Erin Brockovich is a famous American activist and legal assistant known for her efforts in environmental issues. She gained recognition through a lawsuit she filed against the Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
The lawsuit claimed that the community of Hinkley in California had their drinking water contaminated with a harmful chemical called hexavalent chromium. In 1996, the case was settled for a record-breaking $333 million, making it the largest settlement in a direct-action lawsuit in American history.
Erin’s inspiring story was even turned into a movie titled “Erin Brockovich,” with Julia Roberts playing her role. In this article, we will explore Erin Brockovich’s net worth and how she achieved it.
Table of Contents
Erin Brockovich Net Worth
Erin Brockovich has a net worth of approximately $10 million. She accumulated her wealth through her career as a lawyer, her dedication to environmental causes, and her appearances on television.
The Early Years of Erin Brockovich
Erin Brockovich was born on June 22, 1960, in Lawrence, Kansas. Her father, Frank Pattee, worked as an industrial engineer, and her mother, Betty Jo, was a journalist. Erin has one sister and two brothers.
After finishing high school, she attended Kansas State University before transferring to Wade College in Dallas, Texas. There, she earned an Associate in Applied Arts degree.
Erin Brockovich’s Career Success
After working at K-Mart and competing in a beauty pageant, Brockovich started working as a legal clear for Californian attorney Edward L. Masry. She started looking into a rash of ailments among inhabitants of Hinkley, California, in 1993.
A compressor station erected at Hinkley in 1952 as a component of a natural gas pipeline once stood there. Hexavalent chromium was employed by Pacific Gas & Electric between 1952 and 1966 to combat corrosion in the station.
The wastewater was released into unlined ponds close to the facility, which eventually filtered into the groundwater. Residents of the two square miles close to the facility saw unusually high rates of illness, and Brockovich played a crucial role in putting together the case against PG & E.
The highest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit in American history was settled in 1996 for $333 million. Julia Roberts played the titular role in the 2000 drama “Erin Brockovich,” inspired by Brockovich’s work on the case.
Five Academy Awards were given to the movie, and Roberts’ portrayal of Brockovich earned her the Best Actress prize. In 2001, she also released her debut book, “Take It From Me: Life’s a Struggle, But You Can Win.”
Following the case, Brockovich collaborated with Edward Masry and participated in several additional anti-pollution lawsuits. One of these lawsuits once more focused on PG & E’s California compressor stations. In 2006, this dispute was resolved for $335 million.
She has also worked on cases involving pollution and other environmental problems linked to human ailments in Missouri, Texas, and New York. Although Brockovich never attended law school, her contributions to the legal community have been honored with many honorary degrees.
She received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Portland, Oregon’s Lewis & Clark Law School in May 2005. Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles also awarded her an honorary doctorate in humane letters, and Jones International University in Colorado awarded her an honorary master’s degree.
In the 2012 documentary “Last Call at the Oasis” about water pollution, water shortage, and American water policy, Brockovich had significant screen time. In August 2020, Brockovich published her second book, “Superman’s Not Coming.” Also loosely based on Brockovich’s life is the television show “Rebel,” which premieres in 2021.
Erin Brockovich Personal Life
Brockovich had three previous marriages. Matthew and Katie’s father is Shawn Brown, her first husband. Elizabeth was her third child, whom she had after becoming married to Steven Brockovich.
After this union fell apart, she wed musician and actor Eric L. Ellis. Brockovich lives in the same home in Agoura Hills, California, that she bought after settling the first PG & E case.
Also View: Fitness influencer Sophie Guidolin caught in epic social media fail
