The richest male actors in the world in 2026 are Shah Rukh Khan and Tyler Perry, each worth about US$1.4 billion, followed by Arnold Schwarzenegger at about US$1.2 billion and Jerry Seinfeld at about US$1.1 billion. All four are billionaires, and most of their money comes from owning what they make, not just acting fees.
We first published this list in 2021, when only Tyler Perry had crossed the billion-dollar mark. A lot has changed. Shah Rukh Khan, Schwarzenegger and Seinfeld have joined him, so we have rebuilt the top of the list with current figures.
Richest male actors in the world: the billionaires
| Rank | Actor | Reported net worth | Source of figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shah Rukh Khan | About US$1.4 billion | BBC, October 2025 |
| 1 | Tyler Perry | About US$1.4 billion | Forbes, October 2026 |
| 3 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | About US$1.2 billion | Forbes, October 2026 |
| 4 | Jerry Seinfeld | About US$1.1 billion | Forbes, October 2026 |
Net worth figures are estimates and move with investments and deals. For the rest of the list, reliable current figures are not published, so we rank them by the estimates widely reported in recent years and do not give exact numbers.
1. Shah Rukh Khan
The King of Bollywood is the richest actor in India, with wealth estimated at US$1.4 billion in an October 2025 BBC report. He has acted in more than 80 Hindi films, won 15 Filmfare Awards, and got his first National Award for Best Actor for Jawan (2023). He is also a producer and TV personality. He received the Padma Shri in 2005 and two French honours.
1. Tyler Perry
Forbes puts Tyler Perry’s net worth at about US$1.4 billion. He is best known for playing Madea, and most of his wealth comes from owning his films and TV shows outright, a library that goes back to the early 1990s. Forbes rates him as completely self-made.
3. Arnold Schwarzenegger
The Austrian-American bodybuilder turned action star and former Governor of California (2003 to 2011) is worth about US$1.2 billion, according to Forbes. He earned about US$500 million from films such as The Terminator, and the rest comes from investments, including real estate and a stake in an investment firm.
4. Jerry Seinfeld
Forbes estimates Jerry Seinfeld’s net worth at about US$1.1 billion. Most of it comes from his share of syndication money for Seinfeld, the sitcom he co-created with Larry David, plus stand-up tours and other projects.
The rest of the 21 richest male actors in the world
5. Tom Cruise
Cruise is an actor and producer with three Academy Award nominations and three Golden Globe nominations. His films have earned more than US$10 billion worldwide.
6. George Clooney
The actor, director and producer has two Academy Awards, one for acting in Syriana and one for co-producing Argo, and received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2018.
7. Robert De Niro
De Niro has two Academy Awards and made nine films with Martin Scorsese, including Goodfellas and Casino. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
8. Mel Gibson
Gibson became a star as Max Rockatansky in the first three Mad Max films and Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon, and also earns as a director and producer.
9. Adam Sandler
The former Saturday Night Live cast member (1990 to 1995) has films that have grossed over US$2 billion and he signed a four-film Netflix deal reported to be worth over US$250 million.
10. Amitabh Bachchan
India’s biggest star of the 1970s and 1980s is also a producer, TV host and singer. French director Francois Truffaut called him a “one-man industry”.
11. Jack Nicholson
Nicholson’s career spans more than 50 years, and he is famous for playing outsiders, anti-heroes and villains.
12. Sylvester Stallone
Stallone created and played Rocky Balboa in Rocky (1976), and is also a screenwriter, director and producer.
13. Tom Hanks
Known for Forrest Gump and The Da Vinci Code, Hanks also voiced Woody in the Toy Story films. His movies have earned billions at the global box office.
14. Bill Cosby
Cosby made his fortune with The Cosby Show, which was the top-rated show in the US in the late 1980s. The earlier version of this article said he had been convicted in 2018. That conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on 30 June 2021.
15. Jackie Chan
The Hong Kong action star has acted in more than 150 films since the 1960s and is famous for doing his own stunts. He has stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
16. Keanu Reeves
The Canadian actor is known as Neo in The Matrix and the title role in John Wick.
17. Michael Douglas
Douglas has been one of Hollywood’s most powerful actor-producers since the 1990s.
18. Will Smith
Smith rose from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to blockbusters such as Men in Black, and is also a producer and rapper.
19. Mark Wahlberg
The actor and former model was an executive producer of HBO’s Entourage and is regarded as an A-list star.
20. Brad Pitt
Pitt is known for Fight Club and Ocean’s Eleven, and his production company Plan B adds to his earnings.
21. Leonardo DiCaprio
DiCaprio, known for Titanic and The Revenant, also earns from real estate and venture capital investments.
For more on film stars, read our celebs stories, Hollywood news and Bollywood coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the richest actor in the world in 2026?
Shah Rukh Khan and Tyler Perry are the richest actors in the world, each worth about US$1.4 billion based on BBC and Forbes estimates.
Is Shah Rukh Khan a billionaire?
Yes. A BBC report in October 2025 estimated his wealth at about US$1.4 billion, making him the richest actor in India.
Which actors are billionaires?
Among male actors, Shah Rukh Khan, Tyler Perry, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Seinfeld are reported to be billionaires.
Who is the richest Indian actor after Shah Rukh Khan?
On this list, Amitabh Bachchan is the only other Indian actor, though exact current figures for him are not reliably published.
Sources: Forbes: Tyler Perry, Forbes: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forbes: Jerry Seinfeld, Shah Rukh Khan (Wikipedia).
