Priscilla Presley | Celebrity Net Worth 2026

Biography & Early Wealth Journey

Priscilla Presley is best known for her marriage to Elvis Presley, but she also played an enormously important role in preserving and commercializing his legacy after his death. As a trustee for their daughter Lisa Marie's inheritance, Priscilla helped transform Graceland from an expensive private estate that was draining cash into one of the most famous tourist attractions in the United States. Under her leadership, Elvis Presley Enterprises developed into a business ultimately worth more than $100 million.

Priscilla also built an entertainment career independent of Elvis. She starred as Jenna Wade on "Dallas" for five seasons and played Jane Spencer opposite Leslie Nielsen in all three "Naked Gun" movies. Her 1985 memoir, "Elvis and Me," became a bestseller and later inspired Sofia Coppola's 2023 film "Priscilla," on which Presley served as an executive producer. She also co-created and executive produced the Netflix animated series "Agent Elvis."

Despite her stewardship of Elvis' legacy, Priscilla was never a major direct beneficiary of his estate. Elvis left his estate principally for Lisa Marie, while Priscilla served as one of the people responsible for protecting and growing it until her daughter became an adult.

Elvis Presley's Estate

Primary Income Streams & Multi-Million Contracts

When Elvis died on August 16, 1977, at age 42, his estate was left primarily for his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. Elvis' father, Vernon Presley, initially served as executor and trustee. Before his death in 1979, Vernon named Priscilla as one of his successors.

The estate owned valuable property and intellectual property, but it also faced serious cash-flow problems. Graceland alone cost more than $500,000 per year to operate and maintain, while taxes and other expenses consumed substantial amounts of cash. Selling Graceland was discussed as a possible solution.

Priscilla instead pursued the idea of turning the mansion into a tourist attraction. She worked with businessman Jack Soden, who became the longtime CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises, to develop the property for public tours.

Graceland opened on June 7, 1982. The decision was an enormous success. Within weeks, admissions had generated enough money to recover the initial investment required to open the property, and Graceland quickly developed into the center of a much larger Elvis licensing and merchandising business.

Real Estate, Luxury Assets & Personal Investments

Priscilla became president and chairwoman of Elvis Presley Enterprises. By the time Lisa Marie reached adulthood, the trust that had once faced severe cash-flow pressure had grown to a value exceeding $100 million.

Lisa Marie turned 25 in 1993 and became entitled to control her inheritance. Rather than simply dismantling the structure Priscilla had helped build, Lisa created a new trust arrangement and kept Priscilla and other experienced advisers involved with management.

Lisa Marie's Sale of Elvis Presley Enterprises

In 2005, Lisa Marie sold an 85% interest in the business side of Elvis Presley Enterprises in a deal valued at roughly $100 million.

Wealth Trajectory & Future Earnings Projections

Importantly, she retained ownership of Graceland itself, including the mansion and much of her father's personal property. The transaction primarily involved the commercial rights surrounding Elvis' name, image, licensing, and music-related business interests.

Priscilla did not personally receive the proceeds as though she were an owner of Lisa Marie's inheritance. Her role had been as trustee, executive, and steward of the estate rather than the principal beneficiary.

That distinction is central to understanding Priscilla's finances. She helped create enormous value from Elvis' legacy, but most of that value belonged to Lisa Marie and her descendants rather than to Priscilla personally.

Lisa Marie's Death and Riley Keough Settlement

Lisa Marie Presley died on January 12, 2023, at age 54. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later determined that she died from a small bowel obstruction caused by adhesions that developed after earlier bariatric surgery.

After Lisa Marie's death, a dispute emerged over who should control her trusts. A 2016 amendment had removed Priscilla as a trustee and named Lisa Marie's children Riley and Benjamin Keough in her place. Benjamin died in 2020, leaving Riley Keough as the surviving named trustee.

Priscilla challenged the validity of the amendment, pointing to issues including the spelling of her name and differences in Lisa Marie's signature. The dispute was settled rather than tried in court.

Under the final agreement, Riley became sole trustee. Priscilla received a $1 million lump-sum payment and reimbursement of up to $400,000 in legal expenses. She also received a guaranteed role as a special adviser to a trust connected with Elvis Presley Enterprises paying $100,000 per year for 10 years.

Priscilla waived future claims to Lisa Marie's trusts as part of the settlement. The agreement also provided that she may be buried at Graceland near Elvis after her death.

Elvis Presley and Priscilla Ann Beaulieu in 1967. (Getty)

Early Life

Priscilla Ann Wagner was born on May 24, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York. Her biological father, James Wagner, was a U.S. Navy pilot who died in a plane crash when Priscilla was six months old. Her mother, Ann, later married Air Force officer Paul Beaulieu, who raised Priscilla and whose surname she adopted.

Because of her stepfather's military career, the family moved frequently. Priscilla lived in several states before the Beaulieus were transferred to West Germany in the 1950s.

It was there that she met Elvis Presley.

Relationship With Elvis

Priscilla met Elvis in September 1959 while he was serving in the U.S. Army in Germany. She was 14 years old; Elvis was 24.

The age difference initially alarmed her parents, but Elvis eventually persuaded them to allow the two to spend time together under certain conditions. When his military service ended in 1960 and he returned to the United States, they remained in contact.

Priscilla visited Elvis in America in 1962 and moved to Memphis the following year. The arrangement called for her to attend school and initially live under the supervision of Elvis' family, although she spent much of her time at Graceland.

Their relationship unfolded during a period when Elvis was one of the world's most famous entertainers. His long absences while filming movies in Hollywood and relationships with other women became recurring sources of tension.

