There are countless numbers of books, TV shows, and movies that feature extremely wealthy characters who live a life of power and luxury. Their personalities range from greedy and egotistic to good-natured and philanthropic. Each one of them, and the stories they help create, leave some sort of imprint on our minds. Over the past decade, Forbes Magazine produced the “Fictional 15” list. This list names the wealthiest fictional character for that year, along with their estimated earnings. We decided to use some of the information from these lists, do some additional estimations (aka complete guess work and creative license), and compile our very own list of our top 10 wealthiest fictional characters. Enjoy!
10. Gordon Gekko
From: Wall Street, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps Estimated Net Worth: $1.2 Billion Gekko’s fortune has not dropped with the financial meltdown that still holds much of the world hostage. Back in the 1980’s, he used insider information and other illegal means to build up his own portfolio on the backs of others. He was caught, convicted, and sent to prison for over 20 years. Now that he’s out, he’s wealthier than ever and plays an active role as grandfather to his daughter’s child. Expect Gekko’s net worth to dip a bit as he gets more involved in philanthropy (a worthy choice after realizing the error of his ways).
9. Carter Pewterschmidt
From: Family Guy Estimated Net Worth: $2.5 Billion Father of Lois Griffin and CEO of Pewterschmidt Industries, Carter has done very well for himself. He lives with his wife, Barbara, in his Newport mansion. He is good friends with the likes of Bill Gates and Michael Eisner, and his hobbies include yachting, playing tricks on poor people, and berating his son-in-law at every opportunity.
8. Charles Foster Kane
From: Citizen Kane Estimated Net Worth: $3.1 Billion Charles Foster Kane became a media tycoon at the turn of the century and turned his single newspaper into an empire of news outlets. Anybody who crossed him ended up paying a dear price in the public sphere. He married the niece of the President and was poised to win the campaign for Governor of New York. His plans derailed upon the revelation that he was having an affair and his wife divorced him. He remarried and turned his 2nd wife into an opera star, but that marriage slowly disintegrated as well. Citizen Kane died alone in his vast mansion, Xanadu, longing for the simple life he had as a child.
7. C. Montgomery Burns
From: The Simpsons Estimated Net Worth: $4.2 Billion Owner of the Springfield power plant, Mr. Burns is a fragile old man that commands respect (usually at the threat of sending his dogs after you). He constantly forgets the names of his employees and has little sympathy for anybody besides himself. Ironically, he would not be able to function well without the help of his trusted aide, Smithers. Mr. Burns resides in his Springfield mansion with his viscous hounds.
6. Lucius Malfoy
From: Harry Potter Estimated Net Worth: $6.7 Billion Lucius Malfoy is one of the wealthiest wizards in all of Britain. Although he gives his money to generous causes, he does so only for the sake of gaining influence and power. He was a devout follower of the dark arts and He Who Must Not Be Named, but later claimed he was bewitched. After the Dark Lord’s return, he willingly did his bidding until his son, Draco, was put in mortal danger and saw how warped his values really were. He ended up abandoning the battle of Hogwarts to protect his family and has lived quietly in remorse for his past actions ever since.
5. Bruce Wayne
From: Batman Estimated Net Worth: $8.9 Billion Bruce Wayne inherits his father’s business empire at a very young age after his parents were killed in front of his eyes by a homeless thug. After coming of age, Bruce decides to use his money and skills to rid the Gotham City streets of terror and crime. He creates a high-tech suit and calls himself, Batman. Bruce continues to lead a double life: one as a well-known businessman and the other as the vigilant protector of Gotham City.
4. Tony Stark
From: Iron Man Estimated Net Worth: $9.5 Billion Tony Stark built his fortune upon his corporation, Stark Industries, which makes military-grade weaponry. He was kidnapped and held captive in order to make a new weapon of mass destruction to be used against the United States. Instead, he built a military super suit and used it to escape. He now spends his time helping to protect the world as his alter ego, Iron Man. And ladies, he’s still single.
3. Jed Clampett
From: The Beverly Hillbillies Estimated Net Worth: $11.8 Billion Jed Clampett never received a formal education and grew up in what many would refer to as “the middle of nowhere.” However, he was lucky enough to own some land that had a vast supply of oil sitting underneath it. Upon discovering it, he makes a vast fortune and moves to Beverly Hills with his family. Even with new riches and luxuries, he keeps his life as simple as possible and would much rather use his common sense to solve problems than any new piece of technology. Jed spends his free time whittling wood on his porch and driving his 1921 Oldsmobile.
2. Richie Rich
From: Little Dot, Richie Rich Estimated Net Worth: $22.3 Billion You would expect an only child of excessively wealthy parents to be a spoiled and power-hungry brat. The exact opposite is true of Richie Rich. Although he does indeed live in a lap of luxury, Richie gladly gives his money to good causes and desires the companionship of friends over buying any material goods or maxing the limit on his parents’ credit cards. Richie spends his free time playing with friends somewhere on his expansive estate and caring for the family dog, Dollar.
1. Scrooge McDuck
From: DuckTales Estimated Net Worth: $45.0 Billion Uncle to Donald Duck and great uncle to Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Scrooge McDuck has vast investments in gold and has made a fortune off its rise in value over the past four decades. Even though he is notoriously frugal, he is an overall good-natured family man. He enjoys spending time with his grand nephews, traveling the world hunting for exotic treasures, and of course, going for daily swims through his numerous piles of gold.
