Sir Peter Jackson is a New Zealand film director and producer best known for his fantasy epics, the "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies, which have grossed $6 billion worldwide.

Jackson became a billionaire in 2021, following the sale of a chunk of his visual effects firm, Weta Digital, to Unity Software for $1.6 billion in cash and stock.

• Core Business: Film director and producer; Weta Digital (film effects shop).
• Key Works: "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies, grossing $6 billion worldwide.
• Major Sale: Sold a chunk of Weta Digital to Unity Software for $1.6 billion in 2021.

Peter Jackson's career is defined by his visionary storytelling and his ownership of the technology behind his films. For the "Lord of the Rings" films (2001-2003), he made $10 million up front for each film, plus at least another 10% of profits from box office receipts. His earnings for "The Hobbit" movies were likely $20 million per film with a 20% backend.

His effects company, Weta Digital, was instrumental in cinematic history, notably using motion capture of actor Andy Serkis to create the iconic on-screen visualization of the character Gollum. The sale of the effects shop cemented his immense personal fortune.