Rupert Grint said he used his Harry Potter fortune to pursue his childhood dream job. Rupert Grint made big money early on with his role in the Harry Potter series. And we’re talking big money here – his net worth is estimated at around $50 million. Before they got their roles in the Harry Potter films, Grint, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson were just normal kids. But when they turned 18, they were set for life.

At 35, Rupert Grint may have earned the least of any member of the film’s famous “Golden Trio,” but he’s far from strapped for cash. Estimates vary, but it’s believed the star earned around $37 million for his role as Ron Weasley in all eight Harry Potter films. According to Cosmopolitan, the trio still earn royalties from the series, padding their bank accounts. So how does someone spend tens of millions of pounds? For Grint, it meant pursuing his childhood dream – and it’s not what you’d expect.

So what did the former child star spend money on? Believe it or not, it’s an ice cream truck. That’s not surprising though – after all, his co-star Daniel Radcliffe bought a $5,000 car despite being a millionaire. As the story goes, Rupert Grint bought the ice cream truck while he was still filming the Harry Potter movies. He even showed up in it on the last day of filming! Grint has said that his very first dream job was driving an ice cream truck.

At first, Grint drove the truck around just for fun, but after seeing how horrified the children were when they realised they couldn’t buy ice cream from him, he decided to stock the truck to avoid disappointment, according to the Daily Star.

In 2014, Rupert Grint recalled a funny but embarrassing moment from the early days of his ice cream van. “My first dream was to be an ice cream seller, so I bought the Bedford van,” Grint explained. “Shortly after I got it, I drove into a pub to turn around and there were eight kids with their pocket money out, hoping to buy a 99 or something.” To avoid future disappointment, Grint makes sure his van is always well stocked. “It’s got a proper machine that dispenses Mr Whippy ice cream, and I buy my lollies wholesale – for a tenner – so I never run out,” he added.

Grint continued to talk about his ice cream adventures: “I avoid July and August, but the rest of the year I drive around the local villages. If I see children who look like they need an ice cream, I stop and give them out for free.” He added: “The children will ask, ‘Aren’t you Ron Weasley?’ And I’ll just say, ‘That’s weird, I hear that a lot.'” Grint’s focus has now shifted from the ice cream business to parenthood. He and his girlfriend and actress Georgia Groome welcomed their first child in May 2020 – a daughter named Wednesday G. Grint.