Jami Gertz's household net worth is estimated at roughly $8 billion to $12 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth, but that figure is overwhelmingly her husband's, not hers. Tony Ressler co-founded Apollo Global Management and later Ares Management, and owns a roughly 30% stake in Ares -- that private-equity fortune, not her acting career, accounts for nearly all of the couple's combined wealth.
Gertz built a genuinely successful acting career of her own, starring in Less Than Zero, The Lost Boys, and Twister, and later in TV series including Still Standing and The Neighbors. Today she and Ressler are also co-owners of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks and hold a minority stake in the MLB's Milwaukee Brewers.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Jami Beth Gertz |
| Born | October 28, 1965, Chicago, Illinois |
| Known For | Less Than Zero, The Lost Boys, Twister, Still Standing |
| Recognition | Primetime Emmy nomination (Outstanding Guest Actress, Ally McBeal); producer on A Better Life, an Academy Award-nominated film |
| Family | Husband Tony Ressler; children Oliver, Nicholas, Theo, and Abigail Ressler |
| Business | Co-owner, Atlanta Hawks (since 2015); minority owner, Milwaukee Brewers |
| Estimated Net Worth | $8-12 billion (household) |
Early Life
Jami Gertz was born on October 28, 1965, in Chicago, Illinois, to Walter Gertz, a builder and contractor, and Sharyn Gertz. She has two brothers, Scott and Michael, and was raised in a Conservative Jewish household. She attended Maine East High School and later studied drama at NYU after being discovered through a nationwide talent search run by television producer Norman Lear.
Acting Career
Gertz began as a child actor, appearing on Diff'rent Strokes and in a recurring role on The Facts of Life, before making her film debut in Endless Love (1981) and joining the cast of the sitcom Square Pegs (1982-83). Her profile rose sharply in 1987 with Less Than Zero, opposite Robert Downey Jr., and The Lost Boys, in which she played the half-vampire Star. She then spent time away from Hollywood working as a scent designer for the French fashion house Lanvin in Paris before returning to acting.
Through the 1990s and 2000s she took recurring television roles on ER, Seinfeld, and Ally McBeal -- the last of which earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series -- and starred as Judy Miller on the CBS sitcom Still Standing from 2002 to 2006, her longest-running series. She also had a supporting role in the 1996 blockbuster Twister. More recently, she appeared on Entourage and played Debbie Weaver on ABC's The Neighbors from 2012 to 2014. She also holds a producer credit on A Better Life (2011), which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
Marriage to Tony Ressler and Family
Gertz married Tony Ressler in 1989. The two have three sons -- Oliver, Nicholas, and Theo -- and a daughter, Abigail. Ressler went on to co-found Apollo Global Management in 1990 and later Ares Management in 1997, building the private-equity fortune that now accounts for the bulk of the couple's wealth.
Sports Ownership and Philanthropy
Gertz and Ressler are part of the investment group that has owned the Atlanta Hawks since 2015 and hold a minority stake in the Milwaukee Brewers. The couple has also been recognized for philanthropy: the Alliance Gertz-Ressler High School, a public charter school in downtown Los Angeles, is named for them, and Gertz serves on the board of the Melanoma Research Alliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jami Gertz really a billionaire?
The household net worth attributed to her by outlets like Celebrity Net Worth (roughly $8 billion to $12 billion) comes almost entirely from her husband Tony Ressler's stake in Ares Management, not from her own acting career or personal assets.
What is Jami Gertz best known for?
Her film roles in Less Than Zero and The Lost Boys (both 1987), and her television role as Judy Miller on Still Standing (2002-2006).
How many children do Jami Gertz and Tony Ressler have?
Four: sons Oliver, Nicholas, and Theo, and daughter Abigail.
Did Jami Gertz win an Emmy?
She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on Ally McBeal, but did not win.