How a 90s Star Became the World’s Richest Actor Without Being Widely Recognized

If you were born in the year 2000 or later, identifying this actor might be a challenge for you.

While Tom Cruise’s Top Gun series, Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Barbie, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s numerous films have earned these actors substantial wealth, it pales in comparison to an actor you might not even recognize.

A true achievement is not only being successful and financially secure as an actor but also maintaining a level of anonymity.

So, who is this actor?

The 58-year-old actor from Chicago, Illinois, is most recognized for roles in the 80s and 90s, such as the TV series Square Pegs (1982-83), the 1987 film The Lost Boys, and 1996’s Twister. This likely excludes those born in 2000 and later, although her latest appearance was in the 2016 NBC sitcom This is Us.

While her acting career has been lucrative, her ventures outside the entertainment industry have propelled her net worth to an estimated $8 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

In 1989, Jami Gertz, the star of ABC’s The Neighbors, married businessman Tony Ressler. 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.”

So, how did she amass such wealth?

Alongside her acting career, Gertz and her husband are part of an investment group that purchased the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball, making them shareholders of the team.

In 2015, the couple also became owners of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and hold shares in the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Gertz founded a television and film production company, Lime Orchard Productions, in 2007.

Beyond accumulating wealth, Gertz and her husband are committed to philanthropy.

In 2010, Gertz and her husband were recognized as the top celebrity donors to charity by the Giving Back Fund, and she serves on the board of directors for the Melanoma Research Alliance.