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• Stars like Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr., and Scarlett Johansson have brought in billions at the global box office.
• The highest-grossing actors all starred in at least one major franchise.
• See which actor is No. 1 on the list.

The actors who make the most money at the worldwide box office all have one thing in common: longevity.

Actors like Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. have reinvented themselves over the decades, morphing from self-serious actors to major box office draws. Others like Scarlett Johansson and Zoe Saldaña may not have been working quite as long as Cruise and Downey Jr., but have systematically navigated their careers to land leading roles in box-office goliaths.

But whether they’re attached to Marvel hits, doing death-defying stunts on impossible missions, battling dinosaurs, or driving cars fast (furiously), these actors have cracked the code of what audiences want — and they have the box office stats to prove it.

Here are the all-time top 10 highest-grossing actors at the worldwide box office, according to figures from The Numbers.

10. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson — $11.46 billion

Since going Hollywood in the early 2000s after a sensational pro wrestling career at the WWE, Johnson has gradually built up his box office tally. But the ticket sales got as big as his biceps when he joined the “Fast and Furious” franchise with 2011’s “Fast Five.”

Along with helping “Fast” entries like 2015’s “Furious 7” and 2017’s “The Fate of the Furious” each earn over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, he’s also scored other big hits like the “Moana” and “Jumanji” franchises.

9. Chris Evans — $11.48 billion

As Captain America, Evans is attached to some of the biggest box office earners of all time, including 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” which is the second-highest-grossing movie of all time at the worldwide box office with over $2.7 billion.

Since then, he’s shown up in box office hits like “Free Guy” (just a quick cameo, but it still counts) and 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

Expect him to rise up this list with him reprising his role as Captain America in “Avengers: Doomsday” coming out at the end of the year.

8. Vin Diesel — $12 billion

As the star in all 10 movies in the “Fast” franchise, Vin Diesel is a major part of its over $7 billion take.

Diesel has also scored big as the voice of Groot in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise.

7. Chris Hemsworth — $12.2 billion

As the face of the Thor franchise, Hemsworth has helped it earn close to $3 billion at the worldwide box office. As a member of “The Avengers” franchise, he’s also been a part of the close to $8 billion those movies have grossed.

Most recently, he starred in the hit “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” He will also be “Avengers: Doomsday.”

6. Tom Cruise — $12.7 billion

Regarded as one of the last true movie stars, Cruise was topping box office charts long before most on this list had their first screen credit.

Now in his 60s, Cruise is proving he’s still got it as the latest (and perhaps final) “Mission: Impossible” movie, “The Final Reckoning,” is going strong in theaters, earning half a billion dollars worldwide. That adds to its already impressive tally of close to $5 billion for the eight-movie franchise.

There’s also talk of a third “Top Gun” movie after the franchise was revived in 2020 with “Top Gun: Maverick,” which brought in $1.4 billion.

5. Chris Pratt — $14.1 billion

Who knew the jokester from “Parks and Recreation” would become such a huge box office draw?

From playing Star-Lord in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies (and several other Marvel releases), a lovable Lego figure in the “The Lego Movie” franchise, the hero in the “Jurassic World” movies, and the voice of Mario in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” Pratt’s hard work has paid off.

4. Robert Downey Jr. — $14.3 billion

Believe it or not, there was a time when Hollywood wanted nothing to do with Robert Downey Jr.

In the early 2000s, Downey Jr.’s years of drug use and brushes with the law caught up with him. After spending a year at a court-ordered drug-treatment facility, he was broke and virtually unhireable.

Then he got the offer that led to his comeback: the titular role in 2008’s “Iron Man.”

With that, Downey Jr. became the face of the lucrative Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has grossed over $31 billion worldwide to date.

After ending his run as Iron Man with 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” the second-highest-grossing movie of all time, he’s returning to the MCU as the villain Doctor Doom in “Avengers: Doomsday.”

3. Samuel L. Jackson — $14.6 billion

If there has ever been a blueprint for success in the modern-day movie business, it would be Sam Jackson’s filmography.

From “Star Wars” to the MCU to Pixar’s hit “The Incredibles,” the actor has been a staple of box-office sensations for decades — and let’s not forget all the memorable roles he’s played in movies from Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino.

This is why he was No. 1 on this list for so many years.

