What is Greta Thunberg's Net Worth?
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist who has a net worth of $100 thousand. As we detail in the next two sections below, there are many false rumors online which claim Greta Thunberg is a multi-millionaire thanks to speaking fees, book sales and millions of dollars inherited from her wealthy parents. None of this is true.
Greta Thunberg began advocating for climate change mitigation at the age of 15. A leading voice in the movement, she has addressed the United Nations Climate Change Conference and the Climate Action Summit, and has helped foster numerous school climate strikes worldwide. Thunberg has earned many honors for her work, including an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.
In February 2023, "The Climate Book" was published in which Thunberg brought together over 100 experts to write on changes to the Earth's climate.
Greta Thunberg Family Wealth/$10 Million Inheritance?
A false rumor that has spread widely on the internet claims that Greta's parents, Malena Ernman and Svante Thunberg, are extremely rich. That is false. Greta's mother finished 21st at the 2009 Eurovision contest and is a moderately well-known (in Sweden) opera singer. Her father is a very minor actor who was not known widely in Sweden before his daughter became world famous.
A very specific version of the rumor that is frequently quoted to discredit Greta is that she is set to "inherit $10 million" or has already "inherited over $10 million from her family's estate." The latter quote appears to trace back to a spammy website called "caclubindia.com," which further claims Greta's net worth is $18 million USD and that "from her inheritance she is poised to receive several properties in Stockholm, a high-end yacht, a cash amount of $2 million, and a collection of art and antiques estimated at $1.4 million."
The article further falsely claims that Greta takes over 90 private jet trips a year, received a BMW X5 as a gift on her 18th birthday, "possesses a Tesla Model-X and a Range Rover" and is paid $250,000 per speaking event. None of these statements are true. They appear to be robot-generated ChatGPT spam.
Based on our research and Swedish income tax records – which are publicly released – the rumors about the Thunberg family's wealth are completely false. While her parents may be considered comfortably upper-middle class in Sweden, tax records indicate that they are not millionaires let alone multi-millionaires. Greta and her sister were raised in an apartment in a nice area of Stockholm. When she turned 18 she began renting her own 2-bedroom apartment.
$250,000 Speaking Fee?
As was falsely claimed in the caclubindia.com article, Greta Thunberg supposedly earns $250,000 per speaking engagement. This is false. Greta does do speaking engagements but she does not take any fee. She herself confirmed this point in June 2019 Tweet in which she said she does not charge "a cent" for her speaking fees AND her income from book sales goes to charity:
Early Life
Greta Thunberg was born on January 3, 2003 in Stockholm, Sweden to actor Svante Thunberg and opera singer Malena Ernman. She has a younger sister named Beata.
Malena Ernman is a renowned Swedish opera singer and mezzo-soprano. Born on November 4, 1970, in Uppsala, Sweden, she has achieved international acclaim for her powerful and emotive vocal performances. Malena's career in opera has spanned several decades, during which she has performed on some of the world's most prestigious stages. The peak of Malena's career arguably came in 2009 when she represented Sweden at Eurovision. She finished in 21st place, one of the lowest finishes for Sweden in the contest.
Svante Thunberg, Greta's father, is an accomplished actor and author. Born on August 10, 1969, in Stockholm, Sweden, his acting career has included roles in film, television, and theater, showcasing his versatility and talent as a performer.
Greta Thunberg first became aware of climate change at the age of eight in 2011; unable to understand why people weren't treating it as an urgent threat, she fell into a depression and stopped talking and eating. She was soon diagnosed with OCD, selective mutism, and Asperger syndrome. For her education, Thunberg went to the private school Franska Skolan between 2010 and 2018. She subsequently transferred to Kringlaskolan.
Start of Activism
Thunberg struggled with her depression for a few years before she launched her school climate strikes, which evolved into an international climate change advocacy movement dubbed Fridays for Future. She vowed not to attend school until the 2018 Swedish general election, and demanded that her country's government cut down on carbon emissions to comply with the Paris Agreement. To further her cause, Thunberg posted photos of her strike on Twitter and Instagram, gaining her international coverage. Later in 2018, she began participating in large demonstrations across Europe, and made several high-profile public speeches. After the Swedish general election, Thunberg continued to strike exclusively on Fridays, and inspired students from around the world to continue their strikes as well.
Major Protests and Speeches
Thunberg had her biggest platform yet when she spoke during the plenary session of the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Her speech, in which she vehemently denounced government inaction in response to climate change, went viral. Thunberg spent the following year ramping up her activism by taking part in numerous student protests and speaking at myriad forums and parliaments in Europe. Among them, she spoke at the World Economic Forum and addressed the British and French parliaments. Later in the year, Thunberg attended the United Nations Climate Action Summit. She also joined 15 other children at a UNICEF press conference, where they issued an official complaint against five countries failing to meet carbon emission reduction targets.
Among her other notable climate protests and speeches, Thunberg took part in protests throughout Canada and the United States, and gave keynote speeches as well. She also attended COP25; returned to speak at the World Economic Forum; and addressed the European Parliament's Environment Committee. Thunberg continued her activism apace during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking to social media to call out various environmental injustices and the persistent inaction of world leaders. In 2021, she spoke at the COP26 conference in Glasgow. In 2022, Thunberg was charged with disrupting traffic and failure to follow police orders during a demonstration in Malmo, Sweden, and she was sentenced to pay 2,500 SEK (around $230 in US dollars) in fines.
Transatlantic Voyage
During her sabbatical year in 2019, Thunberg sailed across the Atlantic from Plymouth, United Kingdom, to New York City, United States. She rode in the racing yacht Malizia II, which was equipped with underwater turbines and solar panels to create a carbon-neutral voyage. Overall, the journey took 15 days.
(Photo by Ronald Patrick/Getty Images)
Social Impact
Thunberg's outspoken activism has had a measurable effect on many nations' attitudes toward climate change. In the 2019 European Parliament election, the Green parties posted their best results ever, with many of the gains coming from northern Europe where young people participated in protests inspired by Thunberg. Additionally, a YouGov poll in the UK revealed that public concern about environmental issues had skyrocketed since Thunberg rose to prominence; the publication and sales of children's books about climate change were also significantly up.
Thunberg has also had an impact on air travel, as she has encouraged people to take the train instead of flying in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, Sweden reported a 4% drop in domestic air travel in 2019, and a rise in rail use. In 2021, a study found that people familiar with Thunberg and her views were more likely to take collective, concerted action to combat climate change and support environmental activism.
Due to her high international visibility and influence, Thunberg has appeared in a wide range of media. She has been depicted in many large-scale murals, and was the inspiration for the children's book "Greta and the Giants." Some of her speeches have been used in music, including in songs by Megan Washington, Robert Davidson, and DJ Fatboy Slim. In 2020, Thunberg was featured as a fortune teller in the music video for Pearl Jam's "Retrograde." The same year, she was the subject of the Hulu documentary "I Am Greta," directed by Nathan Grossman. In 2021, Thunberg was the subject of the three-part BBC documentary series "Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World."
Accolades
Thunberg has been the recipient of myriad awards and honors in recognition of her activism. Among them, she has been named Swedish Woman of the Year and Time Person of the Year; received the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society; and won the Rachel Carson Prize, the Laudato si' Prize, the Ambassador of Conscience Award, the Geddes Environment Medal, and the International Children's Peace Prize. Thunberg was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in four consecutive years (2019-2022). In 2020, she won the inaugural Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity.
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