You say the phrase “richest actor in the world” and the usual suspects come to mind. Some of the most successful actors in the world – such as Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Dwayne Johnson and Shah Rukh Khan – must also be the richest. And sure, they are among the richest, but not the absolute richest. That honor goes to a man who has only made one successful film series and yet still towers over these superstars. (Also read: Shah Rukh Khan debuts on the Hurun India list with a net worth of ₹7,300 crore)

The richest actor in the world is…

Tyler Perry is the surprising name to top the list of the world’s richest male actors. The actor, filmmaker and playwright is a billionaire. According to multiple sources (Bloomberg, Forbes) he is worth approximately $1.4 billion ( ₹11,500 crore), more than any other male actor in the world. Another surprising name – comedian Jerry Seinfeld – comes in next with a net worth of $1 billion.

The two are followed by superstars Dwayne Johnson ($890 million), Shah Rukh Khan ($870 million) and Tom Cruise ($800 million). Perry is best known for creating and portraying the character Mabel “Madea” Simmons in the hit comedy franchise Madea. The series consists of 12 live-action films, 11 plays and a number of TV appearances. But Perry has done little work in films other than this series.

It should be noted that this is not an exhaustive list of the richest actors in the world, but only male actors. When female actors are also included, Jemi Gertz (with a staggering net worth of $8 billion) tops the list, while Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez – both billionaires – also make the top five.

How Tyler Perry Made His Big Billion Dollars

Tyler Perry’s money comes from entertainment, but not just acting. According to Forbes, he has earned approximately $320 million ₹2,679 crore) as the creator and producer of Madea and his other films and plays. Perry is one of the few actors in Hollywood to own his own studio, allowing him to produce content in-house and cut out the middleman. In addition, he also has a deal with media giant ViacomCBS, which gives him a 25% stake in the BET+ platform worth $60 million (more than ₹500 million). Forbes also reports that Tyler Perry has $300 million (approximately). ₹2,511 crore) in “cash and investments” and $40 million (approx ₹334 crore) in ‘houses and toys’. All this makes him the richest actor in the world.

Tyler Perry is also close to Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, former actor Meghan Markle. The couple stayed in one of Perry’s homes (read villas) when they first moved to the US.