PETER JACKSON—$500 MILLION

New Zealand film director, screenwriter, and producer Peter Jackson, who many will know as the man who directed the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, followed by The Hobbit Trilogy, is reportedly worth half a billion dollars. To be sure, we’re not surprised, considering how much money his movies have made at the box office, and how illustrious his career is in Hollywood. To his credit, Jackson also got the distinction of being the highest-paid director for his involvement in King Kong.

In this film, he got $20 million for his directorial efforts and 20% of the box office earnings, which undeniably is huge money. After King Kong received $600 million in revenue, this eventually became one of the highest salaries ever paid toa director. Peter Jackson also contributed to charity. He has donated NZ$500,000 for stem cell research. In 2009, Jackson bought his own Gulfstream G550 private jet, which can fly from the United States to New Zealand without stopping refueling. According to reports, the transaction cost him $60 million.