Actor, director, producer, and playwright Tyler Perry has been named as one of Forbes’ most eligible billionaires. Perry was named one of America’s Most Eligible Billionaires in the magazine’s issue published on Valentine’s Day.
Perry is reportedly worth $1 billion, according to Forbes. The filmmaker was also named in the magazine’s Top 10 Highest-Paid Entertainers.
Perry was off the market for several years until he and his ex-girlfriend, Gelila Bekele, ended their relationship in 2020. The former couple were together for more than a decade and had one child, 7-year-old Aman Tyler Perry.
Perry’s net worth comes from his successful career as an actor, playwright, screenwriter, and producer. The 53-year-old also built and owns his own movie studio in Atlanta.
The director began writing stories as a way to escape his traumatic childhood. Perry says he was molested by three separate men and one woman before the age of 10 and spent his younger days struggling with his emotions following the abuse.
“I didn’t know what was going on or the far-reaching effects of it,” said Perry. “I just moved through it. Go on to the next thing. ‘Boys don’t cry, shut up and move on.’ Holding on to all of that, not knowing what to do with it, there was a lot of anger in my teenage years, in my 20s,” he continued. “A lot of anger, a lot of confusion, a lot of frustration trying to just be OK.”
Perry wrote his play “I Can Do Bad All by Myself” in 2000, and the world was introduced to the beloved character Madea. The filmmaker went on to make several films with America’s favorite granny, including “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” and “Madea’s Family Reunion.” In 2005, “I Can Do Bad All by Myself” was also made into a feature film.
“Diary of a Mad Black Woman” grossed more than $50 million, and the Madea franchise has grossed more than $500 million total. The “Madea” creator is currently busy producing a sequel to the Whoopi Goldberg fan-favorite, “Sister Act.” Perry will produce “Sister Act 3” along with the Oscar-winning actress. Perry also has a lucrative four-picture deal with Amazon Studios and has several shows airing on BET.
Fans were excited for Perry on social media. One Twitter user wrote, “So happy for and proud of Tyler Perry!!
Another user replied, “Tyler Perry is RICHIE RICH RICH.”
Perry shared the cover of the issue with Twitter CEO Elon Musk; Kim Kardashian; philanthropist MacKenzie Scott; Twitter founder Jack Dorsey; the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs; and the cofounder/CEO of Airbnb, Brian Chesky.
