You might believe you know who the world’s richest actor is.

Could it be Reese Witherspoon, who, in typical Legally Blonde boss style, made millions away from her acting career with her woman-focused enterprise Hello Sunshine?

Selena Gomez is another strong contender, having become a millionaire by utilizing her Wizards of Waverly Place magic to generate a massively successful career as an actor, singer, and businesswoman.

Perhaps you’d choose an older actor who has appeared in almost every blockbuster, such as Harrison Ford or George Clooney. You’d be incorrect, and then wrong again.

It turns out that Jami Gertz is the world’s wealthiest actor. It’s unlikely that you’d recognize her name, but die-hard Modern Family fans may recognize her face.

The former child actress is most remembered for her roles in Twister (1996), The Lost Boys (1987), and Still Standing (2002), but her claimed $8 billion fortune stems from other endeavors.

She married American billionaire Tony Ressler in 1989, and according to Forbes, he is now worth more than $10 billion. Jami said in a previous interview with the Hollywood Reporter that she was the provider when she first met Tony.

She added, “Everyone believes I married a wealthy man. But when I met Tony, I was making a lot more money than him. I paid for our first home. I paid for our first trip. I married him because I was in love with him.

While it’s difficult to predict exactly what one would do with that much money, most of us would probably stop working in some capacity. However, Gertz has a compelling reason for leaving the acting industry.

The 59-year-old’s last acting credit was in 2022 for a tiny appearance as Rita in I Want You Back, and her career has been restricted to cameos since The Neighbors ended in 2014.

She went further: “You reach an age, and you slow down, and the jobs are a little difficult to come by.”

Following a failed business attempt with a production firm, Gertz and Ressler became owners of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, increasing their considerable wealth even further.

It is said that she and her husband are philanthropists, as one would expect from such a wealthy couple, but it is certainly a matter to consider if there is ever a revolt against all of these pesky billionaires.

So, the next time you’re asked who the world’s richest actor is on your monthly beer quiz, you should remember the obscure name Jami Gertz.