Star Wars franchise filmmaker George Lucas has been revealed as the richest celebrity in the world.
The director, 79, who has accumulated a $5.5billion fortune, topped the annual Forbes list of celebrity billionaires.
Lucas, who was the executive producer, writer and director of the Star Wars franchise up until Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith in 2005, also produced the Indiana Jones film series.
His production company, Lucasfilm was sold to Disney in 2012 for $4billion, and has produced the later films in the Star Wars series, along with other projects.
In his early career, Lucas wrote and directed the 1973 hit, American Graffiti, for which he received Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Picture.
But it was 1977’s Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, the first film in the franchise, which would secure his success, becoming the highest-grossing film at the time and winning six Oscars, as well as nominations for Best Picture and Best Director.
Lucasfilm have also produced two upcoming Star Wars spin-off series, The Acolyte, and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, both scheduled for release this year.
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas on February 5, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. CREDIT: Getty/Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images
Sitting at second place on the list is celebrated director of Jaws, E.T: The Extra Terrestrial and Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg, with a hefty $4.8billion.
Others in the top 20 list include NBA star Michael Jordan, broadcaster Oprah Winfrey, Lord Of The Rings creator Peter Jackson, and singer Taylor Swift.
Swift appeared on the annual list for the first time, in 14th place, following reports by Bloomberg last October that she had become a billionaire.
The singer, 34, has broken multiple streaming, box-office and ticket sale records in the past year with the success of her global tour and the release of the concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which made more than $260million at the box office.
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