Despite being one of the most disliked musicians in the history of rap, and despite being the butt of thousands of jokes and for enduring criticism for being a “culture vulture,” Vanilla Ice is still worth an incredibly large amount of money. If people thought the man who is famously marked as "the whitest rapper of the 90s" went broke because he had fallen so far out of the public's favor, those people are grossly mistaken.
Vanilla Ice, whose birth name is Robert Mathew Van Winkle (yes, really!), is today still worth several million dollars. To Vanilla Ice haters, this is a heartbreaking scandal, but to Vanilla Ice fans it makes perfect sense, supposedly? Granted, Vanilla Ice haters seem to be much louder than any Vanilla Ice fans. But if Robert Matthew Van Winkle is really so disliked, why is he still so, so rich, and how rich is he?
8 Vanilla Ice Joined Reality Television In The 2000s
The peak craze around Vanilla Ice dates from 1990 to1991 when To The Extreme, his most successful album, with his Magnum Opus "Ice Ice Baby," sold over 15 million copies. Not one to step away from the spotlight, he began to find work on reality television. His first gig was on VH1s The Surreal Life and while on the show he began a feud with Gary Coleman, who Ice bullied relentlessly. Since then Ice has made appearances on a handful of shows and 90s nostalgia pieces.
7 Vanilla Ice Started Acting On Stage
Believe it or not, Vanilla Ice is a bit of a theater kid. He has acted in several plays, most notably as Captain Hook in a rendition of Peter Pan, he was the second celebrity to play the role in the rendition, as he was the replacement for Henry Winkler. Yes, you read that correctly, Vanilla Ice is a theater kid.
6 Vanilla Ice Still Acts In Movies, Occasionally
While he has not been an actor in a leading role since his film, Cool As Ice, Vanilla Ice can often be seen in movies playing himself. Vanilla Ice is put in front of the camera surprisingly frequently. Ice played himself in Adam Sandler’s That’s My Boy starring Andy Samberg, and he was recently in another Sandler vehicle, The Ridiculous Six, where he played iconic American writer Mark Twain. Yes, really. Vanilla Ice put on a fake mustache and wig and played as one of the most beloved writers in American history. That is the kind of information one doesn't really know what to do with.
5 Vanilla Ice Returned To Reality TV ('Dancing With The Stars')
Vanilla Ice returned to reality television in 2017 when he appeared in Season 23 of Dancing with The Stars opposite professional dancer Witney Carson. Carson and Vanilla Ice ended up in 10th place. The highest they scored was a 26 for their rendition of the foxtrot.
4 Vanilla Ice Joined The 'I Love The 90s' Tour
Most of the work Ice gets is either film and television work where he plays himself or where he cashes in on his tenure as a 90s icon. In 2017, he became a regular feature of the I Love The Nineties Tour which in addition to Ice features iconic 90s artists like Coolio and bands like Color Me Badd. For the last three years, Vanilla Ice has been the tour’s headlining act. The amount he is paid for these tours is undisclosed.
3 Vanilla Ice Played At A Trump Party, Twice, Unmasked During The Pandemic
To the annoyance of many, especially anti-Trump activists, Ice has been spotted performing at functions paid for by former President Donald Trump. Ice played at Mar-a-Lago for Donald J. Trump Jr’s birthday. The event occurred during the peak of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and several fans were outraged when footage of the concert surfaced revealing that the dance floor was incredibly crowded. No one at the event is seen wearing a mask. Trump’s events are often revealed through Covid tracking by watchdogs and the CDC to be what has become known as “superspreader” events.
2 Believe It Or Not, Vanilla Ice Still Makes Music
While his music is still poorly received by most critics, Vanilla Ice continues to perform and record. Although he has not released an album since 2011, he has recorded a few tracks in the last decade. Recently a music video for his newest single “Rodeo” dropped on YouTube.
1 Vanilla Ice's Net Worth Today
Vanilla Ice must have made some sound investments and avoided the pitfalls that many in Hollywood endure. And although he has had a few brushes with the law, Ice has come through his early career’s downfall relatively unscathed. To date, Vanilla Ice is still worth $12 million. As mentioned before, that is either great news if you're a Vanilla Ice fan, or it’s horrible news if you're one of his detractors. Whether you love him or hate him, it is an undeniable fact, Vanilla Ice is still rich.