The world has been forever changed by Hollywood franchises like Titanic, Avatar, and The Terminator. But none of them would exist without one filmmaker: James Cameron.
The legendary director is the creative force behind several of the highest-grossing films of all time. Collectively, Cameron’s movies have earned nearly $9 billion at the global box office—a success that has slowly but steadily propelled his wealth into 10-digit territory.
Now, the 71-year-old’s net worth is estimated at $1.1 billion, according to Forbes. And with Avatar: Fire and Ash—the third instalment in the franchise—hitting theaters this week, that fortune is expected to grow even further.
This level of success once seemed unimaginable for Cameron. In his late teens, the Canadian native dropped out of Fullerton College, a California community college where he was studying physics. He was torn between two competing passions, science and art, but ultimately walked away from formal education altogether.
Instead, Cameron chose to chart his own path. He taught himself optical printing and special effects, and paid the bills by taking odd jobs as a truck driver and janitor.
