Studio Ghibli has generated millions of dollars worth of revenue from its iconic animations and claim its undisputed spot at the top in the global market. Under Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli has garnered a multitude of films that have become Japan’s highest grossing films at the time of their release. Receiving appreciation and viewership from an audience worldwide, his film, Spiritied Away(2001) earned a global revenue of $275 million (over Rs 200 Crore). Apart from animation, Studio Ghibli earns its profits from merchandise sales, DVD sales and from online streaming rights making Hayao Miyazaki one of the most affluent animators in the industry.
Hayao Miyazaki Net-Worth 2025
The estimated net-worth of Studio Ghibli founder, Hayao Miyazaki is $50 million. The animation giant has over 25 animated films to his name including TV series and feature films. Some of the highest grossing films include, Only Yesterday (1991), Spirited Away: Live on Stage (2022) and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) among others. Facing sharp competition from veteran players like Walt Disney, Studio Ghibli still dominates in anime segment. The diverse range of Studio Ghibli’s revenue from product sales and streaming rights has also positively contributed to Miyazaki’s net-worth.
Studio Ghibli ChatGPT Trend
The Studio Ghibli films, all have budgets more than a million dollars and ChatGPT 4o in a recent addition offered the users the same artistic liberty at a fraction of the cost. Users easily converted their images or videos into the “Ghibli Style” versions which swamped social media with such versions of iconic films, moments in history and even personal photographs.
However, many artists and Miyazaki himself have condemned this new “software update” hindering their craft and hours worth of work. Miyazaki has openly criticized artificial intelligence, describing it as an “insult to life itself.” His belief stems from the stand that AI cannot replicate the complex human emotion unlike traditional animation, despite its other advance capabilities. He also feels strongly about the “pain” animators go through for every production reflecting his deep belief in AI lacking the uniqueness of human creativity.
Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki is currently trending on Twitter X for his reaction to seeing an AI-generated animation in 2016:
“I am utterly disgusted […] I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”
pic.twitter.com/zpbvJ6i21n— ToonHive (@ToonHive) March 27, 2025
It is comfortable to say that, while the “Ghibli Studio” trend dominates on social media, the legacy of Hayao Miyazaki will continue with stride. With audiences from across the world, Studio Ghibli films like Tales from Earth Sea (2006), My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and Ponyo (2008) are still streamed online. The huge fanbase of these anime films makes them a consistent winner at the Japanese box office.
