Sidney Poitier's Career Left The Actor With A Massive Net Worth At His Death

Audiences are reeling after the news that legendary Hollywood star Sidney Poitier has passed away at the age of 94. Poitier was the first Black man to win Best Actor at the Oscars in 1964, for his performance as Homer Smith in "Lilies of the Field." The film follows Smith as he builds a chapel in the Arizona desert for a group of German, Hungarian, and Austrian nuns. He's also best known for his roles in "A Patch of Blue" and "In the Heat of the Night" — the latter is the classic mystery drama where Poitier says his most iconic line: "They call me Mister Tibbs."

Many of his films addressed racism and segregation head on, and he's considered a trailblazer of the time. "Fear the Walking Dead," "Candyman," and "Euphoria" star Colman Domingo honored the Bahamian-American actor on Twitter, writing, "I am because of him. He blazed a tremendous path for thespians such as me. I am forever grateful. Standing O for this giant."

Sidney Poitier's career also led him to the director's chair, where he directed a number of comedies like "Stir Crazy," "Hanky Panky," and "Ghost Dad" — before he returned to acting in 1988 with "Shoot to Kill" and "Little Nikita" (via IMDb). All this is to say that Poitier has left an incredible legacy behind him. But his impressive career also left the actor with a massive net worth at his death.

Obviously, Sidney Poitier's lengthy career has much more cultural significance than how much he earned for his work — but his net worth is pretty impressive. Since he was one of the last surviving actors of the Golden Age of Hollywood, it's understandable that he hasn't starred in any major fiction projects since 1997's "The Jackal" and 2001's "The Last Brickmaker in America" (via IMDb). However, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com, Sidney Poitier was worth $20 million at the time of his death.

Most audiences aren't going to remember Sidney Poitier for his net worth — instead, he'll be remembered for the cultural impact he had in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as his performances as Virgil Tibbs in "In the Heat of the Night," "They Call Me Mister Tibbs!," and "The Organization." Poitier paved the way for an entire generation of actors, and he'll be missed by many.