Margot Robbie’s multimillion-dollar empire

With Barbie earning $US1 billion at the box office in just three weeks, here’s a look at the empire Margot Robbie is steadily building.

With her hit film Barbie raking in $AU1.5 billion ($US1bn) at the box office in just three weeks, Australian actor Margot Robbie has cemented herself as one of the world’s biggest and brightest stars.

It is an astronomical rise for someone who started out in long-running soap drama Neighbours in 2008 – Robbie was only 17 years old when she auditioned. Her character, Donna Freedman, was supposed to be a guest role but even then her talent was obvious and the young actor was promoted to a series regular.

Robbie stayed in the role for three years, notching up two Logie award nominations, before trying her luck in Hollywood like many Aussie actors before her.

Her first role was in TV show Pam Am, which ran for just one season before being cancelled.

Fortunately, she picked up the role of Naomi Lapaglia in 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street and became an instant sensation.

The Wolf of Wall Street scene that made her an instant star. Picture: Paramount Pictures.

Films like Whisky Tango Foxtrot, The Legend of Tarzan, Suicide Squad, I, Tonya, Once Upon A Time... in Hollywood, Birds of Prey and Babylon followed, with various success.

In 2019, Robbie was listed in Forbes as one of the highest-paid actresses in the world with total earnings of $AU36 million ($US23.5m).

The Gold Coast-born actor met British assistant director Tom Ackerley on the set of Suite Française in 2013 and the couple wed in December 2016 in Australia. They now reside in California.

Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley met on the set of a film. Picture: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images.

The pair are co-founders of production company LuckyChap Entertainment, which produced Barbie. They are also co-creators of coastal gin brand, Papa Salt.

Here is everything you need to know about Margot Robbie’s ever-increasing good fortune.

BARBIE

The box office hit, which is still playing in cinemas around the world, is set to bring in more than $AU1.5 billion. In just three weeks, the Greta Gerwig-directed film earned $US1 billion at the box office.

Robbie bought the rights to Barbie from Mattel and approached Gerwig to direct and write the movie.

The actor received a salary of $AU19.2 million ($US12.5 million) for playing Barbie, her largest payment for a role to date. Her salary is equal to co-star Ryan Gosling’s pay packet to play Ken.

Let’s go, Barbie! And Ken. Picture: Getty Images via AFP

LUCKYCHAP ENTERTAINMENT

Production company LuckyChap Entertainment was founded in 2014 by Robbie, Ackerley, Josey McNamara and Sophia Kerr, and is focused on female-driven productions.

LuckyChap producers Tom Ackerley, Sophia Kerr, Josey McNamara and Margot Robbie on the cover of MovieMaker Magazine in 2020. Picture: MovieMaker Magazine.

The company has produced award-winning movies like I, Tonya, Birds of Prey and Promising Young Woman.

Barbie is its most notable film to date, with both Robbie and Ackerley serving as producers.

PAPA SALT GIN

Robbie and Ackerley paired up once again to co-create their coastal gin brand, Papa Salt, alongside their film industry friends Charlie Maas, Josey McNamara and Regan Riskas.

According to The Spirit Business, the gin is inspired by the Australian coast and is an easy-drinking gin celebrating the subtle taste of native Australian botanicals.

The gin was named after a man from the Californian coastline whom the co-creators met while travelling.

CHANEL AND CALVIN KLEIN

There’s a reason Robbie wears a lot of Chanel – she has been one of its ambassadors since 2018.

Robbie arriving at Sydney Airport this year in Chanel. Picture: John Appleyard

There were rumours earlier this year she might be leaving the label because she started wearing other brands on the red carpet, but as of right now, Robbie is still one of Chanel’s most famous faces.

Robbie also became the face of Calvin Klein’s Deep Euphoria fragrance in 2016.

The details of her contracts with either of the luxury brands is not known.

REAL ESTATE

Robbie and her husband live in a house in the Venice Beach neighbourhood of LA. Robbie purchased the home in October 2019 for $AU7.6 million ($US5 million), with TMZ reporting the structure is now worth around $AU23 million ($US15 million).

She also owns a house in Byron Bay, which was bought in 2018 for $AU4.6 million ($US3 million).

Robbie walked Vogue through her house in their famous “73 Questions” video. Picture: Vogue.

Robbie’s Byron Bay beach house. Picture: Sotherby's International.

Earlier this year, she and Ackerley flew into the country to look at another Byron Bay property in secluded Newrybar, but is it not known if they ended up purchasing the home.

In 2019, Robbie bought property for her mother and older sister in Queensland. She has bought and sold a few properties in California over the years too.

Robbie also paid off her mother’s mortgage on their Gold Coast family home.