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The 20 Richest Fictional Movie and TV Characters of All-Time

You might have thought that a million dollars is a lot of money, and for those that won't see that amount in their lifetime you're very right. But when you're talking rich, and I mean insanely, over the top obscenely rich, then millions just don't cut it any longer.

That number was left behind decades ago it seems and now it's the billionaires that run the place in reality and in fiction. If you aren't a part of the billionaire club in a fictional setting then you're not ready to call yourself one of the richest people in history.

So let's see just who qualifies for the billionaire club on the fictional side of the page.

20. Forrest Gump - $5.7 billion

It's quite possible that Forrest doesn't even know what's he's got in his bank account, and it's not exactly necessary so long as he and little Forrest are well taken care of and left to their own devices.

How someone with a definite learning impediment got to be one of the richest fictional characters ever is chalked up mostly to innovative writing and a desire for people to see the guy with the severe disadvantage prove that he could persevere no matter his limitations.

This is one guy we can actually say deserved to become so insanely rich.

19. Richie Rich - $5.8 billion

Being born into riches doesn't necessarily mean you're a happy go lucky kid just because you can go anywhere or do anything in the world. Eventually it all gets kind of boring unless you have someone to share it with, and friends don't often come cheap when they find out you have a surplus amount of cash.

Luckily Richie's parents are good enough folks that they've taught him how to pick the right people to share his life with. It also helps that his friends actually want to be around him regardless of his money. But it does make for some killer outings though.

18. Adrian Veidt - $7 billion

Better known as Ozymandias from the Watchmen, this guy was born to riches but gave it all up in an effort to become a superhero. He then made his fortune back on his own image which is kind of questionable when you really think about it.

Plus, he double-crossed the Watchmen by hatching a plan to create a war upon the world that would kill millions but eventually bring about a greater sense of peace. He's not exactly the best person to idolize really when it comes to superheroes.

17. Carter Pewterschmidt - $7.2 billion

As a fictional character he's one of the most detestable guys around. He'll actually go to the adoption center and pick out a kid only to lock the doors while the child can see a puppy, candy, toys, and all sorts of fun things through the window.

Granted it's all fiction but this guy is the kind of person you actually want to see lose money even as he keeps gaining more and more of it.

16. Thurston Howell III - $8 billion

He was a comical kind of billionaire that didn't do much except when he was asked to do so. His character was a little egotistical at times but not too bad. He did in fact make his own contribution to Gilligan's Island in a funny sort of way.

It was hard to know just who was worse though when it came to their uppity attitudes, him or his wife. Their role on the island was usually just to sun themselves and drink from their coconut.

15. Jabba the Hutt - $8.4 billion

There's so much to say about this character and so little space in which to do it. How you see Jabba really depends on which movie you've watched him in. If you've only seen the original trilogy then you know he's ruthless, disgusting, and so rich that he can keep a small army of bodyguards and assassins on his payroll.

Jabba is the kind of being you don't cross because there's no limit to the amount of money he can spend to have you snuffed out. And being that he tends to hire the worst of the worst it wouldn't cost much to hire out to the most desperate and possibly most dangerous of bounty hunters that would only need a piece of you for identification.

14. Gordon Gekko - $8.5 billion

Why do some of the worst people in fiction get to be so filthy rich? They step on people, they ruin lives, and they don't really care about it at all. Yet they're allowed to be so rich that they don't need or want for anything at any moment in the day.

Yet for all that, Gordon Gekko is married to his work, which explains why this kind of money still isn't enough. He wants more money, more power, more influence, and no real life to speak of to get in the way of it all.

13. Bruce Wayne - $9.2 billion

Another guy born into his fortune, Wayne actually needs this kind of money to fund his extracurricular night life. Have you ever really seen what it costs to make the kind of gear that he wears?

The materials, the design, the durability, and man hours used to create each piece are immense. Yet for all that he goes through vehicles, tools, and weapons like there's no tomorrow and just gets shiny new ones whenever he needs. Maybe Lucius Fox should think about telling him to actually take care of his equipment once in a while.

12. Jed Clampett - $9.2 billion

One of the ultimate fantasies is getting rich overnight. And you can do it really, if you shoot at your supper and strike oil like Jed did. Of course you have to hope that you don't get someone saying eminent domain as they pay you pennies on the dollar for land that's worth far more than you'll ever see. How Jed and the family didn't end up blowing through their vast fortune in a single season is some pretty creative work on the part of the writers.

11. Lex Luthor - $10.1 billion

Somehow I don't think we want to go into just how Luthor managed to amass his impressive fortune. He doesn't even seem to enjoy it really as he seems to be so angry all the time. What good is that kind of money if you can't enjoy yourself?