Priscilla and Elvis married on May 1, 1967, in Las Vegas. The ceremony lasted only a few minutes. Their daughter, Lisa Marie, was born on February 1, 1968.

The marriage deteriorated over the following years as both Priscilla and Elvis had relationships outside the marriage. They separated in 1972 and divorced on October 9, 1973.

Priscilla received a $725,000 cash settlement, support payments, a share of proceeds from the sale of a Beverly Hills property, and a percentage interest in certain Elvis publishing royalties. They shared custody of Lisa Marie and remained connected until Elvis' death four years later.

(Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)

Business Career

Priscilla began developing business interests soon after her divorce. In 1973, she and stylist Olivia Bis opened the Bis & Beau clothing boutique in Los Angeles. The shop attracted celebrity customers including Cher, Barbra Streisand, and Natalie Wood before closing in 1976.

Her most important business accomplishment came after Elvis' death. Faced with the possibility that the Presley estate might eventually have to sell Graceland, Priscilla helped turn the property into a commercial attraction while developing Elvis Presley Enterprises into a professional licensing business.

Graceland became a National Historic Landmark and grew into one of America's most visited private homes. Beyond admission revenue, EPE generated income from merchandise, licensing, media, publishing, branded attractions, and use of Elvis' name and image.

Priscilla later launched fragrance and home-product ventures and served on the board of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer beginning in 2000.

Acting Career

Priscilla was offered acting opportunities while she was still married to Elvis, but he discouraged her from pursuing them. She began studying acting more seriously after their divorce.

Her major television breakthrough came in 1983 when she joined the cast of "Dallas" as Jenna Wade. She remained on the enormously popular prime-time soap through 1988.

Priscilla's best-known film role came as Jane Spencer in 1988's "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" Her deadpan chemistry with Leslie Nielsen's Frank Drebin made her an important part of the movie's comedy, and she returned for "The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear" and "Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult."

She also made guest appearances on television and was offered one of the starring roles in "Charlie's Angels," which she declined.

"Elvis and Me" and "Priscilla"

Priscilla published "Elvis and Me" in 1985 with writer Sandra Harmon. The memoir provided her account of meeting Elvis as a teenager, moving to Graceland, their marriage, his infidelity, their divorce, and the complicated relationship they maintained afterward.

The book became a bestseller and was adapted into a television movie in 1988.

Decades later, Sofia Coppola used the memoir as the basis for the 2023 movie "Priscilla." Cailee Spaeny portrayed Priscilla, while Jacob Elordi played Elvis. Priscilla served as an executive producer and publicly supported the film's exploration of her experience inside Graceland.

She also co-created and executive produced Netflix's 2023 adult animated series "Agent Elvis," in which a fictionalized Elvis becomes a secret agent. Matthew McConaughey provided Elvis' voice.

Financial Litigation

Priscilla's finances became the subject of competing lawsuits involving former business associates beginning in the 2020s.

Former associate Brigitte Kruse alleged that she began working with Priscilla when Presley was experiencing severe financial problems, including substantial tax obligations. Kruse and business partner Kevin Fialko later sued Priscilla for more than $50 million, accusing her of fraud and breach of contract and alleging that they had spent significant resources rebuilding her business operations.

Priscilla has strongly disputed their account. She filed her own claims accusing Kruse and others of financial elder abuse, fraud, and improperly taking control over portions of her finances and business interests. Her attorneys have argued that the former associates attempted to misappropriate her assets rather than rescue her financially.

The competing claims remain contested and should not be treated as established descriptions of Priscilla's financial condition. Her known assets during the same general period included multimillion-dollar Los Angeles real estate, as well as payments and advisory income arising from the Lisa Marie trust settlement.

Personal Life

After her divorce from Elvis, Priscilla continued her relationship with karate instructor Mike Stone until the mid-1970s. She later dated model Michael Edwards, but ended the relationship after concluding that his behavior toward the teenage Lisa Marie was inappropriate.

Priscilla subsequently had a long relationship with screenwriter and technology entrepreneur Marco Garibaldi. Their son, Navarone Garibaldi, was born in 1987. The relationship lasted more than two decades before ending in 2006.

She was later linked romantically with television producer Nigel Lythgoe and, earlier in her life, attorney Robert Kardashian.

Through Lisa Marie, Priscilla became a grandmother to four children, including Riley Keough. Her grandson Benjamin Keough died by suicide in 2020. Through Riley, Priscilla later became a great-grandmother.

Priscilla has also worked with charitable organizations including the Dream Foundation, which helps fulfill wishes for adults facing terminal illnesses.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Real Estate

Priscilla has owned valuable Los Angeles real estate for decades. In 1976, she paid $170,000 for a home for her parents. She eventually sold that property in 2019 for $3.9 million.

For many years, her primary residence was a roughly 7,000-square-foot Italian-style villa in Beverly Hills. She moved into the property after her divorce from Elvis and owned it for decades. The one-acre estate included seven bedrooms, more than eight bathrooms, extensive privacy, and mature landscaping.

Priscilla listed the Beverly Hills property for $16 million in 2020 and sold it later that year for $13 million.

In January 2021, she paid just under $5 million for a penthouse in Century City, Los Angeles.

Those transactions provide useful context for her $10 million net worth. Priscilla never personally owned the Elvis fortune she helped build, but she accumulated substantial wealth through her own real estate, acting, books, production work, business ventures, licensing arrangements, and decades of involvement with the Presley brand.

Presley

Marie Presley