2. Scarlett Johansson — $15.4 billion

Since showing up as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in 2010’s “Iron Man 2,” Johansson has upped her box office game.

Along with being a fixture in the MCU as a member of The Avengers, she also found big box office dollars starring in movies like “The Jungle Book” and “Sing.”

As the face of the latest hit movie in the “Jurassic Park” franchise, “Jurassic World Rebirth,” which took in close to $870 million at the worldwide box office, Johansson was tops on this list.

But there’s a new leader…

1. Zoe Saldaña — $15.47 billion

This recent Oscar winner has been on a box office hot streak for years.

Between playing Uhura in the “Star Trek” franchise, Gamora in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies, and Neytiri in the epic “Avatar” films, Saldaña’s role choices have been impeccable.

Returning as Neytiri in James Cameron‘s 2025 hit “Avatar: Fire & Ash,” which has scored over $1 billion at the global box office, has placed her as the current highest-grossing actor.

• “The Diary of a CEO” host Steven Bartlett uses a hiring test that prioritizes behavior over skills.
• He says most people fail to nail one key question he thinks is a big determinant of success.
• His scenario-based test seeks to identify high performers by challenging traditional thinking.

“The Diary of a CEO” host and entrepreneur Steven Bartlett swears by his scenario-based “Culture Test” in hiring, and says there’s one question he loves, but that’s rarely answered correctly.

Speaking on the “Hot Smart Rich” podcast, Bartlett said he uses a 35-question test rather than asking about academic grades to determine how people will act in a given situation and identify high-performing employees.

The question he loves goes like this: There’s an event that’s six weeks away, and an important supplier said they won’t be able to get you the things you need in time. The options are: scale back the event, push back the date, or — the answer Bartlett is looking for — ask why it takes six weeks.

“It’s so crazy, because about 7% of people click that button, but that is so clearly the right thing to do,” he said.

Bartlett said the concept came up in his own company when an employee said he couldn’t provide the animation for “DOAC” by Bartlett’s deadline. When the employee was asked why, he cited his aging laptop.

“$2,000 fixed the problem that’s now going to save me 60% of my time for years,” Bartlett said.

Bartlett’s point is that most people fall back on artificial constraints and traditions that keep them from pushing back. He cited innovators like fast-fashion company Zara and Bernard Sadow, a pioneer of the rolling suitcase, who challenged those conventions.

Bartlett said that, as a result, he prioritizes hiring and has developed a Culture Test, which he turned into a company by the same name.

He added on the podcast that he had spent “50% of my month on hiring.”

Bartlett’s flagship show, which often ranks at the top of Apple’s business podcasts chart, is part of his holding company, Steven.com, which he recently said raised an eight-figure investment. It encompasses businesses like Flight Story, a media and investment company that’s expanded into a network of other shows.

Bartlett presented another Culture Test scenario on the podcast: Consider what you might do if your biggest client called on Christmas Eve, saying they were logged out of their account. Would you reply immediately, wait until the holidays are over, or send a rude response reminding them it’s Christmas? He said that how people react represents the company culture.

Adding some heft to Bartlett’s view, research has shown that hiring people for culture fit can lead to higher performance and lower turnover.

There are potential pitfalls in prioritizing culture fit, however. Critics argue that it can lead employers to hire people who look like or share the same characteristics as existing staff, potentially at the expense of diversity. Research has shown that diverse teams outperform more homogeneous ones.

• Dell has told its employees to expect a companywide systems overhaul in May.
• Top exec Jeff Clarke told workers it would be the “biggest transformation” in its 42-year history.
• Read Clarke’s full memo to Dell employees telling them what will be changing at the company.

If you work at Dell, get ready for big changes in 2026.

The company is planning to roll out standardized processes across its operations and launch a single enterprise platform on May 3, Jeff Clarke, Dell’s chief operating officer and vice chairman, said in a memo sent to the workforce on Tuesday, and seen by Business Insider.

In the memo, Clarke said the changes constitute the “biggest transformation in company history.”

The modernization push, which the company has called One Dell Way, will “connect our data, break down silos, streamline our software applications and give us the foundation to work as one connected company,” said Clarke.

