'I Thought It Was Going To Be Set For Life,' Ben Affleck Says After A $600K Payday — Until Taxes Felt 'Like Having An Ex-Wife Right Away'

Early Hollywood success once felt like a lifetime guarantee — until a $600,000 payday ran straight into taxes and fees.

Actor-filmmaker Ben Affleck recently said on “The Howard Stern Show” that he and longtime friend and actor-screenwriter Matt Damon briefly believed they were set for life after selling the “Good Will Hunting” screenplay. Recalling that first sizable payday, Affleck said, “I thought it was going to be set for life.”

“Well, it turns out, Howard, you have to pay these things called taxes,” the Oscar-winning actor said. “We were like, ‘We understand this guy gets half — but who else gets half? What’s happening?'”

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When ‘Set For Life’ Meets Reality

Affleck and Damon met while growing up outside Boston and pursued acting careers together in their 20s. Their career breakthrough came later when the film was released in 1997 and earned them an Oscar for best original screenplay.

Affleck said on “The Drew Barrymore Show” in 2023 that he and Damon shared a joint bank account at the time. After splitting the payment evenly and paying agent fees and covering about $150,000 in taxes, he said they were left with about $110,000 each.

“We each bought $55,000 Jeep Cherokees,” Affleck said. “And then had $55,000 left, which naturally, we decided to rent a $5,000-a-month party house on Glencoe Way up by the Hollywood Bowl — and we were broke in six months.”

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Affleck later told Howard Stern how the money was divided. “It was like having an ex-wife right away — you just divide, divide, divide,” he said. “And that joke is in no way meant to reflect on anyone.”

Keeping The Bond

The pair are currently promoting “The Rip,” a crime action thriller that has become a major streaming success since its recent release on Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX). The film drew 41.6 million views in its first weekend and reached the top spot on the platform’s global charts.

“I think we’re lucky, actually, to not have a friendship that’s really rooted in rivalry,” Affleck said in a recent video shared by Netflix.

‘I Thought It Was Going To Be Set For Life,’ Ben Affleck Says After A $600K Payday — Until Taxes Felt ‘Like Having An Ex-Wife Right Away’

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