Chow Yun-Fat Net Worth - Pulptastic

What Is Chow Yun-fat’s Net Worth?

Chow Yun-fat, a Hong Kong actor, has a net worth of $200 million. He is well-known in Asia for his work with John Woo in films like “A Better Tomorrow,” “Hard Boiled,” and “The Killer,” and in the West for his roles in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”

Chow gained popularity in Hong Kong after his appearance in the 1980 series “The Bund.” With over 110 acting credits to his name, he has appeared in films such as “Hong Kong 1941,” “City on Fire,” “The Replacement Killers,” “Anna and the King,” “Bulletproof Monk,” and “Confucius,” as well as various television series.

Aside from acting, Yun-fat has also worked as a writer on films such as “All About Ah-Long” and “Peace Hotel.” In 2008, he published a book of his photos, which was sold at Louis Vuitton stores with proceeds going towards victims of the Sichuan earthquake.

Early Life and Career

Chow Yun-fat was born on May 18, 1955, on Lamma Island, Hong Kong. His family lived in a farming community without electricity, and Chow helped his mother sell food and worked in the fields. When he was 10, the family moved to Kowloon. Chow dropped out of school at 17 to work various jobs and later attended City University of Hong Kong. He was accepted to TVB as an actor trainee and appeared in several television shows in 1975.

Chow Yun-Fat’s Acting Career

Chow Yun-Fat signed an exclusive acting contract with Goldig Films in the 1970s and made his movie debut in 1976. He starred in several films such as “The Hunter, the Butterfly and the Crocodile,” “Reincarnation,” and “Massage Girls.” However, he aimed to find success in films and achieved it when he starred in 1986’s “A Better Tomorrow.” He reprised the role in two sequels and also appeared in other films such as “City on Fire” and “God of Gamblers.” In the mid-1990s, he moved to Hollywood and starred in several American films such as “The Replacement Killers,” “The Corruptor,” and “Anna and the King.” He later played Li Mu-Bai in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Chow also appeared in “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” and “Confucius.” In recent years, he starred in the “From Vegas to Macau” trilogy and the award-winning film “Project Gutenberg.”

Chow Yun-Fat’s Personal Life and Philanthropy

Chow Yun-Fat married actress Candice Yu in 1983, but they split up nine months later. He then wed Jasmine Tan in 1987, but sadly, they had a stillborn daughter in the early ’90s. He is the godfather of former child model Celine Ng. Despite his extreme wealth, Chow lives modestly and often uses public transportation. He owned the same Nokia phone for 17 years and only upgraded to a smartphone when his Nokia phone stopped working. He spends $800 HKD ($102 USD) each month and plans to leave his entire fortune to charity.

Chow Yun-Fat received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from City University of Hong Kong in 2001 and a Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa from Hong Kong Baptist University in 2021. In a 2018 interview with Jayne Stars, he said, “My dream is to be a happy and normal person. The hardest thing in life is not about how much money you earn, but how to keep a peaceful mindset and live the rest of your life in a simple and carefree manner.”

Chow Yun-Fat’s Awards and Nominations

Chow Yun-Fat has been nominated for numerous awards throughout his career, including 19 Hong Kong Film Awards. He won Best Actor for “A Better Tomorrow” (1987), “City on Fire” (1988), and “All About Ah-Long” (1990). He also received awards for “Hong Kong 1941” at the 1984 Asia-Pacific Film Festival and “Let the Bullets Fly” at the 2011 Asian Film Awards.

Yun-fat earned Golden Horse Film Festival awards for Best Leading Actor for “Hong Kong 1941” (1985) and “An Autumn’s Tale” (1987), and he won a Best Actor award for “Project Gutenberg” at the 2018 Chinese American Film Festival. He has also been nominated for awards from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, Asian Film Critics Association Awards, Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, China Film Director’s Guild Awards, Faro Island Film Festival, Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards, Hundred Flowers Awards, Iron Elephant Film Awards, and Macau International Movie Festival.

In addition to his nominations and wins, Chow was made an Honorary Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 1999. He also received a Career Award from the San Diego Film Critics Society Awards in 1999 and was honored for Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Cinema at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2012.

Chow Yun-Fat’s Hong Kong Home

In 1995, Chow purchased a 5,000 square foot home in Tai Au Mun, Clearwater Bay, Hong Kong for $40 million. He renovated the property but never lived in it. In 2001, he listed the home for sale at $50 million.