Archive

Russell Brand as Arthur and More of the Richest Movie Characters Ever

Russell Brand plays a lush socialite coming into $950 million in Arthur, in theaters Friday. But he's just one in a long line of obscenely wealthy characters. From Batman to Willy Wonka, Marlow Stern calculates Hollywood's 11 richest fictional figures—worth more than $160 billion total!

articles/2011/04/08/russell-brand-as-arthur-and-more-of-the-richest-movie-characters-ever/richest-movie-characters_171894_u9mog6

Though the real world is slowly lifting itself out of the global recession, some of Hollywood’s fictional characters have been completely unfazed, living like fat cats in the world of movies. The Daily Beast’s 11 richest movie characters have an average net worth of $14.57 billion and their combined wealth exceeds $160 billion—more than the gross domestic product of Algeria.

For some, like Iron Man’s Tony Stark, the calculation was easy—fellow Marvel Comic superhero Nick Fury mentions Stark is the 36th richest man in the world in the comic Iron Man #7. For others, it proved more difficult and two box office analysts at Exhibitor Relations Co. were called in to help calculate the characters’ worth. Find out who made the list and how they ranked!

Gallery: Richest Movie Characters

articles/2011/04/08/russell-brand-as-arthur-and-more-of-the-richest-movie-characters-ever/richest-movie-characters_171894_txhvcw

Plus: Check out more of the latest entertainment, fashion, and culture coverage on Sexy Beast—photos, videos, features, and Tweets.

Marlow Stern works for The Daily Beast and has a master's from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He has served in the editorial department of Blender magazine, as an editor at Amplifier magazine, and, since 2007, editor of Manhattan Movie Magazine.

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.