Even if you’re worth hundreds of millions of dollars, Social Security doesn’t pay massive checks. The program uses the same formula for everyone — and it caps how much of your income counts toward your benefit. That’s why Ellen DeGeneres, whose net worth has been estimated at $500 million by Celebrity Net Worth, would still fall under the same Social Security ceiling as any other high earner.
DeGeneres was born Jan. 26, 1958, which makes her 68 in 2026, putting her above the full retirement age to claim retirement benefits (67 for those born after 1960). Below is what she could plausibly receive from Social Security and how that stacks up against what the typical retired worker gets.
