, she launched talent management firm Latin World Entertainment with co-founder Luis Balaguer in a bid to better represent Latinos in the industry. She also established and co-founded Raze, a Latino-focused digital media company, with Balaguer and Emiliano Calemzuk, former president of Fox Television Studios.
She splashes her money on real estate
In 2014, she splurged US$10.6 million on a villa mansion in Beverly Hills, according to Business Insider. This year, she bought the former house of baseball legend Barry Bonds – now extensively renovated – for US$26 million.
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She reportedly has four cars
Vergara drives a Range Rover, Porsche 911, Mercedes-Benz S-class, and a Bentley Bentayga.
Her wedding cost US$4 million
Vergara’s star-studded wedding reportedly cost US$4 million, including US$500,000 for food and US$1 million for flowers and decorations, according to news show Inside Edition. Her wedding look, in contrast, featured bridal make-up that only cost US$37, courtesy of CoverGirl, for whom she is an endorser.
She threw a US$5,000 birthday party for her son’s dog
Baguette, a chihuahua belonging to Vergara’s 28-year-old son, Manolo, had the privilege of celebrating her fifth birthday in 2018 with high fashion, a money gun, plenty of gifts and a birthday cake featuring a sculpture of herself. The dog was also garbed in a pink dress and pearls.
Note: This story was originally published on SCMP and has been republished on this website.
