“I think that’s cool! I mean, I hope he does okay in school.”
Tyler Perry might be a billionaire, but he’s not his family’s personal bank.
The 55-year-old actor and director, who has an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, according to Forbes, recently opened up about why he decided to stop financially supporting his family members.
And that goes for his aunt, who he once fired, and his son, who works for the things he wants.
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“I don’t believe in giving us things that are just going to handicap us. That is the worst thing you can do,” he said of his family during an appearance on Kirk Franklin’s “Den of Kings” podcast released Jul. 20.
Perry went on to reveal that he used to financially support some family members because his mother asked him to.
But that support ended in 2009 when his mother, Maxine, died at the age of 64.
“When (my mom) passed away in 2009, I sent all of them letters saying, ‘Listen, you got 60 days to become gainfully employed because I’m not going to keep supporting you like this,” he said of his family.
When asked if he was serious, Perry replied: “100%. They all got jobs.”
“And it wasn’t even jobs where they’re making a lot of money, but it was a job,” he said. “It was something else for them to do — to feel some pride in. That’s the same thing I would want somebody to do for me.”
Perry further revealed that he had family members who got mad at him after he wouldn’t give them $1 million.
Perry says he once had to fire his aunt for not wanting to work
The conversation, which also featured Derrick Hayes and Jay "Jeezy" Jenkins, started with Franklin asking the table how they’ve dealt with the tension of figuring out when (and who) to give back.
Perry, without hesitation, opened up about a time when he had to fire his aunt.
"She would always call asking for money. I said, ‘Okay,’ I would send her the money," Perry explained.
"But then I was like, 'Listen, I want to help you. I want to help you build this thing, not be welfare to you. So, let me give you a job,’” he added.
Perry said he fired her because she “wasn’t coming in” and was “calling in all the time.”
“You want me to hand you money, but you don’t want to work for it,” he continued. “See, that doesn’t work for me.”
Perry went on to reveal that he follows a similar structure with his 10-year-old son.
"There are certain things that he wants. He has to do chores and work for it,” he added.
Perry became a father in 2014 when he welcomed his one and only son, Aman Tyler, with his ex-girlfriend Gelila Bekele, according to People.
He has been open in the past about raising his son in a humble environment.
“I have wrestled with I want to give him everything, because I didn't have it," he said in a 2022 interview with Gayle King at the Tribeca Film Festival, per People.
"But I also know how dangerous that is, because I have friends who have wealthy kids,” he added. “These kids, they're just ... They're obnoxious! And I can't raise that either.”
In an appearance on “The Sherri Shepherd Show” in December 2024, Perry revealed that his son doesn’t get to fill out a Christmas list and that they fly coach.
“He was complaining once, this was about five years ago, he was complaining about flying commercial because the lines were so long,” he shared.
Perry clarified that he and Bekele had agreed to not let their son fly on his private plane — and his son has been flying coach ever since.
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“So he understands, I worked, he did not. So when he works, he can learn that lesson,” he said. “He’s not gonna be one of those ridiculously spoiled rich kids, I can’t stand that. He ain’t got no money.”
