Salman Khan Holds Rs 3,000 Crore Wealth After Facing Childhood Fee Struggles

Salman Khan holds an estimated fortune of Rs 3,000 crore, according to the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2026. Shah Rukh Khan leads the list with Rs 10,000 crore, followed by Amitabh Bachchan at Rs 4,000 crore.

Childhood Struggles

Salman recalled on a talk show that his family once struggled to pay his school fees when he was in the fourth grade, resulting in him being made to stand outside the classroom. His father Salim Khan spoke to the teacher and the principal before paying the fees, though Salman was later taken out of school when the issue happened again. Aamir Khan, who briefly studied at the same school, shared that his parents also missed fee payments, leading to their names being announced in the assembly. Salim Khan himself lived in a Mumbai guesthouse in the 1960s paying Rs 55 a month for half a room while trying to become an actor before finding success as a screenwriter alongside Javed Akhtar.

Career Beginnings

Salman began as an assistant director on Shashilal K Nair's Falak before making his acting debut as a supporting actor in Biwi Ho To Aisi in 1988 for Rs 31,000, which later rose to Rs 75,000. He earned his breakthrough as a leading man at age 24 in Sooraj Barjatya's 1989 blockbuster Maine Pyaar Kiya. He received no work for four to five months afterward because co-star Bhagyashree decided to quit films, until Salim Khan asked producer GP Sippy to announce a signing that brought in new offers. Salman also earned Rs 75 at age 14 as a background dancer at Mumbai's Taj Hotel.

Upcoming Projects

Salman is preparing for the release of Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace and is working on the pan-India film Monster directed by Vamshi Paidipally, starring Nayanthara, and produced by Dil Raju.

Context

Wealth lists like the Hurun India ranking track the estimated assets and business interests of top public figures and business leaders using publicly available data. Film industry fortunes in India typically combine earnings from box office profit-sharing, brand endorsements, and production ventures built over decades of work.