Before cementing himself as one of the richest movie stars of our time, with his fortune currently standing at a whopping $400 million, Jackie Chan had to overcome a plethora of challenges along the way. Coming from very humble beginnings, climbing the ladder of success was a challenging task for the global icon, as even before he started his journey, he was almost sold to a British doctor.
Considering his parents were political refugees from the Chinese civil war, even before Chan was born, they were struggling to make ends meet and even considered selling Chan to pay bills.
Jackie Chan’s father almost sold his son to pay medical bills
Jackie Chan claimed that he has spent a total of 12 months in his mother’s womb, and has insisted it’s true, even though having a pregnancy that would go over more than 10-11 months is highly unlikely. However, it isn’t the most shocking part, as the actor claimed that his father considered selling Chan as a child to a British doctor. Considering his parents were struggling to keep paying the medical bills, his father did consider the option of selling Chan, which was eventually dropped after his friends convinced his father by landing him a loan. Chan explained,
“Because we was so poor when my parents cannot afford to pay the money. He want to sell (Jackie Chan) to the British doctor for 250 dollars. And as soon as my father want to sell me, somehow my friends ‘No No No you’re the only child and you keep it’. But my father was lucky to keep me.”
But despite facing numerous challenges growing up and getting enrolled in a boarding school at the age of 7, which contributed to his strict lifestyle, Chan has cemented himself as one of the biggest names in showbiz.
Jackie Chan explained why he’d not leave anything behind for his kids
Despite being one of the biggest movie stars of our time, Jackie Chan has been outspoken about not leaving his riches for his family and kids. The Rush Hour star explained his reasoning by stating that giving away his wealth to the ones in need put a smile on his face, and he is adamant about giving 100% of his wealth to charitable causes. He further explained that if his son is capable, he will make it big on his own, otherwise, “he will just be wasting my money.”
The actor’s ascend to the top hasn’t been hampered despite taking a hiatus from performing death-defying stunts on a regular, as in the pandemic alone, he added a whopping $40 million to his fortune.
Source: Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
