What is Peter Jackson's net worth? 'The Hobbit' director beats Kanye West, The Rock, and more on Forbes 'Highest-Paid Entertainers' list

On February 9, Forbes released their 2022 list of "Highest Paid Entertainers," topped by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. The 60-year-old filmmaker made around $580 million, surpassing Kanye West, Dwayne Johnson, Jay-Z, and Bruce Springsteen.

Jackson's increase in earnings last year was based on the sale of renowned VFX firm Weta Digitals, founded by the Kiwi director in 1993. As per the New Zealand Herald, he reportedly owned around 60% of the equity in Weta Digital, along with his partner Fran Walsh.

Last November, Jackson sold Weta Digital to famed gaming firm Unity for $1.6 billion. The VFX firm is responsible for numerous blockbusters, including Avengers and Avatar.

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How much is Peter Jackson worth?

Following his sale of Weta Digital to Unity last year, Peter Jackson is reportedly worth an estimate of $1 billion. While the bulk of his fortune comes from selling his equity in Weta, Jackson has also been a prolific filmmaker with numerous hits during his career spanning around 46-years.

While growing up in Wellington, New Zealand, Jackson made multiple short films, including a 1976 20-minute short film called The Valley. Following his foray into short filmmaking, Jackson began filming his debut feature film at 18. The film, Bad Taste, was later released in 1978.

In 1994, Peter Jackson received much praise for his film Heavenly Creatures, which he co-wrote with Fran Walsh's partner. The couple received an Oscar nomination for the screenplay.

Jackson also won the Silver Lion award at the Venice Film Festival for the Heavenly Creatures. During the production of this film, the director co-founded VFX studio Weta Digital with Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk for CGI work in the movie. Since then, Weta has received six Oscars for Best Visual Effects.

Peter Jackson garnered most of his fame with his Lord of the Rings movies, for which he received numerous nominations and awards. The first Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001 to 2003) consisted of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.

These three films grossed over $2.9 billion worldwide. In 2004, Jackson won the Oscar for directing The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. His partner, Walsh, also received an Oscar for writing the film's script.

Later, Jackson made the Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014). The LOTR franchise has reportedly made around $5.9 billion in the global box office. The 60-year-old Kiwi filmmaker has produced over 29 projects and directed around 23 of them throughout his career.