JERRY BRUCKHEIMER – EST. $1.5 BILLION

He may not be the face of the blockbusters he has produced, but he is certainly the brains behind each one. Among his best? Flashdance, Armageddon, Top Gun, and National Treasure. Back in 2003, he was hailed by Variety as the first producer in the industry to produce two of the highest-grossing movies for one weekend—pointing to Bad Boys II and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. With that said, his passion for creating movies can actually be rooted back to his teenage years.

Already quite a film buff back then, Jerry’s first work after college was as a photographer for an advertising agency. He then left the business and proceeded with his dream of making it big in the entertainment industry. Even his TV work has been marked with success, including the CSI franchise, Cold Case, and Without a Trace. Outside of film, he has investments in the National Hockey League team, the Seattle Kraken.