American comedian, director, screenwriter, and producer, Thomas Peter "Tom" Shadyac has an estimated net worth of $12 million. He is widely known for writing and directing the films Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Nutty Professor, Liar Liar, Bruce Almighty, and I Am. He is an adjunct professor of communication and teaches screenwriting at Pepperdine University's Seaver College. He made a name for himself as a writer/director during graduate school, with his award-winning short film, “Tom, Dick, & Harry”. His first professional job was working as a joke writer for Bob Hope. He would go on to write and/or direct such comedies as “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”, “The Nutty Professor”, “Liar Liar”, “Bruce Almighty”, and “Evan Almighty”. He also produced such films as “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps”, “Accepted”, and “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”. After a severe bike accident, he chose to simplify his life, donating much of his wealth to charity, and selling many of his possessions. He subsequently moved into Paradise Cove, an upscale trailer park, in Malibu. He documented his journey in the film, “I Am”. In the film, Shadyac interviews scientists, religious leaders, environmentalists and philosophers – including Desmond Tutu, Noam Chomsky, Lynne McTaggart, Elisabet Sahtouris, Howard Zinn, and Thom Hartmann. His mother was Lebanese and his father was of half-Irish descent.