Billionaire media mogul Tyler Perry has opened up about his tough-love approach to family and finances, revealing that he doesn’t believe in handing out money to relatives who won’t work — regardless of his $1.4 billion net worth.
During a candid conversation on the YouTube series “Den of Kings” hosted by Kirk Franklin, alongside Derrick Hayes and Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins, Perry recalled a time when he fired his own aunt for not taking a job seriously.
“She would always call asking for money, and I would send it,” Perry said. “Then I said, ‘Let me help you build something. Let me give you a job.’ But she wasn’t coming in. She kept calling off.”
Perry said he had to let her go, stating,
“‘You gotta go. You want me to hand you the money, but you don’t want to work for it. That doesn’t work for me.’”
“I’m Not Going to Handicap You”
The Madea creator, known for building his empire by owning 100% of his creative content, explained that his stance is rooted in self-sufficiency and personal growth, not cruelty.
“I don’t believe in giving us things that are just going to handicap us,” Perry explained. “That is the worst thing you can do.”
He even applies this mindset to his 10-year-old son, Aman, who is expected to do chores to earn privileges.
After His Mother’s Death, He Cut Off Relatives
Following the passing of his mother in 2009, Perry sent letters to several family members she had asked him to support. In the letters, he gave them a 60-day deadline to find a job.
“I told them, ‘I’m not going to keep supporting you like that,’” he said.
Surprisingly, every one of them managed to find employment.
“It wasn’t like jobs where they made a lot of money, but it was a job. It gave them pride,” Perry noted. “That’s the same thing I would want someone to do for me.”
Tyler Perry’s $1.4 Billion Net Worth
According to Forbes, Perry’s fortune stands at $1.4 billion, built from his ownership of all the content he produces, including the highly successful Madea franchise, which has grossed over $660 million globally.
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