Brett Ratner Highest-Paid Director in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid directors” released on Sunday.
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It's been a rough year for the director, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 57-year-old Brett Ratner has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid directors for 2026 with an estimated $82 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 14/09/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Brett Ratner tops annual list of highest-paid directors

In 2024 it looked like the director’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Sunday (September 13) that Ratner is the highest-paid director in the world, pulling in an astonishing $82 million between August 2025 and August 2026, a nearly $50 million lead over his closest competition.

People With Money’s factors

In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

The American director-producer has an estimated net worth of $245 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Ratner Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Miami Beach Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderatner - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Brett) and a fashion line called “Brett Ratner Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Brett fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.

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