S teven Spielberg is one of the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful, and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. His career, which has spanned over six decades, has produced a remarkable string of blockbuster hits and beloved classics that have defined generations of movie-going. He rose to fame in the 1970s with the thriller "Jaws," which is often credited as the first summer blockbuster, and followed it up with hits like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial."

His body of work is incredibly diverse, ranging from iconic adventure films like the "Indiana Jones" series and "Jurassic Park" to serious, award-winning historical dramas such as "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan," for which he won two Academy Awards for Best Director. In 1994, he co-founded the film studio DreamWorks SKG with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. His vast fortune is derived from his long and incredibly profitable career as a director and producer, where he has often negotiated deals that give him a significant share of a film's profits.