Eric Braeden’s net worth is estimated at $20 million. Born Hans-Jörg Gudegast in Bredenbek, Germany, Braeden is a German-American actor best known for his role as the ruthless business magnate Victor Newman on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless, a role he has played for more than 45 years and in approximately 6,000 episodes — one of the longest continuous character runs in American television history.
Updated March 2026: According to a Parade profile published in early 2026 and IMDb career records, Braeden’s $20 million net worth reflects over five decades of work in American film and television, anchored by his tenure on The Young and the Restless and supplemented by film roles including Titanic (1997). He signed a contract extension with CBS keeping him on Y&R through 2026.
Hans-Jörg Gudegast was born on April 3, 1941, in Bredenbek, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. He grew up in the aftermath of World War II in a small German town and was an accomplished athlete in his youth — he competed in track and field and was a German national-level discus thrower. In the early 1960s, Gudegast immigrated to the United States, initially settling in Texas before making his way to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He became a naturalized American citizen and adopted the stage name Eric Braeden in the early 1970s to avoid being typecast in German villain roles, a common fate for German-born actors in Hollywood at the time. Braeden has spoken in interviews about his German identity and his personal reckoning with Germany’s wartime history as a formative influence on his worldview.
Braeden began his American acting career under his birth name Hans Gudegast, appearing in television westerns and war films in the 1960s. His most notable early role was as German officer Captain Hans Dietrich in the ABC series The Rat Patrol (1966–1968). After adopting the Braeden name, he appeared in feature films including the science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) and Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971).
In 1980, Braeden joined The Young and the Restless as Victor Newman, the self-made billionaire patriarch of the Newman family in the fictional Genoa City. The role became one of daytime television’s most iconic characters, earning Braeden a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in 1998, a People’s Choice Award in 1992, and multiple Soap Opera Digest Awards over the decades. By 2025, Braeden had appeared in approximately 6,000 episodes of Y&R, according to IMDb. In 1997, he appeared in James Cameron’s blockbuster Titanic as John Jacob Astor IV, one of the real-life passengers who died in the disaster. In 2007, Braeden received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He signed a new contract with CBS keeping him on Y&R through 2026, debunking circulating rumors of his departure from the show.
Eric Braeden married Dale Russell Gudegast in 1966; the couple has been together for nearly 60 years, one of Hollywood’s longest marriages. Their son, Christian Gudegast, is a film director and screenwriter best known for writing and directing the 2018 crime thriller Den of Thieves starring Gerard Butler and 50 Cent. In January 2025, Braeden and his wife were forced to evacuate their Pacific Palisades home of 45 years as the catastrophic Palisades Fire swept through the neighborhood. The couple lost the home entirely, a personal loss Braeden discussed openly in interviews with People. He has stated plans to rebuild on the same lot. Braeden was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent treatment, announcing he was cancer-free in 2023; rumors of a cancer recurrence circulated in 2025 but were publicly debunked by Braeden himself.
Eric Braeden’s net worth is estimated at $20 million as of 2026. The majority of his wealth accumulated through his 45-year run as Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless, which began in 1980. Additional contributions include his feature film career, guest television appearances, and real estate holdings in Pacific Palisades, California.
Eric Braeden has been married to Dale Russell Gudegast since 1966 — a marriage of nearly 60 years. Dale has remained largely out of the public spotlight throughout Eric’s career. Together they raised their son Christian Gudegast, who became a Hollywood filmmaker, and the couple shared their Pacific Palisades, California home for 45 years before losing it in the January 2025 wildfire.
Eric Braeden was born on April 3, 1941, in Bredenbek, Germany, making him 84 years old as of March 2026. He immigrated to the United States in the early 1960s, became a naturalized American citizen, and adopted the stage name Eric Braeden in the early 1970s. He has remained one of daytime television’s most active lead actors well into his eighties.
Eric Braeden stands 6 feet 1 inch tall (1.85 meters). His height and commanding physical presence contributed to his casting as Victor Newman, The Young and the Restless‘ dominant alpha patriarch, a role he has embodied for over four decades.
Eric Braeden joined The Young and the Restless in 1980, making his tenure on the show 45-plus years as of 2026. He has appeared in approximately 6,000 episodes as Victor Newman, according to IMDb, making it one of the longest continuous character runs in American daytime television history. He signed a new contract with CBS to continue through 2026.
Eric Braeden and his wife Dale lost their Pacific Palisades, California home in the catastrophic Palisades Fire of January 2025. The couple had lived in the home for 45 years. Braeden spoke about the loss in detail with People, describing it as devastating but stating his intention to rebuild on the same property.