{"id":1687,"date":"2026-04-08T19:41:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T19:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/?p=1687"},"modified":"2026-04-08T19:41:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T19:41:11","slug":"jami-gertz-left-hollywood-and-became-a-billionaire-baller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/?p=1687","title":{"rendered":"Jami Gertz left Hollywood and became a billionaire baller"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1688\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f2.jpg 512w, https:\/\/usvibee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f2-240x300.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>ami Gertz\u2019s rise began in Glenview, Illinois, where she grew up in a close, supportive Jewish family. Her parents\u2019 steady influence grounded her as she entered Hollywood, first appearing in\u00a0<em>Square Pegs<\/em>\u00a0before becoming an \u201980s icon through roles in\u00a0<em>The Lost Boys<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Less Than Zero<\/em>. Even at the height of her fame, her father stayed close, flying with her to Los Angeles to make sure she remained connected to her roots.        <div class=\"rmwr-wrapper\" \n             data-id=\"rmwr-69d6e6cb4a75f\"\n             data-mode=\"normal\"\n             data-animation=\"fade\"\n             data-duration=\"300\"\n             data-smooth-scroll=\"true\"\n             data-scroll-offset=\"0\">\n            <button \n                type=\"button\"\n                class=\"read-link\" \n                id=\"readlinkrmwr-69d6e6cb4a75f\"\n                data-open-text=\"Read More\"\n                data-close-text=\"Read Less\"\n                aria-expanded=\"false\"\n                aria-controls=\"readrmwr-69d6e6cb4a75f\"\n                aria-label=\"Read More\"\n            >\n                <span class=\"rmwr-text\">Read More<\/span>\n            <\/button>\n            <div \n                class=\"read_div\" \n                id=\"readrmwr-69d6e6cb4a75f\"\n                aria-hidden=\"true\"\n                data-animation=\"fade\"\n                data-duration=\"300\"\n                style=\"display: none;\"\n            >\n                <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite her growing success, Gertz never seemed fully consumed by celebrity life. She built a reputation as a charismatic, hardworking actress who understood the pressures of stardom but never let them define her. Her grounded upbringing became a guiding force during a decade when many young stars struggled under the weight of sudden fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The turning point in her life came not through Hollywood, but through an unexpected love story. She met young financier Tony Ressler at a time when she was the higher earner and the more recognizable name. She paid for their early vacations and even their first house, choosing him for stability and connection rather than status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their partnership soon grew into something far larger. Ressler co-founded Ares Management, which became one of the most influential investment firms in the country. Gertz, alongside him, shifted into a quieter but powerful role behind the scenes, supporting the business as their family expanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Years later, the couple stepped into the public eye again\u2014this time in the world of sports. As principal owners of the Atlanta Hawks, they emerged as respected figures in the NBA, known for their commitment to community and team culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gertz\u2019s courtside presence sparked curiosity, but her influence extended far beyond game nights. Through the Gertz-Ressler Foundation, the couple donated millions to hospitals, schools, museums, and cancer research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her philanthropic work became one of the defining chapters of her adult life. What began as small contributions grew into major initiatives that helped reshape numerous organizations and programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, Gertz\u2019s legacy reaches far beyond her \u201980s stardom. She reinvented herself as a business leader, philanthropist, and partner in one of the most successful financial and sports empires in the country\u2014proof that her greatest achievements came long after the credits rolled.            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ami Gertz\u2019s rise began in Glenview, Illinois, where she grew up in a close, supportive Jewish family. Her parents\u2019 steady influence grounded her as she entered Hollywood, first appearing in\u00a0Square&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"views":61,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1687"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1687\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1689,"href":"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1687\/revisions\/1689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usvibee.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}