He went from being homeless with dreams of taking his ideas to the stage to owning his own studio where some of the world's most coveted entertainers producer their content. Tyler Perry is a rags to riches story that people only dream of, and he's spent much of his wealth giving back to those in need while battling controversy over building his brand with a female-impersonation character. Still, Perry has amassed a fortune that continues to grow, and recently, Forbes spoke with the cinematographer about his successes.
“You got to understand, I had no mentors,” Perry said. “My father doesn’t know anything about business, and my uncles and mother, they know nothing about this. I didn’t go to business school. Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned in progress.” Perry added that there was a vacancy in Hollywood as it pertained to Black theater, films, and television, so he took full advantage. “The ignorance I had about Hollywood was so wonderful, looking back on it."
Also in the feature, Forbes broke down just how Tyler Perry was able to crack the billionaire ceiling: Perry owns 100 percent of his content—all films, TV shows, stage plays, scripts...everything; Tyler Perry Studios is $280 million; $40 million is invested in homes and other expenditures; $300 million in cash and other investments; and he's part-owner of BET+ with equity of $60 million. He once boasted of his love for Oprah Winfrey, and now he calls her friend and has climbed to her tax bracket.
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