James Pickens, Jr. Highest-Paid Actor in the World

By Carol Kearney
Washington
Last updated on April 1, 2025

James Pickens, Jr. led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid actors” released on Monday.

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It's been a rough year for the actor, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 70-year-old James Pickens, Jr. has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid actors for 2025 with an estimated $82 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 01/04/2025 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

James Pickens, Jr. tops annual list of highest-paid actors

In 2022 it looked like the actor’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Monday (March 31) that Pickens, Jr. is the highest-paid actor in the world, pulling in an astonishing $82 million between March 2024 and March 2025, 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 actor 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 Pickens, Jr. Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Cleveland Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderpickens, Jr. - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from James) and a fashion line called “James Pickens, Jr. Seduction”.

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