If you were online in 2010, you definitely remember the "Barefoot Bandit." Colton Harris-Moore was a skinny, six-foot-five teenager who became a folk hero to some and a nightmare to others. He spent two years living in the woods, breaking into vacation homes, and eventually teaching himself how to fly planes by reading flight manuals and playing flight simulators.
Honestly, it sounds like a movie script. And that is exactly where the confusion about Colton Harris-Moore net worth begins.
When you see a guy who stole multi-million dollar Cessna aircraft and yachts, you’d assume there is some hidden treasure or a massive payout waiting for him. But the reality is way more complicated—and a lot more broke—than the internet rumors suggest.
The $1.3 Million Debt You Didn't Know About
Here is the thing: crime doesn't actually pay when the FBI is keeping the receipts.
Most people searching for Harris-Moore's net worth are looking for a big number. They see the 20th Century Fox movie deal and think he's sitting on a pile of cash. Nope.
Following his capture in the Bahamas in July 2010, the court handed down a massive bill. We are talking $1.3 million in restitution. This wasn't a "maybe you should pay this back" kind of deal. It was a court-ordered legal requirement.
The money was owed to:
- Homeowners whose vacation houses were broken into.
- Small business owners, like the restaurant owner who lost $18,000 from a safe.
- Insurance companies that had to pay out for the crashed planes.
The Hollywood Deal: A Zero-Sum Game
In 2011, Harris-Moore signed a deal with 20th Century Fox for the rights to his life story. The price tag? Roughly $1.3 million.
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On paper, that looks like a net worth boost. In reality, Harris-Moore never saw a dime of it.
Because of federal forfeiture laws and a very specific plea agreement, every single cent of that Hollywood money went directly to the U.S. Marshals Service to pay off his victims. He basically traded his fame to get himself out of the red.
He didn't want to profit. He actually said it himself: "I have absolutely zero interest in profiting from any of this." He was trying to make things right, which is a rare move for a famous fugitive.
What is Colton Harris-Moore Net Worth in 2026?
If we are being real, calculating his actual net worth today is basically like looking at a regular guy's bank account.
He’s not a millionaire. Far from it.
After being released from prison in 2016, he faced the same struggle every ex-felon faces, but with the added "bonus" of being world-famous. It's hard to get a quiet 9-to-5 when your face was on every news channel for three years.
Why the Numbers Online Are Fake
If you see a website claiming he has a net worth of $5 million, they are lying. Period.
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Those sites usually just aggregate the "value" of the things he stole. But stealing a $600,000 plane and crashing it into a swamp doesn't add $600,000 to your net worth. It adds $600,000 to your debt.
Current estimates for his personal net worth are negligible. He has spent the last several years working in various roles, including a stint doing social media and tech-related work, but he isn't living a lifestyle of luxury.
The Supervised Release Struggle
Back in 2019, Harris-Moore actually tried to get his supervised release shortened. Why? Because he wanted to make more money.
He told a judge that his travel restrictions were costing him a lot of cash. He estimated that if he could travel freely for work, he could have earned an extra $600,000. That tells us two things:
- He has the skills to earn a high income (likely in tech or consulting).
- He didn't actually have that money yet.
It's sorta wild to think that a guy who could navigate a plane across the ocean without a license is now worried about domestic travel permits. But that’s the legal reality of being the Barefoot Bandit.
Life After the Woods
Colton's story isn't about wealth anymore. It’s about a pivot.
He’s now in his mid-30s. He’s tall, articulate, and clearly bright. If he had channeled that energy into a startup in 2008 instead of stealing a Cessna, he’d probably be a billionaire by now.
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Instead, he’s spent the better part of a decade just trying to get back to zero.
What happened to the movie?
You might be wondering why you haven't seen the movie yet. 20th Century Fox bought the rights, and they even had Dustin Lance Black (who wrote Milk) working on a script. But Hollywood is a weird place. Projects get stuck in "development hell" all the time.
Even if the movie finally hits theaters, Colton won't get a "bonus." The contract was designed to cover the restitution. The debt is mostly settled now, thanks to the studio's payments, but it didn't leave him with a retirement fund.
Actionable Takeaways: What You Can Learn from the Bandit
If you're looking at Harris-Moore's story for inspiration, don't look at the "fame." Look at the cost of reputation.
- Restitution is Permanent: In the US, court-ordered restitution usually doesn't go away, even with bankruptcy. It follows you forever.
- Life Rights are One-Time Assets: You can only sell your "story" once. Once that Fox deal was signed, Colton's biggest financial asset was gone.
- Skill vs. Legality: Harris-Moore had incredible technical aptitude. The lesson here is that talent without a legal framework is just a fast track to debt.
To keep tabs on how he’s doing now, you’re better off looking at his public statements regarding aviation or tech. He occasionally pops up on social media, but he keeps his private finances under wraps.
Just remember: don't believe the "celebrity net worth" trackers. They are counting the planes he crashed, not the money in his pocket.
Next Steps for Research:
Check the latest federal court filings in the Western District of Washington if you want to see the exact final balance of his restitution payments. You can also follow aviation forums where Harris-Moore occasionally contributes his thoughts on flight tech and engineering—his one true passion that never really went away.