Reeves reportedly donated $31.5M, roughly 70% of his earnings, to cancer research after 1999’s The Matrix.
Hollywood nice guy Keanu Reeves just went even higher in our estimations with reports of hefty financial contributions to cancer research.
It is believed that Reeves‘ passion for this particular charitable cause comes from his youngest sister, Kim, who was diagnosed with blood cancer in 1991.
Reeves is believed to have earned $45M from the first matrix film – $10 million upfront and $35 million from the movie’s box office success – and donated 70 per cent of that, or $31.5M, directly into cancer research.
Following his sister’s remission, reports say that Reeves’ contributions have continued, having set up a non-for-profit foundation in the early 2000s.
Reeves referred to his foundation for the first time in an interview with Ladies Home Journal in 2009. Here he said that “I have a private foundation that’s been running for five or six years, and it helps aid a couple of children’s hospitals and cancer research.”
Keanu Reeves donated 70% of his ~$31.5M salary from the first ‘The Matrix’ movie to leukemia research pic.twitter.com/wnMaY101Qj
— Film Facts 🎬 (@Factsonfilm) January 4, 2022
Reeves further noted that “I don’t like to attach my name to it, I just let the foundation do what it does.”
This brand of low-key, meaningful altruism is extremely refreshing within Reeves’ notoriously vacuous industry where flashy pseudo-charitable action has become a standard.
Reeves auctioned off a 15 minute zoom date with himself back in 2020 for children’s cancer program Camp Rainbow Gold. By the way, the winning bid for this was a whopping $75,200.
Keanu Reeves donated 70% of his salary from The Matrix to cancer research. Which is about $31.5 million. (Via: @LadBible) pic.twitter.com/BcSAQlGlF2
— Binge Watch This (@BingeWatchThis_) January 3, 2022
Having still pocketed $13.5M for the first Matrix film, it’s safe to say Keanu had an ample payday…even having sacrificed 70% of it!
These figures illuminate an obvious question: why don’t more of our revered, and extremely wealthy, entertainers share greater portions of their earnings? With $45M paydays we know they can afford it.
Reeves recently starred in The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth film in the sci-fi franchise following 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions.
