Before she could vote, Jami Gertz was earning more than her father. Yet the young actress who later became linked to a staggering family fortune started her marriage as the one paying the bills. Behind the “richest actress” headlines lies a story of teenage responsibility, an unexpected partnership, and a life far beyond Hollywood that would take a tur…

Raised in Glenview, Illinois, Gertz found her way into acting through a nationwide talent search. Films including The Lost Boys established her screen career, while early earnings introduced financial pressures at home. When she married Tony Ressler in 1989, she was already successful. She has recalled funding their first house and a vacation, details that overturn the easy assumption that she simply married into money. Their financial beginnings were more complicated than the familiar label suggests.

Ressler later co-founded Apollo Global Management and Ares Management, the investment businesses behind the family’s enormous wealth. He led the group that purchased the Atlanta Hawks in 2015; Gertz also appears in the team’s ownership directory. Their philanthropy extends across education, healthcare, arts, and Jewish organizations. But rankings of wealthy actresses can confuse shared assets with individual fortunes. Gertz’s story is better understood through her work, their enduring partnership, and the institutions they have supported.