Sam Neill leaves behind a substantial multimillion-dollar estate and an impressive property portfolio after his death this week at the age of 78. The New Zealand-born Jurassic Park actor, who died suddenly on Monday in Sydney, had built a fortune estimated at between $25 million and $28 million, alongside a well-regarded winery business. His principal home was Two Paddocks, a sprawling vineyard estate in Central Otago on New Zealand’s South Island. Neill founded the winery in 1993, and it went on to earn a strong reputation for its Pinot Noir, a delicately spiced red wine. Although best known for Pinot, the label was also recognised for producing high-quality Riesling. What began as a modest five-acre planting eventually grew into a business spanning four vineyard sites.
Beyond his vineyards, Neill owned Redbank Farm, where he kept an assortment of animals, many of them affectionately named after Hollywood figures. In 2008, the actor acknowledged that the winery’s expansion had largely been funded by his screen career. “I’d like the vineyard to support me but I’m afraid it is the other way round. It is not a very economic business,” Neill, whose career included more than 100 film and television credits, told The West Australian. Still, he said the pleasure of running the estate made the effort worthwhile. “It is a ridiculously time- and money-consuming business,” he said, adding that he would not have continued if it were not “so satisfying and fun” — and if it did not occasionally get him “p*ssed.” The Piano star also owned a residence in Wellington, New Zealand.
In 2020, Neill sold his Double Bay mansion in Sydney for about $3.6 million through a virtual auction. He had bought the four-bedroom property in 1996 for $839,000 with his then-wife, Noriko Watanabe. The double-fronted, two-storey Federation-style home included open-plan living and dining areas flowing to an outdoor terrace, as well as a large backyard and alfresco entertaining space. Neill died on Monday at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Sydney. In a statement posted to his Instagram page, his family described his passing as “sudden and unexpected.” The actor had previously been diagnosed with a form of blood cancer. “It is with immense sadness that the whānau (family) of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13 July, in Sydney, Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,” the statement said.
“The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care. More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.” In April, Neill, best known internationally for his role as Dr Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise, revealed that recent tests had shown he was cancer-free. Speaking to Channel Seven, he reflected on how close he had come to death after chemotherapy was no longer effective.
Neill said an advanced and expensive treatment ultimately helped extend his life. “I’ve been living with a particular type of lymphoma for about five years and I was on chemotherapy and it’s a pretty miserable business, but it was keeping me alive,” he said. “Then the chemo stopped working. I was at a loss and it looked like I was on the way out, which wasn’t ideal obviously.” He later underwent CAR T-cell therapy, a specialised treatment that genetically alters a patient’s own T-cells so they can identify and attack cancer cells. In private care, the therapy can cost around AUD$540,000.
