Yellowstone, a Western series on the Paramount Network, centres on John Dutton III, the current owner of his ancestors’ Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. John battles a number of issues that put the ranch’s operation and continued existence in jeopardy. John fights against Market Equities to defend his ranch and the way of life in Montana when they arrive in the Treasure State with plans to build an entire city in the middle of the wilderness. As the guardian of the Dutton Ranch, which made him one of the most powerful and wealthy people in the state, John fights his battles. Here is what we can share if you are interested in learning more about the patriarch of the Dutton family. Spoilers follow.
John Dutton’s Net Worth, Analysed
One of the richest people in the state of Montana is regarded as John Dutton. The value of Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, which John inherited from his ancestors, is what defines John’s worth the most. Although the value of the Dutton Ranch hasn’t been stated explicitly in the series, there are enough hints provided for us to figure it out. Chief Thomas Rainwater claims that the Dutton Ranch is as large as Rhode Island, the smallest US state, in terms of area. Let’s assume the Dutton Ranch is about 700,000 acres in size because Rhode Island appears to cover 776,900 acres.
Market Equities decides to purchase the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch after assessing the property’s worth and making an offer to John of $10,000 per acre. It is simple to conclude that the entire Dutton Ranch is worth $7.76 billion based on Willa Hayes’ estimation. Well, that’s a little deceptive. The Dutton Ranch’s prime 50,000 acres were the only portion of the entire land mass that Hayes valued.
Examining actual ranch sales is a better way to determine the true value of Dutton Ranch. The WT Waggoner ranch in Texas was purchased by billionaire Stan Kroenke for an estimated $725 million. The WT Waggoner ranch has a total area of about 512,000 acres, and each acre was estimated to be worth $1416. Similar to this, a $136 million listing for an 80,000-acre Climbing Arrow ranch close to Bozeman, Montana, appeared in September. That’s $1700 per acre.
Going by the above examples, let’s assume that Dutton Ranch is valued at $1500 per acre. That brings the total valuation of the Ranch to $1.05 billion. John Dutton owns the ranch 100 percent, so we can calculate his net worth to be about $800 million, less any taxes related to the ranch’s sale. By any standard, that is pretty astounding.
Even though Dutton Ranch is estimated to be worth close to a billion dollars, John’s net worth and income are two very different things. Even if he is worth millions, he only makes a small income from managing the ranch. John has repeatedly stated throughout the five seasons of the show that he will not sell the land, making him, ironically, the “poorest wealthiest businessman” in Montana.
Since John spends the same amount of money to maintain the Dutton Ranch, whatever money he makes from running it doesn’t make him wealthy — at least not yet. Additionally, Beth Dutton and Jamie Dutton urge John to think about selling the ranch before he completely loses it. John is further troubled by the land and inheritance taxes, leaving him with little money for his own needs. John’s other source of income must be the money his horses bring in in addition to the ranch. Travis Wheatley uses several of John’s horses in the fourth season to make money by going to various horse shows, and Jimmy sends the money to the Dutton Ranch.
In conclusion, despite John’s enormous wealth, he doesn’t have much available for spending. The co-creator Taylor Sheridan claims that the financial tension John has as a rancher is one of the central themes of the programme.
