World's richest actor is a 77-yr-old with no film in years but $1.49B wealth; beat Tom Cruise, Shah Rukh, Dwayne Johnson

A new list of the world's wealthiest actors was released by Esquire Magazine earlier this year. The list, which ranks acting superstars based on their current net worth, throws up quite a few surprises and also omits a few names that rival publication Forbes includes. But perhaps the biggest surprise is right up top - as a 77-year-old who has seen no new release in 6 years has topped the list. (Also read: World's richest actress has $8-billion wealth but no hit films; richer than Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Rihanna combined)

The world's richest actor

According to Esquire, action superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger is the richest actor in the world with a massive net worth of $1.49 billion. Since first becoming a billionaire in January, Arnold has increased his holdings significantly. To many, Arnold sitting at the top, way ahead of reigning superstars like Dwayne Johnson, Tom Cruise, and Shah Rukh Khan, may be surprising. More so because Arnold's last theatrical release was Terminator: Dark Fate back in 2019. The star has not been seen in a film in six years, but will mark his big-screen comeback with two projects this year - Kung Fury 2 and The Man with the Bag.

How Arnold became the richest of them all

Esquire notes that Arnold's rise to billionaire status has been on the back of his smart investments. "He gained entry into the three comma club primarily by pouring his earnings into real estate, from his earliest days as an actor. As a result, he now owns a vast real estate empire along with a 5% stake in one of the world’s biggest investment firms," says his citation in the report. (Also read: World's richest actress has $8-billion wealth but no hit films; richer than Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Rihanna combined)

The superstars that Arnold beat

In the second spot on Esquire's list is Dwayne Johnson. The wrestler-turned-actor has a net worth of $1.19 billion, largely due to his stake in the $2-billion Teremana Tequila. Tom Cruise comes in the third spot with a net worth of $891 million, followed by Asia's richest actor, Shah Rukh Khan, who rounds off the top 4 with a net worth of $876 million, according to Esquire. The others in the top 10 include George Clooney, Robert de Niro, Brad Pitt, Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, and Jackie Chan.

Esquire's list also excludes people not known primarily for acting. So names like Tyler Perry (studio executive and also an actor) and Jerry Seinfeld (stand-up comic) do not feature here, even though they have both acted in multiple films and are both billionaires.