One of the most widespread misconceptions that circulate about movie stars in film is how few people understand what percentage every actor gets paid for his work. It’s often the case that actors lead in terms of earnings, though directors’ success yields desirable financial gains as well. However, the richest figure on this list is not an actor but a director with surprisingly just 6 films to his credit and who has amassed a net worth of $9.4 billion (approximately ₹80,000 crore).
The Wealthiest Film Celebrity: George Lucas
George Lucas, the mastermind behind the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, holds the title of the world’s wealthiest film celebrity. According to Bloomberg, Lucas is worth $7.7 billion as of October 2024 — although other reports suggest it could be almost double that at $9.4 billion. His wealth surpasses that of many contemporaries, including Jay-Z, Madonna, Taylor Swift, and Rihanna.
Interestingly, although he is renowned as a director, Lucas has only directed six films: THX 1138 (1971), American Graffiti (1973), and four Star Wars films, including the original released in 1977 and the prequel trilogy. His last directorial effort, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, came out in 2005.
To illustrate Lucas’s wealth, consider that even the lowest estimates of his net worth—Forbes cites it as $5.3 billion—still exceed the combined fortunes of Taylor Swift ($1.3 billion), Tom Cruise ($800 million), and Shah Rukh Khan ($870 million). Actress Jami Gertz, the world’s richest actress, has a net worth of $8 billion, but most of is from business and sports; Lucas, by contrast, earns his fortune in the entertainment industry.
Despite having directed only six films, Lucas has created and produced two of the most lucrative film franchises in history: Star Wars the second-highest-grossing franchise at nearly $50 billion, and Indiana Jones valued at almost $3 billion. He has reaped huge royalties from such franchises as the creator.
Aside from that, Lucas also created a number of profitable organizations like LucasArts, Industrial Light, and Magic as well as THX. Though he offloaded the Star Wars intellectual property to Disney, he does still get royalties from it as per his deal. As there are more Star Wars movies to the novels, his wealth on that front would only be improving.
FAQs
How many films has George Lucas directed?
George Lucas has directed only six films in his career.
What is George Lucas’s net worth?
His net worth is estimated to be around $9.4 billion.
