The answer may surprise you: it’s not J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of the Lord of the Rings books. In fact, Tolkien made very little money from the sale of the movie rights to his work. The real money-maker from the Lord of the Rings movies is Peter Jackson, the director, producer, and co-writer of the film trilogy.
Jackson’s share of the profits from the Lord of the Rings movies is estimated to be around $150 million. That’s a lot of money, but it’s not the only money that Jackson has made from the Lord of the Rings franchise. He also made a reported $20 million from the sale of the rights to the Hobbit movies.
So, while J.R.R. Tolkien may not have made the most money from the Lord of the Rings, it’s safe to say that Peter Jackson has made a pretty penny from the franchise.