90s movie star you’ve probably never heard of is worth $3,000,000,000

Jami Gertz wearing a black lace blouse and smiling while attending SXSW
Jami Gertz is probably one of the richest actresses in Hollywood (Picture: Rex)

When you think of the list of richest Hollywood stars, Leonardo DiCaprio, Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise come to mind.

However, there’s one actress who has surpassed them all with a net worth of billions – and you’ve probably never even heard her name.

made her debut in the industry in 1981, and has since landed roles in The Lost Boys, The Neighbors, ER and Entourage – as well as cameos in Seinfeld, Modern Family, This Is Us and Family Ties.

The 58-year-old also appeared in 1996 blockbuster Twister as Dr Melissa Reeves, beside Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton – with the first trailer for the revival dropping yesterday.

It is claimed that she is worth around $3billion (£2.3bill) but, despite commanding a screen career spanning decades, the majority of her money doesn’t come from her acting efforts.

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Jami married businessman Tony Ressler in 1989, and went on to welcome four children with him – sons Oliver, Nicholas and Theo, and daughter Abigail.

Jami Gertz in Twister speaking on the phone while driving
She appeared in 1996 blockbuster Twister (Picture: Rex)

Jami Gertz in Square Pegs standing in front of musical audition posters
Jami has commanded a screen career spanning decades (Picture: CBS)

The billionaire, 65, made his fortune by co-founding private equity firm Apollo Global in 1990, with his brother-in-law, Leon Black.

He then co-founded Ares Management less than a decade later, before stepping down as CEO in 2017.

According to Forbes, he is currently worth $11billion (£8.5bill).

The couple are part owners of the NBA team, Atlanta Hawks, and they also hold a minority share in the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team.

Kiefer Sutherland and Jami Gertz in the Lost Boys riding a motorbike
She appeared in the Lost Boys in 1987(Picture: Rex)

Jami Gertz and Jerry Seinfeld in Seinfeld sitting on a sofa
She popped up in one episode of Seinfeld (Picture: Getty)

In 2020, they announced a $5million (£3.8bill) gift in support of the Herman J. Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (RCIE) through the Ressler Gertz Family Foundation – ‘as part of a long-term, comprehensive plan to provide financial, marketing, and educational resources to Black-owned businesses in Atlanta’.

‘Jami and I take our responsibility as owners of a professional sport franchise in the great city of Atlanta very seriously — and with that responsibility is a commitment to devote resources to organizations that are making tangible, impactful change,’ Tony said at the time.

Jami also serves as a board of director for the Melanoma Research Alliance – the world’s largest nonprofit funder of research into the skin cancer.

The star was thrown back into the spotlight recently following the release of the trailer for the Twister remake, having been a huge part of the original film.

Tony Ressler and Jami Gertz smiling while Jami rests her hand on Tony's face
Jami married businessman Tony Ressler in 1989 (Picture: Getty)

Jami Gertz in a multicoloured glitter dress posing at a red carpet event
She starred in huge TV shows and films in the past (Picture: WireImage)

The new flick, named Twisters, hit the big screen earlier this month, and is said to be a ‘current day chapter’ of the 1996 blockbuster.

Lee Isaac Chung is serving as director, while Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos lead the star-studded cast.

‘Edgar-Jones stars as Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City,’ the official synopsis reads. 

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‘She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi to test a groundbreaking new tracking system.

‘There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the better.

‘As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed, and Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.’

This article was originally published on May 9, 2024.

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