Harry Potter actor Tom Felton has found himself at the center of a heated online debate after reports surfaced that he has been charging fans an eye-watering £744 for just over a minute of his time through Cameo, the celebrity video shout-out platform. Felton, best known for playing Draco Malfoy across all eight Harry Potter films, has been active on the site for several years, but fans were stunned to learn that his fees have skyrocketed to nearly four times what they were just a few years ago.

According to Cameo, Felton’s current rate is set at £744 for an average 1.13-minute personalized message. This marks a sharp increase compared to 2020, when Metro revealed he was charging £200. By February 2024, his price had risen to £544, and at that time, his videos averaged 2.22 minutes. Now, not only has the fee surged, but the average length of his videos has nearly halved, leaving many fans feeling short-changed.

The move has sparked widespread criticism across social media, where many called the fee “ridiculous” and “exploitative.” The anger was further fueled when Felton issued a six-word response that shocked his critics: “I’m worth it, take it or leave it.” While some interpreted the statement as tongue-in-cheek in line with his Draco Malfoy persona, others found it arrogant and dismissive, especially given the steep price tag.

Felton is not the only Harry Potter star to appear on Cameo. Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley, charges £149, while Vincent Crabbe actor Jamie Waylett asks the same amount. National treasure Miriam Margolyes, known for her role as Professor Sprout, charges £97—a rate that is five times lower than Felton’s. This has led to pointed comparisons, with some fans arguing that Felton’s pricing is unjustifiable, particularly in contrast to his co-stars.

Still, Cameo reviews suggest that some fans are more than happy to pay the steep sum. One anonymous buyer praised Felton’s effort, writing: “Thank you, dear Tom! Disk with your video is going to fly across the ocean as a birthday present. Thank you very much!” Another fan remarked: “Contagious smile & positive words really helped a girl out! Experiencing some extreme nerves & hearing from you made it all the better! You’re the greatest Tom!” Even those who expressed concerns over value admitted the experience had its charm. One reviewer summed it up by saying: “Great video. Could be a little longer considering the price tag. Great guy. Still worth it though. She loved it.”

The controversy comes at a pivotal time in Felton’s career. The actor recently announced that he will reprise his role as Draco Malfoy in the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. He is set to join the cast at New York’s Lyric Theatre beginning November 11 for a limited 19-week engagement, an event that has generated considerable buzz among Potter fans worldwide.

While Felton’s current net worth is estimated at £10 million, his financial past has not always been as stable as fans might expect from a star of the billion-dollar Harry Potter franchise. Reports revealed that he earned roughly £14 million across the eight films despite appearing on screen for only 31 minutes. Yet, in a candid 2010 interview, Felton admitted to the Daily Mail that he had run into serious money troubles. He confessed that he had wasted much of his fortune on luxury cars—particularly BMWs—despite warnings from his mother that the investments were unwise.

“There was a scary two years where it was madness because I was really in trouble with the taxman. I had been working for eight years and all I had to show for it was this horrible debt,” Felton said at the time. “At one point we had the bailiff at the door.”

He eventually managed to turn things around, attributing his recovery to working closely with an accountant and confronting his financial problems head-on. “I’ve spent the past year and a half with an accountant, trying to understand VAT, DVD residuals and things like that,” he explained. “I’ve had to really grow up.”

For some observers, Felton’s new Cameo pricing is simply another reflection of a star making the most of his enduring fame. For others, it comes across as opportunistic and tone-deaf. As the debate rages on, Felton’s six-word response may have only fueled the fire rather than extinguished it, leaving fans divided on whether the magic of Draco Malfoy is truly worth nearly £750 for barely more than a minute.