What Was Jackie Collins' Net Worth?
Jackie Collins OBE was an acclaimed English romance novelist with a net worth of $180 million at her death in 2015. She was celebrated for her prolific writing career, during which she sold over 500 million books globally. In recognition of her significant contributions to literature, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2013. Jackie tragically passed away from breast cancer on September 19, 2015, at the age of 77.
Early Life
Jacqueline Jill Collins was born on October 4, 1937, in Hampstead, England. Her father, a South African Jewish immigrant, was a talent agent representing prominent figures like Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey. Jackie was the younger sister of actress Joan Collins. Despite attending the prestigious Francis Holland School, she was expelled for smoking and truancy at 15. Jackie's early aspirations included acting, and she played minor roles in low-budget films.
In 1957, Jackie moved to Los Angeles to join her sister Joan, embarking on a brief acting career marked by roles in films such as "All at Sea" and "The Safecracker." However, she soon pivoted towards writing.
(Photo by Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Adult Life and Career
Before achieving literary fame, Collins faced several personal challenges, including a brief marriage and single motherhood. Her second husband, Oscar Lerman, encouraged her literary pursuits, leading to her debut novel, "The World Is Full of Married Men," in 1968. The book's graphic content sparked controversy but also drove its sales, establishing her career.
Jackie's follow-up, "The Stud" (1969), was another success, attracting similar controversy. Her subsequent works, like "Sunday Simmons & Charlie Brick," also became bestsellers. In 1974, she ventured into the organized crime genre with "The Love Killers." Her screenplay for "The Stud," starring Joan Collins, was a significant success, followed by "The Bitch" in 1979.
In the 1980s, Collins moved to Los Angeles, where she created the iconic character Lucky Santangelo in "Chances" (1981). Her 1983 novel, "Hollywood Wives," topped the "New York Times" best-seller list. She penned numerous successful books and TV adaptations throughout the 1990s, including "Lucky Chances," which starred Nicollette Sheridan and Sandra Bullock. Her work spanned into the 2000s, with eight best-sellers and a series of TV specials for E! Entertainment Television.
Personal Life and Legacy
Jackie Collins married Wallace Austin from 1960 to 1964, having one child. She later married Oscar Lerman in 1965, with whom she had two children; Lerman passed away in 1992. Her fiancé, Frank Calcagnini, died in 1998. Jackie passed away from breast cancer in 2015 at 77. Over her career, she wrote 32 novels, eight of which were adapted for TV or film.
Real Estate
In 1988, Jackie bought a $2 million mansion in Beverly Hills, later rebuilding it into a 22,000-square-foot estate. The property sold for $21 million in 2016 after initially being listed for $30 million. Jackie also owned a neighboring property, rented to Al Pacino, which sold for $9 million. She owned other homes in Los Angeles, including a mansion in Bel Air leased at $20,000 monthly.
