Move over Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston: Jami Gertz tops the 2025 rich list as the world's wealthiest actress - here's why
The 59-year-old actress, best known for her roles in Square Pegs, The Lost Boys, Crossroads and Twister, has amassed an estimated USD$8 billion (AUD$12.5 billion fortune), putting her ahead of Tom Cruise, Reese Witherspoon, Brad Pitt, and even Steven Spielberg.
Gertz was raised in Glenview, Chicago, alongside her two brothers.
Jami Gertz has officially been named the world's richest actress, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Picture:Her father, Walter, was a builder and contractor, and her mother, Sharyn, a homemaker.
But her life changed dramatically after a chance introduction to businessman Tony Ressler by her publicist in 1987.
At the time, Ressler was working at investment bank Drexel Burnham Lambert, the now-defunct firm that famously collapsed over the junk bond scandal involving financier Michael Milken.
The pair quickly fell in love and married two years later.
"Everyone thinks I married a rich guy," Gertz told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018.
"But I made more money- way more money- than Tony when I met him. I paid for our first house. I paid for our first vacation. I married him because I fell in love with him."
(L-R) Tony Ressler and Jami Gertz attend the 10th Annual LACMA ART+FILM GALA honoring Amy Sherald, Kehinde Wiley, and Steven Spielberg presented by Gucci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on November 6, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Picture:for LACMA
Things shifted in 1990 when Ressler co-founded Apollo Global Management, now worth close to USD$80 billion (about AUD$125 billion).
Seven years later, he launched a second firm, Ares Management, which also skyrocketed in success.
Together, Gertz and Ressler quietly built a vast empire.
They collaborated on multiple business ventures, including Gertz's own production company, Lime Orchard Productions, which has collaborated on projects like The Monkey, Heretic, Dune: Prophecy and One Piece.
In 2015, they bought the NBA team the Atlanta Hawks for a reported USD$720 million.
Owner Tony Ressler (C) of the Atlanta Hawks his wife Jami Gertz and actor Will Ferrell attend the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks basketball game at Crypto.com Arena on January 3, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Picture:Their four children, Abigail, Oliver, Nicholas and Theo, were all part of the decision-making process.
"When Mum married my dad, she realised how much he loved the sport and slowly started to gain an appreciation for the game," middle son Nick told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018.
"Before long, the idea of owning a team became a frequent topic for dinner-table conversation. 'Wouldn't it be cool? Wouldn't that be fun?' Eventually, it became a reality."
The couple later purchased a minority stake in the Milwaukee Brewers MLB team.
Jami Gertz in1996 film Twister. Picture: NCA
Today, Gertz's net worth is estimated to be around USD$8 billion (AUD$12.5 billion), making her wealthier than not only Cruise (with an estimated net worth of USD$600 million) and Pitt (USD$595 million), but also Taylor Swift (USD$1.7 billion), Michael Jordan (USD$3.5 billion) and even Steven Spielberg (USD$5.3 billion).
But Gertz has seemingly taken it all in her stride.
"I get it," she said.
"It's not your everyday Hollywood actress tale."
Jami Gertz at the 'Magic City: An American Fantasy' premiere as part of SXSW 2024 Conference and Festivals held at the ZACH Theatre on March 11, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Picture: Hubert Vestil/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images
The family have also poured millions into philanthropy.
In 1999, they co-founded the Painted Turtle Camp with actor Paul Newman, offering life-changing camp experiences to children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses.
Their Ressler Gertz Family Foundation has supported institutions like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs.
Most recently, in February this year, the Atlanta Hawks Foundation and the Ressler Gertz Family Foundation donated USD$150,000 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation to raise awareness and support research efforts.
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