In the age of so-called “nepo-babies”, it’s not often that you hear of wealthy celebrities endorsing “sink-or-swim” parenting. Frankly, most people hope that their earnings will be large enough to pass down to future generations. But, Jackie Chan and his wife, Joan Lin, have different plans for their $400 million net worth.
Even though Lin and Chan have only one child—their son, Jaycee Chan, 40—they have been outspoken about the fact that Jaycee will not receive a penny upon their passing. Chan made this decision public in 2011, saying, “If he is capable, he can make his own money. If he is not, then he will just be wasting my money.”
That same year, he told The Hollywood Reporter, “The worst thing would be to ask others to give but not give yourself. My goal is to have a $0 in my bank account the day I die. I get very happy when I think about that, no more worries. I buy the things I like, I give money to charity, and then I try to make more money. I’ll be frank with you: It’s not difficult for me to make money. If it’s easy, why shouldn’t I give it away?”
Jaycee Chan is a singer, actor, and director, with a net worth of around $4 million. In 2014, Chan was arrested in China on marijuana possession charges. Jackie Chan is a “Narcotics Control Ambassador” with the Chinese police, and apologized for his son’s behavior in a publicly posted video, saying,
“I hope young people will take a lesson from Zuming (Jaycee) and stay away from drugs. I failed to be a good father and I deserve the blame. I will take the responsibility and apologize to [the] public on behalf of Jaycee.”
Jaycee Chan spent six months in prison. His directorial debut was in 2021, directing a film that his father played a cameo in. In his book, Jackie Chan wrote a message for his son, “You have me as a dad, but other people don’t. They have to fight their own battles. When you get to sit in first class, because of your own hard work, then that’s success.”
Sources:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/jackie-chan-raises-33-million-174410/
https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/jackie-chan-son-400-million-fortune-935507-20230126
https://www.ibtimes.com/heres-why-jackie-chan-wont-leave-his-400-million-fortune-his-son-3286635
