Jami Gertz is not your typical actress-turned-billionaire. While many Hollywood stars invest in beauty lines or production companies, Gertz took a different route: she married a private equity titan and became co-owner of an NBA team. Here’s how she went from starring in The Lost Boys to sitting courtside as one of the wealthiest figures in entertainment.

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Net Worth: $3 billion (estimated) ·
Born: October 28, 1965 (age 58) ·
Spouse: Tony Ressler (m. 1989) ·
Children: 3 ·
Known For: The Lost Boys, Twister, Crossroads ·
Current Role: Part-owner, Atlanta Hawks

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • Vice chairman role with Atlanta Hawks (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia))
  • Philanthropy via Ressler-Gertz Foundation (People (celebrity news magazine))
  • Occasional acting and producing (IMDb News (entertainment news outlet))
Fact Value
Full Name Jami Beth Gertz
Birth Date October 28, 1965
Birthplace Chicago, Illinois, USA
Nationality American
Occupation Actress, businesswoman
Years Active 1981–present (acting); 2015–present (NBA ownership)
Spouse Tony Ressler (m. 1989)
Children 3 sons
Known For The Lost Boys, Twister, Crossroads, Seinfeld
Net Worth (combined) $3 billion (estimated)

How did Jami Gertz become a billionaire?

Marriage to Tony Ressler and family wealth

  • Jami Gertz married Tony Ressler in 1989, a year after he co-founded Apollo Global Management (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
  • Ressler later co-founded Ares Management in 1997, a global alternative asset manager with over $400 billion in assets (People (celebrity news magazine)).
  • People reports that Tony Ressler has an estimated net worth of $11 billion as of 2026, per Forbes (People (celebrity news magazine)).
The upshot

Gertz’s billionaire status is not a product of Hollywood paychecks — it’s the result of a strategic marriage to one of Wall Street’s most successful private equity founders. Her acting career contributed income, but the vast majority of the household wealth comes from Ressler’s businesses and their joint investments.

Investments in the Atlanta Hawks

  • In 2015, Gertz and Ressler led an investment group that purchased the Atlanta Hawks for approximately $850 million (People (celebrity news magazine)).
  • The couple also hold a minority stake in the Milwaukee Brewers, via a separate investment group (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).

Continued acting income and smart investments

  • Gertz’s acting career, spanning from 1981 to 2022, includes roles in blockbusters like Twister and The Lost Boys, which provided steady income (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
  • IMDb News notes that her wealth did not primarily come from a typical Hollywood career path (IMDb News (entertainment news outlet)).

The implication: Gertz’s wealth is a textbook case of strategic partnership and sports investment. Her personal earnings are dwarfed by the broader family portfolio, but she has leveraged her celebrity to build a distinct public identity beyond her husband’s shadow.

What is Jami Gertz’s net worth?

Estimated net worth figures

  • IMDb News describes Gertz’s net worth as $3 billion, calling her the world’s richest actor (IMDb News (entertainment news outlet)).
  • This figure is combined with husband Tony Ressler’s wealth; sources do not provide a standalone estimate for Gertz alone (Facebook post (social media)).

Comparison to other celebrity billionaires

  • Gertz ranks among the wealthiest celebrities globally, often listed alongside figures like Oprah Winfrey (IMDb News (entertainment news outlet)).
  • However, the bulk of her household wealth is tied to Ressler’s business ventures, not independent entertainment earnings (People (celebrity news magazine)).
Why this matters

The $3 billion figure is a household estimate, not a personal net worth. For readers evaluating her financial success, it’s crucial to distinguish between individual achievements and family wealth — something often blurred in celebrity coverage.

The pattern: Gertz’s net worth is impressive on paper, but the asterisk is that it’s shared wealth. Her personal income from acting is minor compared to the billions managed by her husband’s firms.

What ethnicity is Jami Gertz?

Family background and ancestry

  • Jami Gertz was born in Chicago to Jewish parents; her father was a businessman and her mother a homemaker (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
  • Her Jewish heritage is an integral part of her identity, though she rarely discusses it publicly (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
Bottom line: Gertz’s ethnicity is Ashkenazi Jewish. She was raised in a Jewish household in the Midwest and has maintained those cultural ties throughout her life.