It will replace Dell’s existing sprawl of applications, servers, and databases, and deliver “seamless data flow, fewer repetitive tasks, faster decision-making and more time for work that drives real impact,” Clarke said.

The vice chairman, who has recently taken a more active role in Dell’s day-to-day operations, said that the changes are a key enabler of Dell’s modernization.

For years, the company has built multiple variations of tools used for fundamental processes, such as developing and selling, Clarke said in the memo.

“That won’t cut it in an AI-driven world. We need one way —simplified, standardized, and automated — so we can be more competitive and serve our customers better,” Clarke said.

Simplifying the underlying infrastructure is a crucial part of unlocking AI’s future potential: no matter how much companies spend on flashy AI tools, they won’t deliver speed or scale if the data behind them remains fragmented.

One Dell Way is “foundational to our success in an AI-driven world,” Clarke said.

A company spokesperson told Business Insider that “One Dell Way is a transformation initiative designed to simplify processes, standardize systems, and use automation to create a more connected and efficient organization.”

‘Be ready’

Rather than a gradual transition, the new operating system will kick in on a single crossover date, May 3, for Dell’s PC business — known as the CSG division — as well as for finance, supply chain, marketing, sales, revenue operations, services, and HR operations, according to Clarke’s memo.

Dell’s ISG division, which handles its cloud offering, data servers, and other AI infrastructure, will follow in August, Clarke said.

The vice chairman told employees to “be ready” for the change.

“Training is critical,” and should be a priority once training opens on February 3, Clarke said.

Business Insider previously reported that Dell has been running a secretive, multi-year internal project, codenamed “Maverick,” for which staff had signed NDAs to work on. It was initially scheduled to launch for parts of the company in February 2026, but was pushed back to May.

Dell’s current modernization drive comes 42 years after Michael Dell founded the company as a freshman at the University of Texas.

Dell has since expanded into AI and cloud infrastructure, gone private, and then returned to public markets, and pulled off the second-largest tech merger ever with its $67 billion purchase of EMC in 2016 — but, as Clarke said in the memo, the coming changes are Dell’s biggest shake-up yet.

Read Clarke’s full memo to Dell employees here:

Team,

Our industry is moving faster than ever, and we’ve spent the past two years modernizing how Dell works so we can move even faster—simplifying and standardizing processes, eliminating inefficiencies and improving our tools and applications. That’s <One Dell Way>.

Now we’re taking the next major step in this journey: rolling out standardized processes and an enterprise platform that will connect our data, break down silos, streamline our software applications and give us the foundation to work as one connected company.

We’ll begin operating in this new way on May 3, starting with CSG, Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, Sales, RevOps, Services and HR operations. ISG follows in August.

For years, our strong functional orientation meant we built many variations of fundamental processes—multiple ways to develop, multiple ways to market, multiple ways to sell, multiple ways to service.

That won’t cut it in an AI-driven world. We need one way—simplified, standardized and automated—so we can be more competitive and serve our customers better.

This requires a mindset shift, from thinking and operating function-first to company-first. In some cases, that may mean we may make a choice that isn’t optimal for a particular function, but it speeds up decision-making or improves quality for the company as a whole. That’s the trade-off, and it’s the right one. We’re optimizing for Dell, not for individual functions.

What’s Changing

Standardized processes and an enterprise platform mean no more workarounds, no holding onto old ways of working. Instead, we get seamless data flow, fewer repetitive tasks, faster decision-making and more time for work that drives real impact.

This is a comprehensive change, not a gradual transition. Once we start operating in the new way on May 3, we won’t go back.

The degree of change will vary by team and role. Some of you will experience significant shifts in how you work day-to-day. For others, the changes will be minimal. But all of us need to understand what’s happening and support each other through it.

If your work spans both CSG and ISG, you’ll navigate the new processes and applications for CSG, and legacy systems for ISG until August. You’ll learn more in training.

What This Takes

Learning new systems and new ways of working isn’t easy, especially when you’re already moving fast. Here’s my ask of you:

• Stay curious and open-minded as you learn new ways of working.
• Disrupt yourself. Break free from the old way of doing things.
• Embrace standardization. It makes us faster and better.
• Operate with a sense of urgency. Speed matters more than ever in the AI era.

Be Ready

Training is critical. You can’t operate in the new system without it, no exceptions. Training opens February 3, and you’ll get an email that day with your personalized information. Please make it a priority.

