Tyler Perry, the hilarious genius behind the Madea franchise, has become a billionaire. It’s no surprise that the Hollywood legend is now a member of the “three comma club,” as they call it, thanks to his huge library of movies and TV shows, investments, his production studio, his numerous houses, and his equity share in BET+.
The media magnate, on the other hand, was not born into wealth. In reality, he comes from a truly inspirational family. Tyler Perry was homeless before he became famous. Stay tuned for more on the 50-year-remarkable old’s journey from rags to riches.
Tyler didn’t always live in comfort. He grew up as one of four children in New Orleans, Louisiana, according to Biography, and his father was quite harsh. He was also sexually molested by a number of persons outside of his home, and he attempted suicide before dropping out of high school at one time. Tyler eventually earned his GED and went on to work in a variety of unsatisfying odd jobs. However, he discovered that creating plays was his true calling.
Tyler had saved about $12,000 by the time he was in his early twenties and came to Atlanta to launch his first original musical, I Know I’ve Been Changed. According to Inc, he was living out of an old car and working as a bill collector on the side at the time. On the opening night of his debut show, he expected 1,200 people to attend, but only 30 did. After that, he began missing car payments and rent, and he eventually ended up homeless on the street.
Tyler, on the other hand, did not give up. He continued to write and work odd jobs, and in 1998, he booked out Atlanta’s House of Blues for a second performance of I Know I’ve Been Changed. That’s when, according to Biography, his career took off. He quickly sold out of tickets and had to relocate the play to a larger venue.
According to J Rank Biography, Tyler discovered his passion for writing while watching Oprah’s chat program. He chose to write when she mentioned that writing down events can be “cathartic,” and after researching up the definition of the word, he decided to do so, bringing back memories from his past. He changed the names of persons in his notebook so that it wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands, and his writings became his artistic labor.
According to ET Online, after Tyler’s debut Madea film was released in 2005, Oprah invited him to her Legends Ball, which he declined.
“In 2005, Oprah invited me to her Legends Ball… I saw Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Tom Cruise and Sidney Poitier, and I said, ‘What am I doing here?” he recalled of the life-changing experience.
