Meet reclusive Marvel billionaire Ike Perlmutter, who is close with Trump, wrestled control of the comic-book maker from Carl Icahn, and reportedly wore a fake mustache and glasses to disguise himself at an 'Ironman' premiere

Taylor Nicole RogersJul 13, 2020, 17:52 IST

Ike Perlmutter.Susan Walsh/AP Photo; Samantha Lee/Business Insider

Marvel Chairman Ike Perlmutter turned a dying comic-book maker into a billion-dollar mainstream-movie machine.
Perlmutter has a $4.5 billion fortune that he has spent on a $200,000 annual membership to President Trump's Mar-a-Largo club and New York City real estate.
Perlmutter is close friends with Trump and reportedly was his top adviser on the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A former NYPD sergeant said Perlmutter traded tickets to Marvel premieres for an expedited gun permit.
Perlmutter keeps such a low profile that he reportedly once attended a premiere of a Marvel film in disguise and has never done a public interview.

For a billionaire who avoids attention, Ike Perlmutter has an outsize influence on popular culture.

Perlmutter, the billionaire chairman of Marvel Entertainment, drove the transformation of the company from a bankrupt comic-book publisher to media powerhouse whose superhero movies have generated billions upon billions in the worldwide box office.

Perlmutter's success story hasn't been without friction, however. He has been criticized for his brash management style, intense frugality, and personal relationship with President Donald Trump that yielded him heavy influence at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

A representative of Perlmutter at Marvel declined Business Insider's request or comment on the billionaire's personal history, net worth, and lifestyle.

Keep reading to learn more about how Perlmutter makes and spends his billions.

Issac "Ike" Perlmutter, 77, didn't begin his career in entertainment.

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Perlmutter went on to build a thriving action-figure manufacturer.

Marvel "Avengers" action figures during the Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention in 2015. Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images

After three years of working with Marvel, Perlmutter took over the company in bankruptcy.

The Marvel store in Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida, in 2020. Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider

Perlmutter is known for his divisive leadership style and has been called one of Hollywood's "most feared (and frugal)" CEOs by The Hollywood Reporter.

President Donald Trump, left, with Perlmutter before signing an executive order at the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2017. Andrew Harnik/AP

Perlmutter was inducted into the three-comma club in 2009 after selling Marvel to Disney for $4 billion.

An advertisement for Disney's streaming service in New York City. Reuters

Perlmutter has also spent his fortune on real estate in both Palm Beach, Florida, and New York City.

Palm Beach, Florida. pisaphotography/Shutterstock

Perlmutter has also given some of his money away.

Ambulances outside New York University Langone Hospital's emergency entrance in March. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

A former NYPD sergeant once alleged that Perlmutter used his position at Marvel to expedite a permit filing.

An NYPD car. Reuters

Perlmutter's close friendship with the president has helped him become one of three "shadow rulers" of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans Affairs officials accompanied by Captain America ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange in 2017. New York Stock Exchange/Youtube

Perlmutter is famously reclusive.

Perlmutter with Trump at Mar-a-Largo. Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images

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