The Richest Actor Isn't Who You Think: Here's How This '80s Star Created a Fortune Worth Over $3B

Globally, there are several very wealthy actors, with some worth over a billion dollars. According to Forbes, Jerry Seinfeld and Arnold Schwarzenegger each have a net worth of approximately $1.1 billion (£820.1 million). Tom Cruise is also reputed to have a net worth exceeding $600 million (£447.3 million).

The Chinese cinema icon Zhao Wei has accumulated a fortune of over $1 billion (£745.5 million), while Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan boasts a remarkable net worth of around $1.4 billion (£1 billion), as reported by the BBC. However, despite these impressive figures, he is not the wealthiest actor in the world.

That distinction belongs to Jami Gertz, a well-known '80s star, whose net worth is estimated at $3 billion (£2.2 billion). She is celebrated for her roles in movies such as Endless Love, Less Than Zero, The Lost Boys, Twister, and Sixteen Candles. Aside from her film career, she has also appeared in television series like Ally McBeal, Seinfeld, and Square Pegs.

Gertz grew up in a working-class family in Illinois and attended New York University before she launched her acting career in the early 1980s. Interestingly, the majority of her wealth comes from her business ventures rather than acting alone.

'Everyone Thinks I Married a Rich Guy'

There has been speculation that Gertz's fortune is primarily due to her marriage to Tony Ressler, a wealthy businessman. She addressed these claims in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, stating, 'Everyone thinks I married a rich guy. But I made more money — way more money — than Tony when I met him. I paid for our first house. I paid for our first vacation. I married him because I fell in love with him.'

Gertz met Ressler, an investment banker and businessman, in 1987, and they married two years later. Ressler founded private-equity firm Apollo Global Management in 1990 and later launched Ares Management in 1997.

In an interview, Ressler described Ares as 'a $125-ish billion asset manager,' adding, 'I guess the right quote would be, "We're the most amazing investment firm in the history of the universe."'

In 2015, Ressler and Gertz purchased the Atlanta Hawks NBA team for $720 million (£536.8 million). The couple also acquired a minority stake in the Milwaukee Brewers MLB team. Gertz reflected on her involvement in sports franchise ownership, saying, 'I get it. It's not your everyday Hollywood actress tale.'

Ressler explained, 'I'm very active on the business and player personnel decision‑making. But Jami steps in when it comes to so many parts of the business that I did not appreciate or have any experience in. I think it's fair to say that she makes a better impression on our fan base than any of us in the organisation.'

Venturing Beyond Acting

In 2010, Gertz began exploring career options beyond acting. She launched her own production company, Lime Orchard Productions, which enjoyed success with the 2011 film A Better Life.

'You reach an age, and you slow down, and the jobs are a little hard to come by. So I decided to put money into a project of my own,' Gertz explained. After five years, she shifted her focus to home entertaining, but her entrepreneurial spirit remains evident.

With their considerable financial success, Gertz and Ressler have also dedicated time and resources to philanthropy. They co-founded The Painted Turtle Camp, a non-profit organisation providing a year-round, transformative environment and camp experience for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses.

'We had such good memories of our own experiences at camp, and want to make sure that all sorts of kids get that chance, no matter what their circumstances,' Gertz said. 'What I really wanted to do was to make community service a family affair so that it was a philosophy that we all shared.'