Rumors On Greta’s Millions of Dollar Net Worth and Assets! Find out the facts…

Famous Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who gained international recognition for her efforts to combat climate change, is also one of the most targeted figures in the climate change space. 

The wealth of this young activist is one of the talking points of her haters, who claim that she has amassed several billion dollars owing to her activism campaigns and owns many fancy cars.

This summary will look into where these ideas came from, check if the information is reliable, and give a clear picture of Greta Thunberg’s actual financial situation. 

Social Media posts

Viral social media posts claim that Greta Thunberg’s net worth is around 18 million USD, of which she has inherited around 10 million USD. The claims further state that Greta owns 9 cars and 6 house properties, as seen below.

Facebook| Archived 

Users commented on it like below.

Explained

Initially, we conducted an investigation into the screenshot and identified its origin to be from a website called “caclubindia”. You can read the relevant article on the site by clicking here Archived. It’s important to note that this site may not be as reliable as more reputable sources such as Forbes and similarly established websites that have been publishing regularly about the net worth of the world’s top billionaires. Forbes’s top women billionaire list here, and it doesn’t feature Greta.

Swedish income tax records, which are public, show no evidence supporting these claims. Thunberg, and her family, are comfortably upper-middle class, but far from the falsely reported millionaire status.

Upon further investigation, we explored additional websites that provide varying information about the wealth of the renowned climate activist Greta Thunberg. Some sources claim her wealth amounts to 1-2 million USD, while others assert that she possesses 100,000 dollars. You can find these reports by clicking here, here,   here and here. 

Numerous websites assert that Greta Thunberg has a wealth of one million dollars. This claim is rooted in her winning the first edition of the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity in 2020, where she was awarded one million Euros. 

However, it is crucial to note that Greta Thunberg announced her intention to donate the entire award amount to charitable projects addressing the climate and ecological crisis, particularly in regions facing severe impacts, notably in the Global South. The Gulbenkian Foundation specified that she would allocate €100,000 to the SOS Amazonia campaign, led by Fridays for Future Brazil, to address the Covid-19 situation in the Amazon and another €100,000 to the Stop Ecocide Foundation to support their efforts in making ecocide an international crime. For more detailed information, you can refer to the Gulbenkian Foundation’s official website [here]

Subsequently, we investigated whether Greta Thunberg donated the awarded money to environmental campaigns and other causes. Greta operates a foundation known as the “Greta Thunberg Foundation,” and the foundation’s website meticulously documents the significant donations made through grants and other sources.

These records indicate that Greta has indeed contributed a substantial amount of the received funds to various charities, conservation organisations, and similar causes. You can explore the documented evidence of these donations on her official website [here]Archived 

Various media reports about her donations can be found here, here, here and here.  

In a recent 2022 interview, Greta Thunberg clarified her financial standing as a climate activist, emphasising that she does not derive income from her advocacy work. Instead, her financial support comes solely from a student grant intended for her university education, dispelling any misconceptions about her accumulating wealth through activism.

Furthermore, Greta Thunberg is on the verge of releasing a new book titled “The Climate Book,” in which she explicitly states that she will not personally profit from the project. All proceeds from the book will be directed towards charitable causes, in line with her unwavering commitment to environmental and humanitarian initiatives.

Contrary to assumptions about a lavish lifestyle, Greta Thunberg shared in the interview that she does not perceive herself as an influencer and does not indulge in typical perks associated with fame. She personally manages her transportation, rarely opting for taxis, and provides her own food, often choosing simple meals like plain bread.

Addressing a conspiracy theory suggesting a secret fortune exceeding $1 million, Greta Thunberg refuted such claims. She clarified that the theory likely originated from winning an award worth €1 million, dispelling any notions of undisclosed wealth. The interview can be referred here Archived 

Greta’s Family Inheritances

There is no public record of the exact sum of money she has inherited from her parents or grandparents. Greta’s family has constantly supported her mission and is comfortably upper-middle class but far from the falsely reported millionaire status.

Her late grandfather, Olof Thunberg, was a successful actor and director, and her father, Svante Thunberg, is an actor and writer. Greta’s mother, Malena Ernman, is an opera singer and Sweden’s Eurovision star in 2009. Swedish income tax records, which are public, show no evidence supporting her inheritance of millions of dollars.

Greta Thunberg’s commitment to climate activism has resulted in number of misconceptions and false narratives about her financial gains. It’s important to clarify these misunderstandings to accurately assess her financial situation and motivations.Here is an AFP article debunking numerous false and misleading claims targeting Greta Thunberg.