Derek Yee Highest-Paid Director in the World
- By Carol Kearney
- Hong Kong
- Last updated on
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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. 67-year-old Derek Yee has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid directors for 2025 with an estimated $75 million in combined earnings.
UPDATE 19/02/2025 : This story seems to be false. (read more)
Derek Yee tops annual list of highest-paid directors
In 2022 it looked like the director’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Tuesday (February 18) that Yee is the highest-paid director in the world, pulling in an astonishing $75 million between January 2024 and January 2025, a nearly $40 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 director-screenwriter has an estimated net worth of $215 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 Yee Burger” chain) in Hong Kong, a Football Team (the “Hong Kong Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderyee - Hong Kong), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Derek) and a fashion line called “Derek Yee Seduction”.
The ranking is significant for many Derek fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.
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