What Is Paulo Coelho's Net Worth?
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian novelist, musician, and lyricist with a net worth of $500 million. He gained worldwide fame with his 1988 novel, "The Alchemist". In 2014, he created the virtual Paulo Coelho Foundation by uploading his personal papers.
Early Life
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24, 1947, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Aspiring to be a writer from a young age, his parents sent him to a mental institution at 16. Despite escaping three times, he was released after four years. Reflecting on this period, Paulo said, "It wasn't that they wanted to hurt me, but they didn't know what to do ... They did not do that to destroy me, they did that to save me." He enrolled in law school at his parents' request but dropped out after a year to travel the world.
Career
During the 1960s, Coelho began using drugs and worked as a lyricist after returning to Brazil. He wrote for renowned acts like Raul Seixas, Elis Regina, and Rita Lee. His collaboration with Seixas linked him to magic and occultism. In 1974, he was arrested for "subversive" activities and tortured by Brazil's military government. Before becoming a novelist, he worked as an actor, journalist, and theatre director.
His first book, "Hell Archives," published in 1982, failed to gain traction. A 500-mile pilgrimage through Spain in the mid-'80s marked his spiritual awakening, which he detailed in "The Pilgrimage," published in 1987. Paulo left his successful songwriting career to focus on writing full-time. His 1987 novel, "The Alchemist," initially saw a small print run of 900 copies by a minor Brazilian publisher. After securing a larger publisher and releasing "Brida," "The Alchemist" became a bestseller. HarperCollins released it in 1994, transforming it into an international phenomenon.
"The Alchemist" has sold over 65 million copies globally and holds the Guinness World Record for the most translated book by a living author. In an interview with "Forward Magazine," Paulo shared that the Sufi tradition influenced "The Alchemist" and his later novel "The Zahir." Since "The Alchemist," Paulo has regularly published novels, including autobiographical works like "The Pilgrimage," "Hippie," "The Valkyries," and "Aleph." His other works range from essays and selected teachings to newspaper columns with titles like "Maktub," "The Manual of the Warrior of Light," and "Like the Flowing River."
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In 2014, the biography "The Pilgrim — Story of Paulo Coelho" premiered in Brazilian theaters and was distributed internationally in 2015. The film, a co-production between Brazil's Drama Films and Spain's Babel Films, features different actors portraying the younger and older Coelho.
Paulo was listed as #2 on Richtopia's list of the 200 most influential contemporary writers in December 2016. His writings have sparked controversy, especially given his Catholic upbringing and New Age publication themes. Despite criticism, he remains steadfast in his beliefs.
In 2016, basketball player Kobe Bryant approached Paulo for a children's book project. They began writing, but Coelho deleted the draft after Bryant's tragic death in 2020, saying it wouldn't make sense to publish without him. The book's content and title remain undisclosed. In 2018, Paulo announced a TV series based on characters from "The Devil and Miss Prym," "Brida," and "The Witch of Portobello." He also published "Hippie" that year and "Archer" in 2020.
By 2021, Paulo had published 33 titles, including well-known works like "The Fifth Mountain," "Veronika Decides to Die," "Eleven Minutes," "By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept," "The Genie and the Roses," "Fathers, Sons, and Grandsons," and "The Witch of Portobello." His books have sold more than 320 million copies across 170 countries and 83 languages. His readers find his works both inspiring and transformative.
Personal Life
Paulo married artist Christina Oiticica in 1980. They once split their time between Rio de Janeiro and the Pyrenees Mountains of France but now live permanently in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1996, he founded the Paulo Coelho Institute, supporting children and the elderly through charity.
