How Tyler Perry Made His Enormous $1 Billion Net Worth
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Tyler Perry is one of just a few directors/actors/producers to cross over from "mere" millionaire to billionaire with a Capital B. And he's been a billionaire for years. According to Forbes, who seems to know what they're talking about when it comes to America's richest people, Tyler has been earning over "$1.4 billion in pretax income since 2005." So, how does Tyler make—and more importantly, spend—all this money? Let's get into it.
House of Payne Was His Big Huge Break
Tyler shot and filmed what would go on to be the first ten episodes of House of Payne in Atlanta, and then he went to Hollywood where it was purchased by The CW. The show was such a hit that TBS made a deal with Tyler to air the next 90 episodes—which he'd own fully—for $200 million. He reportedly pocketed $138 million of that $200 million, according to Forbes. Think we can all agree this is truly an incredible story.
The Madea Franchise Just Keeps Making Money
According to Forbes, Tyler's famous Madea movies have grossed more than $660 million in total, netting him $290 million in profits. Considering he stars in and produces them, Tyler's obviously keeping a huge percentage of the profits. In fact, Forbes notes that Tyler owns "100 percent of the content he's created" which means he keeps the lion's share of pretty much everything he touches. This reportedly includes more than 1,200 television episodes, two dozen stage plays, and 22 movies.
And speaking of movies....
He Literally Has His Own Movie Studio
Warner Brothers Studio, whomst? Tyler opened Atlanta's Tyler Perry Studios in 2019, which has 12 soundstages and sets which, per Forbes, includes a replica of the White House. The studios allow Tyler to produce all his content in-house, which is obviously a genius move on his part.
He Has a Huge Stake in BET+
Tyler has a massive deal with ViacomCBS that nets him $150 million a year and gives him a 25 percent equity stake in BET+. The stake alone is worth $60 million, but Tyler also has $300 million in cash and investments as of Forbes' reporting in 2020 (so...likely way more by now), not to mention $40 million tied up in "homes and toys" (gonna assume "toys" refers to his two private jets), as well as $280 million in his studio, and $320 million from his movie library. All this means....
Once Again: Tyler Has a Net Worth of $1 Billion
Let me say it again: ONE BILLION DOLLARS. And he's been extremely generous with that money. In February 2023, Tyler donated $2.75 million to help older homeowners in Atlanta pay their property taxes. In 2009, he donated $1 million to the NAACP, and in 2018 he covered over $430,000 worth of holiday layaways for customers at Walmarts in Atlanta. But his generosity extends beyond just money—he also famously offered Prince Harry and Meghan Markle his Los Angeles home when they had nowhere to stay after stepping away from senior royal duties—without ever having met them before. Basically, he seems like a great person and if anyone deserves to have a billion in the bank, it's him!
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