From making low-budget horror movies to becoming a billionaire, this Lord of the Rings legend really did find his precious.
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Best known for bringing Middle-earth to life with his Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, Peter Jackson is a New Zealand-born director, writer, and producer with a net worth of $1.9 billion, according to Forbes.
Before he was rolling in Hobbit money, the 64-year-old came from humble beginnings. He first made a name for himself by writing and directing a string of kinetic genre films, including the unhinged puppet movie Meet the Feebles and the zombie gore-fest Dead Alive (also known as Braindead).
He then broke through to the mainstream with 1994’s Heavenly Creatures, starring a then-unknown Kate Winslet. The film garnered critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for its screenplay. After that critical success, he took a slight detour back into genre fare, directing the horror-comedy The Frighteners starring Michael J. Fox.
However, superstardom was just around the corner. In 1997, he began working on The Lord of the Rings, a trilogy that launched Jackson and its cast into the stratosphere. After winning a treasure trove of awards for the series, including Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, he moved on to other larger-than-life subjects. He directed a remake of King Kong, co-produced The Adventures of Tintin with Steven Spielberg, and later returned to Middle-earth to direct The Hobbit trilogy, as well as the drama The Lovely Bones.
The Bulk of Peter Jackson’s $1.9 Billion Isn’t From ‘Lord of The Rings’
While Jackson made a king’s ransom for directing The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, his billionaire status lies elsewhere. In 1993, Peter Jackson and his wife, Fran Walsh, founded the visual effects company Weta Digital for his film Heavenly Creatures. They remained the majority owners until November 2021, when they sold the company to Unity Software for $1.65 billion. This sale made Peter Jackson a billionaire, with his personal share being $1 billion in cash and stock.
Of course, Weta Digital used motion capture of actor Andy Serkis to create the iconic on-screen character Gollum for The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films.
Cumulatively, Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies have grossed $6 billion worldwide. According to Forbes, he earned $10 million upfront for each of the three Lord of the Rings films (2001–2003), plus at least 10% of the profits. For The Hobbit trilogy, he likely received $20 million per film in addition to 20% of the backend.
One does not simply walk into being a multi-billionaire… but with his track record, Jackson just might.