Getting Pretty Rich

John Cho ($18 Million)

Korean American John Cho has been one of the more successful Asian men in Hollywood. His claim to fame was in the 2003 cult hit Harold and Kumar, where he played the titular role of Harold for 3 movies. He’s also played the iconic role of Hikaru Sulu in the modern remake of Star Trek. Cho is currently starring in the sitcom Selfie. He’s currently one of the few Asian American men with a lead in a TV show. 

Jeremy Lin ($20 Million)

If Jeremy Lin got money from his jersey sales he would be making a lot more since his jersey is sold out worldwide. His latest contract was a $15 million contract with the Houston Rockets. Before that he was making minimum wage for a NBA player. Considering his new endorsement deal with Adidas, his net worth is probably well into the $20 million range, if not more. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been performing that well so he may not get another contract as large, but with the NBA TV deal looming that could get him a salary in the range of $6-$8 million per year.

Michelle Phan ($30 Million)

She used to live off food stamps, but now YouTube star Michelle Phan is creating companies. She leveraged her YouTube fame into serious dollars by turning her brand into a multi-million dollar business. She owns EmCosmetics, is the face of L’Oreal, and also has a deal with Dr. Pepper. The latest news was that she was the head of an $84 million startup company. Of course, she doesn’t own the whole company, so her net worth is estimated to be in the $30 million range. Her businesses and endorsement deals have netted her tens of millions of dollars.

Ang Lee ($35 Million)

Ang Lee is one of the most successful Asian directors of all time. Although born in Taiwan, Ang Lee went to school in the United States, which is why I’ve included him in this list. His movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Life of Pi have won him numerous Academy Awards. He’s accumulated his net worth through years of success in the movies.

Russell Peters ($40 Million)

Russell Peters makes a ton of money by touring for his comedy shows. He’s one of the few comedians who hasn’t gone “mainstream” by acting in movies or appearing on TV shows, but he’s made a ton of money just by touring. Last year he made an estimated $21 million alone, $19 million of which came from touring. In Dubai, tickets for his show sold faster than any other act, including Madonna.

Go to the next page to see the ballers.