I’m always amazed at some of the people who have that kind of money to spend on a house.
The A++++ list movie stars who have been around for two or three decades, I can understand. The economics of the industry have changed and the mega-million dollar contracts for a starring role are rapidly becoming extinct. (And very few people got those, even in the glory years.) Also going extinct are the lucrative backend deals, and the streamers are even finding ways to slash residuals. But until recently, a big star with a series of successful blockbusters could become quite wealthy. On top of that, many of them get entrepreneurial, set up their own companies and produce their own films. I give them credit for that and don’t begrudge the money they make.
The younger actors just coming up must be sick inside, realizing that they’re 20 years too late. The streamers are swallowing the whole industry and squeezing everyone. But that’s another story.
The big recording stars I can understand. You too could have a huge mansion if you sold eleventy-seven bazillion records and have 50 tunes playing incessantly on the radio and across Spotify and similar platforms.
The producers I can understand. They build busineses and, if successful, can reap big rewards.
The major league athletes I can understand. If someone pays you $20 million a year to play shortstop and advertisers think you’re marketable, you can make big bucks. And a lot of the athletes are stupid enough to live really big in the five year window they enjoy before injury or age cuts them down. The smart ones, however, can be sitting pretty for life.
That said, I cannot understand the army of very wealthy people, mostly self-made, who are famous for being famous — people like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, who rode leaked sex tapes to celebrity status. Or Instagram and TikTok stars, social media influencers, and various species of consultants, agents, and other hangers-on who seem to make fortunes in the celebrity freakshow business.
Of course, if I understood it, I suppose I too could be rich. But as it is, I can respect the singer who can really sing, the actor who can really act, and the champion athlete who excels in a competitive arena. But the others? How?
AI is going to replace most Hollywood jobs anyway.