A former child star who appeared in a cult classic movie ended up becoming one of the richest actors in the world.
If you had to guess some of the wealthiest stars on the planet, you’d be forgiven for assuming the likes of Brad Pitt or Margot Robbie would be somewhere near the top of the list.
While of course, these big Hollywood names have plenty of fame and fortune, the richest actors might actually surprise you.
He was a child star (Walt Disney Pictures)
One man who’s considered one of the wealthiest names in the industry was actually a child star back in 1992.
He decided to give up acting at the age of 16, after succeeding in 11 acting roles. But despite his very short acting career, he’s now worth a staggering amount.
We are, of course, talking about Brock Pierce, who starred in Mighty Ducks.
Pierce now has a net worth of $1 billion and, according to Celebrity Net Worth, he is the third wealthiest ‘actor’ in the world.
How did Brock Pierce make his millions?
At 16, Pierce co-founded a company called the Digital Entertainment Network (DEN).
The business was way ahead of the game in terms of video streaming, looking to make the move online way before some of the big streamers we use today.
Pierce also had great success in Bitcoin and made a wedge as an early investor in the cryptocurrency.
If you don’t recognise Pierce for his acting roles, you might also remember him running for president in 2020 – and having Akon as part of his campaign – where he finished 81 million votes short of winning.
Brock Pierce retired from acting when he was 16 (Nils Petter Nilsson/Ombrello/Getty Images for The Sime Awards)
Who is the number one richest actor in the world?
Although many don’t recognise her, the title of wealthiest actor belongs to Twister star Jami Gertz.
Gertz is best known for her roles in the 80s and 90s from TV series Square Pegs (1982-83), 1987 movie The Lost Boys and 1996’s Twister.
While the actor has earned a considerable amount from her acting career, it’s really her endeavours outside of the film and TV industry that have boosted her net worth to an estimated $8 billion.
Jani Gertz is the richest actor in the world (Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
In 1989, Gertz married successful businessman Tony Ressler, but speaking in 2018, she explained that when they first met, she was earning more than him.
She told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018: “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 and her husband are members of an investment group which bought Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. The duo are subsequently shareholders of the team.
In 2015, the pair also became owners of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Atlanta Hawks team, and are shareholders of the Los Angeles Dodgers too.
