What Is Oscar-Winning Filmmaker and 'Life of Pi' Director Ang Lee's Net Worth?

Ang Lee is best known for hit films like “Brokeback Mountain”, and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.

PUBLISHED NOV 16, 2023

Ang Lee attends Paramount Pictures' premiere of "Gemini Man" | Getty Images | Photo by Rodin Eckenroth

Name	Ang Lee
Net worth	$20 million
Salary	N/A
Annual income	N/A
Sources of income	Filmmaking
DOB	October 23, 1954
Age	69 years
Gender	Male
Nationality	Taiwan
Profession	Filmmaker

What is Ang Lee's Net Worth?

Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee has an estimated net worth of $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Lee is one of the most celebrated filmmakers in Hollywood. With multiple Academy Awards under his name, Lee is best known for directing globally hit films like “Life of Pi”, “Brokeback Mountain”, and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.

Ang Lee attends the UK premiere of 'Life Of Pi' | Getty Images | Photo by Dave J Hogan

Sources of Income

Career in Filmmaking

Lee began his career with the critically acclaimed films “Pushing Hands” and “The Wedding Banquet”. He had submitted the two screenplays to a competition sponsored by the Government Information Office of Taiwan and bagged first and second place, respectively.

After the competition, with studio manager Hsu Li-kong, Lee directed "Pushing Hands," which released in 1991. The film was a major critical success across the globe. Lee then followed it up with "The Wedding Banquet," which came out in 1993. The Lee directorial earned critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

He then directed “Eat Drink Man Woman”, which released in 1994 and earned him a second consecutive Best Foreign Language Film nomination. Lee’s breakthrough in Hollywood came in 1995 with the film "Sense and Sensibility." Written by and starring Emma Thompson, the film went on to win seven Academy Award nominations, including one for Thompson's screenplay.

Lee then adapted two novels into films, including the drama "The Ice Storm," released in 1997, and the revisionist Western "Ride with the Devil," in 1999. His next film, the Chinese-language wuxia drama "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," became one of his most acclaimed films. The film grossed over $213 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing foreign film ever in the United States. The film received 10 Academy Award nominations, the most in history for a film not in the English language. It ultimately won four Academy Awards.

Lee’s next success came with the gay romantic drama "Brokeback Mountain," which starred Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. Based on Annie Proulx's short story, the film was a critical and commercial success. It went on to win Lee his first Academy Award for Best Director. His next career milestone was marked by the fantasy adventure drama "Life of Pi," based on the eponymous novel by Yann Martel. The film won 11 Academy Award nominations and won four awards, including Lee's second for Best Director. "Life of Pi" also grossed over $609 million worldwide, as per Celebrity Net Worth.

Personal Life

Lee has been married to microbiologist Jane Lin since 1983. The two reportedly met when they were students at the University of Illinois. They have two sons and the family stays in Larchmont in Westchester County, New York.