HK action star Donnie Yen once only had RM56 in bank account due to bad investments
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 — In life, there are ups and downs and one who has gone through this is martial arts star Donnie Yen.
The 59-year-old may now have a net worth of US$40mil (RM174.6mil) but at one point in his life, he only had HK$100 (RM56) in his bank account due to a failed investment.
He even had to rely on meals provided at movie sets to survive.
Speaking at the 2022 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area International Film Marketing Certificate course, Yen revealed that the failed investment was related to movies, Asia One reported.
“At that time, I only had HK$100 in my bank account, which dealt a big blow to me. I couldn’t make any money and I was so frustrated. I asked myself if I had entered the wrong business and considered quitting.”
“Fortunately, I didn’t leave the industry and persisted in pursuing my dreams,” he said, adding that the right opportunities came eventually.
Learning from experience, Yen said funding for the films he produces now comes from investors and not him.
According to the portal, Yen’s production company Bullet Films produced two films, Legend of the Wolf (1997) and Ballistic Kiss (1998).
Both films, however, performed badly at the box office, reportedly to the tune of HK$800,000 (RM452,768) each despite being directed by and starring Yen himself.
He later managed to bounce back, choreographing fights for iconic martial arts films both in Hong Kong and abroad.
He took the title role of Ip Man in 2008 and his star had been shining bright since then.
