Tom Cruise | War of the Worlds

We know that Tom Cruise is a very versatile actor, and though he only earned $50,000 for his participation in Taps in 1981, he made sure to practice his craft and improve. Succeeding projects proved more financially rewarding for him, and he saw a 50% increase in his salary in Risky Business, where he got $75,000. Fast forward to the 2000s, Cruise is now a highly-established celebrity who can command a steep price.

He displayed excellent money management skills when he opted for 20% of the revenue of the 2005 film War of the Worlds. The actor could have readily accepted a fee of around $10 million, but went for the more risky move knowing the movie’s potential. That decision proved right as he took home $100 million from this one movie alone. His earnings from the Mission Impossible franchise are in the millions, too. So yes, he is one lucky, talented and wealthy actor.