Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Recall IRS Wake-Up Call After Good Will Hunting Payday

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck may have become overnight successes after their Oscar-winning film Good Will Hunting, but the sudden money also came with an unexpected lesson — taxes.

Appearing on the Monday, January 12 episode of The Howard Stern Show on SiriusXM, the longtime friends laughed while recalling what happened after they were paid $600,000 for the film.

“Well it turns out, Howard, you have to pay these things called taxes,” Affleck joked, drawing laughs from the host and audience.

Damon agreed, calling it a “big wake-up call.”
“We were like, ‘We understand this guy gets half, but who else gets half? What’s happening?’” he said, referring to how quickly the money disappeared after fees and taxes.

Affleck compared the experience to an instant financial split. “It was like having an ex-wife right away — you just divide, divide, divide,” he joked, quickly adding that the remark wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular.

Affleck was previously married to Jennifer Garner from 2005 to 2018. He later reunited with Jennifer Lopez, whom he married in 2022 before divorcing in 2025.

Damon and Affleck met as kids growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and chased acting dreams together in their early 20s. Their big break came when they cowrote and starred in Good Will Hunting, earning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

The pair have previously shared that they kept a joint bank account after selling the script. Despite the headline figure, the money didn’t last long.

On The Drew Barrymore Show in 2023, Affleck admitted he initially believed they were set for life. After splitting the payment, covering agent fees, and paying taxes, each actor ended up with about $110,000.

They bought matching $55,000 Jeep Cherokees and used the remaining money to rent a $5,000-a-month party house near the Hollywood Bowl. Within six months, the cash was gone.

Thankfully, both careers continued to rise, leading to decades of success in Hollywood.

Earlier this month, the actors reflected on their long friendship in a video shared by Netflix while promoting their upcoming crime thriller The Rip.

“I think we’re lucky to not have a friendship rooted in rivalry,” Affleck said. He added that having genuine support instead of competition has made their journey in Hollywood easier and more meaningful.