This is the biggest transformation in company history. I know there will be challenges, and that’s OK—we’re here to support you and work through this together. Your leader will keep you updated as we move through training and launch.

This is foundational to our success in an AI-driven world, and One Dell Way is how we get there—working as one company, with one set of processes, focused on what matters most.

Let’s lean in, learn as we go and build a better company together.

Jeff

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• Chair Jerome Powell released a rare video after he said the Fed had received grand jury subpoenas.
• The video format made his message more visceral, a communications professor said.
• Powell’s selective response showed he’s willing to make a stand on significant topics.

Jerome Powell broke his silence on Sunday — this time on camera.

In a rare move, the Federal Reserve Chair released a video message after he said the central bank had received grand jury subpoenas that could lead to a criminal indictment.

Powell said the subpoenas related to his June testimony about renovation projects at the Fed’s offices, and Trump’s administration used the move as pressure to lower interest rates.

Former Fed chairs and several business leaders have responded critically to the news, and Trump has denied knowledge of the DOJ investigation. For Powell, who rarely reacts to Trump, the public response — and the video format itself — sent a signal.

Powell has typically avoided responding publicly to Trump’s attacks, reinforcing the image of the Fed’s independence. Opting to make a video statement was a way to project calm, while signaling the stakes of the situation, said communications and leadership experts.

Here are three reasons Powell’s video was a power move:

Videos are easier to share

In the roughly two-minute-long video, Powell emphasized what he said was driving the DOJ probe.

“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions, or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” Powell said.

His message has already amassed more than 875,000 views on YouTube in under 24 hours. In an age of social media virality, the video format allows him to control the narrative with no intermediary. It also lets him keep up with Trump, who is especially active on social media.

Powell was smart to opt for a video instead of a written statement, in part because news and social media are increasingly visually oriented, Matthew Lombard, chair of the Department of Media Studies and Production at Temple University, said in an email to Business Insider. Journalists and commentators are more likely to use material that comes with images and video, he said.

“Video, especially when the person directly addresses the camera as he did, is more likely to evoke a sense of presence,” Lombard said. That makes it more likely the message will land, he said.

It delivers a “visceral, ‘he’s talking to me’ perception,” Lombard said.

Chelsea Butkowski, an assistant professor of communication at American University, told Business Insider that Powell’s decision to release a short video made it more likely to be shared on platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok.

It showcased his measured communication style

Powell’s steady eye contact and a consistent tone of voice will likely help capture viewers’ attention and also underscore his authority, said Butkowski.

While he makes a firm statement, he keeps it short and to the point. Powell’s delivery communicates his independence and measured demeanor in a time of chaos.

“He’s really projecting a sense of stability; a sense of strength here,” she said.

It shows the gravity of the situation

Given that Powell has built a reputation for not responding to Trump’s insults, his selective responsiveness sends a message that this is a significant issue for him.

Where he filmed the video also matters, says Butkowski. She said that Powell’s decision to record the video before a blue curtain with the US flag in the background was likely designed to evoke tradition, while reaching the public in a modern, direct way.

By choosing to publish a video, Powell also made his message more personal. He showed viewers that he’s confident, calm, and not intimidated by Trump’s threats, she said.

“He’s essentially saying, ‘I’m establishment. I’ve been here through various administrations, and this one is not going to change the way that I communicate,'” Butkowski said.

• Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a new “top-level” initiative called Meta Compute.
• Zuckerberg said Meta aims to build “hundreds of gigawatts or more” of capacity over time.
• Meta executives Santosh Janardhan and Daniel Gross will lead the effort.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Monday that the company is launching a new “top-level” initiative called Meta Compute, as it pours more money into the data centers and infrastructure powering its AI push.

Zuckerberg said Meta plans to build “tens of gigawatts” of capacity this decade and “hundreds of gigawatts or more” over time.

“How we engineer, invest, and partner to build this infrastructure will become a strategic advantage,” Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post.

The move signals that Zuckerberg views AI infrastructure as a key competitive advantage and is placing it under a dedicated unit that reports directly to him. Meta has said it plans to invest $600 billion in US infrastructure and jobs, including AI data centers, by 2028.

