Ashton Kutcher is an American actor, producer, investor and former model who has a net worth of $140 million. Kutcher is best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in That ’70s Show. He also created and produced the MTV show Punk’d.
Christopher Ashton Kutcher was born on February 7, 1978 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kutcher was discovered at a bar in Iowa by a modeling scout. After winning first place in an Iowa City modeling contest, Kutcher decided to head to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Kutcher eventually signed with a modeling agency in New York and began appearing in Calvin Klein ads around the globe.
Kutcher’s first major acting role came on That ’70s Show. He also appeared in various movies such as Dude, Where’s My Car, Just Married, Guess Who, and Cheaper By the Dozen. In 2003, Kutcher produced and starred in his own MTV series Punk’d. He also has had several other productions via his company Katalyst Films which he runs with partner Jason Goldberg.
Kutcher now appears on the television series Two and a Half Men. In 2011, he signed on as Charlie Sheen’s replacement with a one-year contract worth about $20 million. The show was wildly successful with Kutcher and he reportedly makes $750,000 an episode.
Kutcher’s net worth is a product of his acting, modeling, endorsements (Nikon), and his business ventures. He has successfully invested in several tech startups including Skype, Foursquare, Airbnb, Path, and Fab.com. Kutcher signed with Next modeling agency in 1998. Through the agency, he appeared in ads for Calvin Klein and also modeled in Paris and Milan. Kutcher has also invested in the Italian restaurant, Dolce and the famous Japanese restaurant, Geisha House, which has locations in Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta (other owners include Danny Masterson and Wilmer Valderrama).
Kutcher also spent a season as the assistant football coach at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. He could not continue doing this because of his filming schedule. In February 2011, Kutcher sold his Hollywood Hills home, which he originally bought in 2004 for several millions of dollars. He also became the 500th paying customer to sign up to ride Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo.
Kutcher married actress Demi Moore in 2005. The two were together for six years before Moore announced she planned to separate with Kutcher in 2011. On November 27, 2013 Moore and Kutcher were officially divorced. While going through divorce proceedings with Moore, Kutcher began dating former co-star Mila Kunis. The two are set to be married.
Kutcher has done charity work throughout his career. In 2009, he and ex-wife Demi Moore established an international human rights organization. The DNA Foundation, later known as Thorn, works to address the sexual exploitation of children and the spread of child pornography around the globe.
Kutcher is not just a pretty face. He’s an actor/model AND success entrepreneur and investor. He’s one of the few celebrities in Hollywood that have capitalized on the growth in Silicon Valley. Kutcher’s revenue streams are solid and only promise to grow going foward as his career continues.