What does Jami Gertz do now?

Role with the Atlanta Hawks

  • Gertz serves as vice chairman of the Atlanta Hawks, a role she earned alongside husband Tony Ressler after the 2015 purchase (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
  • She has stepped back from full-time acting to focus on the team and family (People (celebrity news magazine)).

Philanthropy and business ventures

  • Through the Ressler-Gertz Foundation, the couple supports medical research, education, and Jewish causes (People (celebrity news magazine)).
  • Gertz serves on the board of the Melanoma Research Alliance (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).

Occasional acting appearances

  • Gertz continues to make sporadic acting appearances; her most recent credited role is in 2022 (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
  • She has said in interviews that she will only take roles that excite her, as she no longer needs acting income (People (celebrity news magazine)).

The trade-off: Gertz traded the spotlight of leading roles for the executive suite of an NBA franchise. For her, the decision was clear — the Hawks gave her a platform that Hollywood could not match.

Who is richer, Jami Gertz or Oprah Winfrey?

Net worth comparison

  • Oprah Winfrey’s net worth is approximately $2.8 billion, built entirely through her own media empire (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
  • Jami Gertz’s household net worth is around $3 billion, but this wealth is shared with her husband (IMDb News (entertainment news outlet)).

Sources of wealth

  • Winfrey’s wealth comes from television production, publishing, and her OWN network — all personally earned (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
  • Gertz’s wealth is largely derived from her husband’s private equity career and joint investments in sports franchises (People (celebrity news magazine)).

Three metrics, one comparison table:

Metric Jami Gertz Oprah Winfrey
Net Worth $3 billion (combined with spouse) $2.8 billion (personal)
Primary Wealth Source Marriage to Tony Ressler + sports investments Media empire (OWN, Harpo)
Current Role Vice chairman, Atlanta Hawks Media mogul, philanthropist

The catch: While the numbers look close, the stories are different. Oprah built her wealth independently; Gertz’s fortune is a shared family asset. Neither is “richer” in a meaningful sense — the measure depends on whether you count solo ownership or household net worth.

Clarity check

Confirmed facts

  • Jami Gertz was born in 1965 in Chicago.
  • She married Tony Ressler in 1989.
  • She is a part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks.
  • Her combined net worth is estimated at $3 billion.

What remains unclear

  • Exact breakdown of her personal net worth vs. husband’s.
  • Exact investment returns from the Atlanta Hawks.
  • Frequency of future acting projects.

Quotes

“I had to choose between being an actress and being a mom and a wife. I chose the latter.”

— Jami Gertz, in a People (celebrity news magazine) interview

“Tony Ressler’s track record at Ares Management speaks for itself. He built one of the most successful asset management firms in the world.”

— Industry analyst, cited by IMDb News (entertainment news outlet)

For Jami Gertz, the transition from 80s film star to billionaire NBA owner shows that wealth creation often follows unconventional paths. Her story is less about acting success and more about strategic family partnerships and sports investment. For anyone wondering how to turn fame into fortune, the lesson is not in Hollywood — it’s in Wall Street and the arena. The decision she made after 2015 is clear: the Hawks came first, and the acting career became a footnote to a much bigger game.

Additional sources

instagram.com

For a detailed breakdown of her financial journey, you can read more about Jami Gertzs net worth and how she built her fortune alongside her husband.

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Frequently asked questions

How old is Jami Gertz?

She is 58 years old, born October 28, 1965.

What was Jami Gertz’s first movie?

Her first film role was in Endless Love (1981).

Is Jami Gertz still acting?

She has not taken a major acting role since 2022, but says she will consider projects that excite her.

How did Jami Gertz meet Tony Ressler?

They met through mutual friends in the late 1980s and married in 1989.

Does Jami Gertz have any upcoming projects?

No announced acting projects as of early 2025; she is focused on the Atlanta Hawks and philanthropy.

What is the Ressler-Gertz Foundation?

A philanthropic organization supporting medical research, education, and Jewish causes.

Where does Jami Gertz live?

She resides in Beverly Hills, California, with her husband and sons.

How many siblings does Jami Gertz have?

She has two siblings, but their names are not widely publicized.