The Department of Energy provides a few handy comparisons for the amount of power in one gigawatt: It’s roughly half the output of the Hoover Dam, or the power of 2,627 Tesla Model 3s. Famously, the DeLorean, the iconic time machine in “Back To The Future Part II,” needed 1.21 gigawatts to travel through time.

Santosh Janardhan, the company’s head of infrastructure, and Daniel Gross, who joined Meta last year from AI startup Safe Superintelligence, will lead the new Meta Compute initiative.

The two executives will work closely with Dina Powell McCormick, Meta’s newly appointed president and vice chairperson, who will focus on partnering with governments and sovereign entities to help build and finance infrastructure. Powell McCormick is a former deputy national security advisor to President Donald Trump and spent 16 years at Goldman Sachs.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

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• Dr. Reg Haid, a neurosurgeon, owns two Svalinn protection dogs.
• He spent $75,000 on his first and paid extra for the pick of the litter for his second.
• He says the dogs are very emotionally intelligent, which creates deep bonds.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr. Reg Haid. It has been edited for length and clarity.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, my wife, Mary Ellen, and I were without a dog. That was unusual for us: Mary Ellen grew up with German Shepherds. I’d always had sporting dogs — labs and spaniels that could hunt with me. My last dog was a 25-pound Boykin Spaniel who was beautiful, but not very smart.

We have a property in Montana, so we had heard of Svalinn, a high-end protection dog breeder, and were accustomed to seeing the dogs around. One day, Mary Ellen suggested we go take a look at Svalinn. I told her, “I’m not getting one of those dogs.”

As a doctor, I’ve stitched up kids with dog bites. In the military, I saw how fearsome dogs can be. I didn’t want an aggressive dog. Yet, I went along to the Svalinn ranch because Mary Ellen asked me to.

When we got there, one of the dogs came up, kissed me, and put his head in my lap. That’s when I started to change my mind.

I don’t spend on cars or clothes, but the dogs are worth their price

We left, but I couldn’t get that dog out of my head. felt he had real intellect, which gave him the ability to connect with me emotionally. I needed him, especially during the lonely days of the pandemic.

Mary Ellen and I spent $75,000 on that dog, Elias, who is now 8. The Svalinn team brought him to our cabin for Christmas, and he was loving, gentle, and playful with our children and grandchildren. He immediately became part of the family. I was so smitten that I paid extra — $125,000, at the time — to get the pick of the next litter. Our second Svalinn dog, Rooster, is 4.

I’m embarrassed to say how much I spent on the dogs. I grew up very poor, on a West Virginia farm with no plumbing or heat. I couldn’t fathom spending six figures on a dog. However, I’ve been very fortunate in life to have achieved financial success, first as a neurosurgeon and now as a consultant to a medical device manufacturer. I have the financial means, and the value propositions of these dogs are just amazing. I drive a Ford truck and don’t spend money on fancy clothes, but I’m glad I spend it on my dogs.

The dogs offer protection, especially for my wife

As a man, I don’t worry much about my safety. The one time I’ve felt protected by my dogs was during one of our frequent hikes in Montana. They started acting alert. I didn’t wait to find out what was going on — I just got out of there.

Mary Ellen really appreciates having the dogs as deterrents and protection. I travel for work, and she never worries about being home alone with Elias and Rooster sleeping in our room. I’ve noticed that if something startles Mary Ellen, the dogs become very attentive and engaged.

When Elias was delivered, Mary Ellen and I did two days of work with Svalinn trainers, where we learned how to handle him. I work with them daily to keep them up to date with their commands, and we return to the Svalinn ranch at least once a year to work with their trainers. It’s an awesome couple of hours learning together. These dogs don’t just require a financial investment; they also require an emotional and time investment.

It’s hard to explain how special these dogs are

As an equestrian, there’s a feeling when you’re riding a really intelligent horse that’s transcendent. That’s the closest I can come to describing the value of Svalinn dogs. Quite frankly, there’s an emotional connection that I didn’t anticipate. I never knew I could love a dog so much.

If I had read this five years ago, I would have thought, “This guy’s crazy.” I know how it sounds, but Elias and Rooster are just different. They have all of the benefits of having a dog with none of the inconvenience: no barking or misbehavior. The intellect and emotional intelligence they have are worth every penny.