Squid Game earns nearly 1 billion USD, director suffers loss, richest person in film revealed

Hwang Dong-hyuk, director of the hit film Squid Game, did not receive any worthy financial rewards despite his work bringing in huge revenue, estimated at nearly 900 million USD for Netflix.

And this is also a typical case of creators being disadvantaged in the context of the explosion of online film distribution platforms, especially when intellectual property rights are not guaranteed.

According to a Los Angeles Times article, Hwang "lost all intellectual property rights and received no residual income from the film's outtakes." The original deal Netflix signed with Hwang only covered production costs and a contractual fee, and did not include any bonuses despite Squid Game becoming a global phenomenon.

In an October 2021 interview with The Guardian, when asked if he was as rich as the show's winner - who received $38 million after a grueling survival game - Hwang replied sourly: "I'm not that rich. But I still have enough to eat. Netflix paid me according to the original contract, and there were no bonuses."

There are also some X users who shared that this director even lost 8 teeth during the production of Squid Game.

This is remarkable considering the huge gap between the amount Netflix invested and the value they got from Squid Game. According to internal Netflix documents, the first season of the series cost only about $2.4 million per episode to produce, but was worth an estimated $900 million to the platform.

Hwang's situation is not just a personal story, but also reflects a larger problem in the creative industry: content creators often do not benefit from the overwhelming success of their work, especially as streaming platforms tend to minimize costs and limit profit sharing.

But looking back at the actual story, one thing that is clear is that Hwang Dong-hyuk sold the rights to Squid Game for a one-time payment, which is common in the entertainment industry. He had struggled for more than a decade to find a production opportunity, facing countless rejections. When Netflix agreed to produce, Hwang was paid according to a contract that had been agreed upon before the film became a hit. Unfortunately, that contract did not include a profit-sharing clause.

As you can see, without credit to season 2, Squid Game season 2, became one of Netflix's biggest shows, breaking records just days after its release.

Following the success of season 1, the sequel continues to record the tragic fate of 455 people participating in survival games on a remote island. Off screen, many actors own incredible fortunes. Among them, Lee Byung Hun is said to be the richest.

Accordingly, player number 001 and the mysterious Frontman added drama to Squid Game 2. Lee Byung Hun, the richest member of the cast, has a net worth of 20 million USD as of 2023 (South China Morning Post).

Entering the Korean film industry in 1991, Lee has amassed a significant fortune from films and television shows, and has also reached international fame through Hollywood hits such as GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra, GI Joe: Retaliation, and Terminator Genisys.

As one of the most popular actors in Korea, Lee has leveraged his fame to land major endorsement deals with top brands such as Prada, Sony, Paradise Casino, and GlassTV. Lee is also a savvy investor, owning 100% of Project B, a real estate consulting and leasing company that generates significant profits.

Lee's assets also include $16 million worth of real estate in Seoul and a $2 million home near Universal Studios, Los Angeles.

In addition, Lee owns the management company BH Entertainment, which manages many famous actors in Korea, and operates the retail store BHNC - a very popular brand in Korea.

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