Luthor seems intent on only a few things, such as the destruction of Superman and the subjugation of as many people as is possible. He's tried to turn over a new leaf on a few occasions but it never seems to take.

10. Jay Gatsby-$11.2 billion

No one's ever really known how Gatsby came upon his fortune, but there are plenty of rumors. Organized crime is by far the most popular, but not entirely realistic. He's an eccentric kind of person that likes to party and seems to enjoy being the center of attention at times. Still, he's a mystery to most and a most curious fellow even at the best of times.

9. Charles Foster Kane - $11.2 billion

Why are so many billionaires depressed, angry, or otherwise just so unhappy? It's easy to say when you don't have billions, but that kind of money could at least afford you the chance to travel the world and possibly find SOMETHING that sparked a bit of happiness in you. But so many billionaires in films seemed determined to be tortured or otherwise just flat out depressing.

8. Tony Stark - $12.4 billion

At last, one of the few billionaires that is actually some fun. Tony fully enjoys having money and doesn't lament spending it because his company makes it hand over fist every day.

Plus, if anything was to ever happen to make his company lose money he's smart enough and savvy enough that he'd be right on top of it in a heartbeat. In fact he might even fix the problem and make the company more efficient than before. It must be nice to be a genius, billionaire, and superhero all in one.

7. Artemis Fowl II -$ 13.5 billion

Everyone's got to have a hobby, and Fowl's is robber just like his old man. He's the type that definitely takes after his old man and wants the family business to keep on holding steady as his father would have likely wanted. He has an entire series of books in which his robbing adventures continue and are expressly detailed for readers to enjoy.

6. Mom (Futurama)- $15.7 billion

If you thought Mr. Burns from The Simpsons was bad then you're not ready for Mom. Futurama's resident bad person, she's got more money than she knows what to do with and the type of disposition that could melt a glacier just with a look. She's definitely not the the kind of character to cross unless you don't mind being clocked so hard your head turns sideways. Why oh why are these types of people rich? It's a mystery to be sure.

5. Ming the Merciless - $20.9 billion

So there's one reason why he's so rich, and the slave trade and technologies he controls are only a fraction of it. The guy owns his own planet. Really, he OWNS a PLANET. That alone should tell you that he has more money than any one individual should know what to do with. Believe or not despite his ranking he's probably one of the few people in this list that is to be considered as the absolute richest of all. A planet, just think on that for a while.

4. Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks - $36.2 billion

He's a defense contractor, which means the money simply flows into his pockets so long as the US government is satisfied with his work. And seeing how he affords all that he has and has a staff that could populate a small village it's fair to state that Warbucks is well within his means to be slightly less charming than an irritated bear coming out of hibernation. Yet for all that it's a small girl that warms his heart and convinces him to be more giving.

3. Carlisle Cullen - $46 billion

When you're almost four centuries old you've seen enough and done enough to know that investing in certain commodities might be a good idea. And after three centuries and more that interest can certainly accrue.

To watch the film you might have guessed that the Cullens were a legitimately rich bunch, but in terms of just how much it wasn't really discussed that often.

It makes sense really to think that their fortunes would be this high after so long of putting money aside and allowing it to grow. If we could all do that trick then money might cease to be such an important factor in life after a while. Think about it, it makes sense.

2. Smaug - $54.1 Billion

When you're sitting on, or under, a mountain's worth of gold it's easy to think that you're rich without really knowing how much you have. After all he's probably snorted out about a million or more in gold from each nostril just at the ending of the first film. The amount of gold stuck in his scales could probably feed a small city for years and years. Now think about the piles he's been using as his resting place for so long. Yeah, the numbers simply boggle the mind.

1. Scrooge McDuck - $65.4 billion

Scrooge seems to have downsized a bit since the good old days when he supposedly had trillions in his money bin, but this seems like a reasonable number in comparison.

This is the true American dream in action as Scrooge made his way from Scotland to live and work in America. He shined shoes and worked his feathers till they were sore each and every night until he'd amassed a fortune so impressive that it easily tops this list by a wide margin.

Thankfully during his evolution as a character he's gone from being a grumpy old uncle to someone that actually values adventure and family in equal measures.

Billions simply seem like too much to be hoarded by any one person, and yet in fiction and reality it's been to be idolized in many ways. When is it ever too much though?

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Garrett Parker

Written by Garrett Parker

Garrett by trade is a personal finance freelance writer and journalist. With over 10 years experience he's covered businesses, CEOs, and investments. However he does like to take on other topics involving some of his personal interests like automobiles, future technologies, and anything else that could change the world.

Read more posts by Garrett Parker

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