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Tyler Perry has officially achieved billionaire status: Ownership changes everything

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Michael Tran/FilmMagicIt’s official: Tyler Perry has entered the Billionaire’s Club. 

Many are familiar with Perry’s humble beginnings: He dropped out of high school and later slept in his car as he struggled to start his career.  But now, in an article titled “From ‘Poor As Hell’ To Billionaire: How Tyler Perry Changed Show Business Forever,” Forbes has estimated Perry’s massive fortune at a whopping 1.4 billion dollars. 

“The 51-year-old entertainer owns the entirety of his creative output, including more than 1,200 episodes of television, 22 feature films, and at least two dozen stage plays, as well as a 330-acre studio lot at the edge of Atlanta’s southern limits,” the outlet reported.

Forbes also points out that Perry was able to use that control to “leverage” a content deal with ViacomCBS that will pay him $150 million a year; he also got an equity stake in BET+ as part of the deal.

In addition, Perry reportedly made over $100 million from theater ticket sales, moved $20 million worth of merchandise, and collected another $30 million selling videos of theatrical performances — all before he made his first film or TV show.

Aside from his fan-favorite Madea plays and films, Perry has created dozens of movies and TV shows, including Diary of a Mad Black Woman, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Why Did I Get Married, BET’s The Oval, Sistas, House of Payne, and more. 

His production studio, Tyler Perry Studios, has hosted several major film productions, including Disney’s Black Panther, Bad Boys for Life, and Monday night’s record-breaking Verzuz battle between Brandy and Monica.

“I love when people say you come from ‘humble beginnings,'” Perry says. “[It] means you were poor as hell. Ownership changes everything.”

By Rachel George
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