When we think about the richest celebrities in the world, we usually picture famous actors or pop stars. But what if we told you that the richest person in the film industry isn’t an actor or a singer, but a director who made just six movies? Let’s take a closer look to know who is he.
The World’s Richest Film Celebrity
So many people think that actors are more paid than anyone in the entertainment industry. But it is rather a misconception. While stars like Tom Cruise, Shah Rukh Khan, and Taylor Swift have massive fortunes, the real wealth can sometimes come from behind the camera. Here is the true story, about a man who created Star Wars and Indiana Jones. He is the wealthiest movie star in the world. Yes, we are talking about George Lucas whose net worth is estimated at $9.4 billion (about $80 billion) while the worth assessed by Bloomberg is $ 7.7 billion and as you can make out, it is something out of this world for most celebrities. The mastermind behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones has a fortune that dwarfs even the biggest names in Hollywood and the music industry.
Still, what makes Lucas’s wealth even more riveting is that he directed only six movies during his filmmaking career. His movie-making career started with THX 1138 in 1971, then progressed to the making of American Graffiti in 1973. Afterward, Star wars in 1977 set him further solidly as the greatest director in history. After that, he directed three Star Wars prequels, wrapping up his directorial work with Star Wars: In 2005 the third episode of the series Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
How Much Money Did George Lucas Make Off Star Wars?
Lucas did not become an incredibly wealthy man just because of the film’s directing. The real game-changer was his ownership of Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Not only did he create these franchises, but he owned the right to toys, video games, and even all sorts of merchandise that goes along with those franchises. This move-out proved to be very lucrative since Star Wars became the most famous brand of products across the world. In 2012, Lucas, of course, sold his production company, Lucasfilm to Disney for a stunning $4 billion. This deal was another added advantage to the immense wealth, which already overflowed in his riches.
How rich is Lucas?
So, how wealthy a man like George Lucas is? Let’s try to understand that having compared his net worth to those celebrities. And even if we take Forbes’ lowest estimate of Lucas’s worth ($5.3 billion), he is richer than the total net worth of Taylor Swift ($1.3 billion), Tom Cruise ($800 million), and Shah Rukh Khan ($870 million). Correct. Lucas is a far wealthier man than each of the three of these stars along with their combined amounts. The only one who is close to Lucas is in terms of money, is Jami Gertz, the richest actress in the world. Although Gertz has $8 billion, most of her earnings came from investments in businesses and sports, and not acting. In contrast, Lucas earned his money solely out of his work in the entertainment business.
As a director, George Lucas made only six films, but no one can doubt that he influenced the cinematic world and earned a lot of money. From authoring one of the most successful franchises to making great business decisions, Lucas has shown that real power is in generating wealth in the movie industry, it is not just the screens but the ideas that form them.
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