James Cameron has amassed a truly 'Titanic' fortune in the years since he first started making movies. Being at the helm of just one of the largest grossing films of all time is likely to mean you never have to work again. Cameron has been the man behind a whole list of them.
'Titanic' broke every box office record going when it was first released in the 90s, but when you factor in that he also brought us the first two 'Terminator' movies and 'Avatar', it's easy to see why his money stacks as high as it does. 'Titanic' was a happy accident for him in terms of wealth, though. Production on the film came in way over budget, and Cameron agreed to waive the $8m he was due to receive for directing it in return for a percentage share of the box office profits. When all was said and done, that percentage share netted him several hundred million dollars.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.