From high-school dropout to $615m: Mark Wahlberg’s insane property empire

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From a prison cell to a $US400 million ($A615 million) empire, Mark Wahlberg has built an incredible property portfolio.

Once known as Marky Mark, the actor has made some savvy real estate moves after offloading his Beverly Park pad to Paris Hilton for a staggering $US63.1 million ($A97.4 million).

Wahlberg’s substantial wealth also includes strong Australian connections, following the establishment of five Wahlburger locations across NSW and Queensland. The restaurant chain, owned and operated by Wahlberg and his brothers Donnie and Paul, has 50 locations worldwide and is worth an estimated $A141m.

Reports suggest Wahlburgers plans to open 15 locations across Australia and New Zealand as part of a $50 million expansion.

Wahlberg is also a mahor investor in the F45 gym franchise which currently has more than 200 locations across Australia.

Here’s a look at the property plays of one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars.

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Mark Wahlberg has built an incredible property portfolio. Picture: Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Beverly Hills

In 2001, the Planet of the Apes star snapped up a Beverly Hills home for $US4.95 million ($A7.05 million).

The seven bedroom property features a pool with a waterfall, a golf course, a spa, a basketball court, and a personal fitness centre.

Wahlberg sold the house in 2018 for $US12.4 million ($A17.6 million).

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Wahlberg sold the Beverly Hills house in 2018 for $US12.4 million. Picture: Scott Eisen/Getty Images For Sony

The $97m payday: Paris Hilton moves in

For over a decade, the Oscar-nominated actor mainly lived in an estate located in the exclusive, gated community of Beverly Park in Beverly Hills.

Wahlberg and his wife bought one of the area’s last remaining undeveloped lots in 2009 for $US8.25 million ($A12.7 million).

Commissioned famed architect Richard Landry, the designer home features a golf course, basketball court, pool and movie theatre.

After being on and off the market for three years, Wahlberg sold the mansion to Paris Hilton last year for $US63.1 million ($A97.4 million).

In 2025, Wahlberg sold the mansion to Paris Hilton last year for $US63.1 million ($A97.4 million). Picture: Anthony Barcelo via Page Six

The great California exodus

In 2023, The Departed star sold his lavish townhouse in Las Vegas for a cool $US16.6 million ($A25.8 million).

The townhouse in The Summit Club is a sprawling two-storey residence, but reportedly was never intended to be Wahlberg’s long-term primary abode.

The former rapper also holds a substantial 2.5-acre plot of land within the same community, indicating that his real estate portfolio in Las Vegas remains substantial.

In 2023, The Departed star sold his lavish townhouse in Las Vegas for a cool $US16.6 million. Picture: Darin Marques Group via The Post

Inside the $57m ‘Billionaires Row’ sanctuary

In October 2025, Wahlberg dropped a hefty $US37 million ($A57.1 million) on a fully furnished mansion in Florida’s exclusive “Billionaires Row.”

Dubbed “Palazzo di Lago”, the Italian-style retreat is nestled within the ultra-private Stone Creek Ranch community in Delray Beach.

The stylish seven bedroom home boasts 10 full bathrooms, two powder rooms, a home theatre, a hidden cigar lounge with an advanced air-purification system, a wine cellar, gym, sauna, guesthouse, and a resort-style pool.

The 2017-built residence also features a seven-car garage, ensuring ample space for any luxury vehicle collection.

In October 2025, Wahlberg dropped a hefty $US37 million on a mansion in Florida’s exclusive “Billionaires Row.” Picture: Daniel Petroni / FOXBusiness

A ‘wake-up call’ behind bars

Wahlberg’s A-lister lifestyle is a far cry from his troubled youth in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

At 16, Wahlberg was a high-school dropout sentenced to two years in prison for assault. He served 45 days, a period he calls the “wake-up call” that saved his life.

“Jail was definitely a wake-up call for me. I was 16 years old, I was arrested and tried as an adult,” Wahlberg told Anderson Cooper in 2012.

“A lot of the guys I looked up to in the neighbourhood were actually there, and I had become one of them.

“I thought: ‘You know what? This is not what I want out of my life.’

“So I decided from that point on that I was going to turn my life around.”

Mark Wahlberg in a scene from the film 'Three Kings'.

At 16, Wahlberg was a high-school dropout.

The ‘Marky Mark’ era and Calvin Klein fame

Following his release from jail, Wahlberg turned to music when his brother Donnie – famous for being in US boyband New Kids On The Block – produced his first album.

The entertainer’s first album, Music for the People, was released in 1991. Its single, “Good Vibrations,” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and later went platinum.

While Wahlberg’s second album didn’t achieve the same success as his first, he gained a fan base and a reputation for dropping his pants in public.

In 1992, the media personality became a model for Calvin Klein underwear. His image was famously displayed on a Times Square billboard for much of the year.

In the mid-90s, Wahlberg shifted his focus to acting, dropping the Marky Mark moniker.

He has since established an A-list career in acting and producing. He typically commands a salary of $10 million ($A15 million) but has, at times, accepted a lower fee in exchange for a share of the back-end gross.