The action star has insisted that if his son, Jaycee, has the ability, then he should ‘make his own money.’
Reports suggest that Jackie Chan’s son Jaycee will not inherit his father’s estimated $400 million fortune.
It’s no secret that Jackie Chan, 69, has had a rocky relationship with his two children – Jaycee Chan, 40, and Etta Ng Chok Lam, 23.
Earlier this week, Etta claimed that the Spy Next Door actor had ‘abandoned’ her, reigniting discussions around Chan’s family life.
Despite being worth around $400 million, the martial arts icon has remained firm in his belief that his children should build their own futures.
In fact, he has openly stated that Jaycee will not inherit a cent of his Hollywood fortune.
During an interview with SOH Talks & Ideas, Chan accused his son of having ‘no discipline’ and struggling to communicate effectively.
He went on to describe a teaching moment in his 2015 autobiography Never Grow Up. The actor explained how he once booked himself a first-class seat but placed Jaycee in economy.
“You have no money now, so you sit here in economy,” he reportedly told his son, though Jaycee was eventually upgraded into first class.
Chan reflected on the lesson, writing: “You have me as a dad, but other people don’t. They have to fight their own battles. When you get to sit in first class, because of your own hard work, then that’s success.”
He added that since that experience, Jaycee has often been upgraded to first class on flights – but still not through his father’s wealth.
Credit: Gage Skidmore
Back in 2011, Chan told NewsAsia that he would rather give his fortune to charity than leave it to his son.
“If he is capable, he can make his own money. If he is not, then he will just be wasting mine,” he explained.
While Jaycee has dabbled in acting and music, he has yet to establish a career on par with his father’s. His credits include voicing Young Monkey in Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five (2008) and appearing in Jingle Ma’s Mulan (2009).
But in 2014, Jaycee’s career was overshadowed by legal trouble after he was arrested in China for marijuana possession. Convicted, he spent six months in prison.
At the time, Chan publicly addressed the scandal: “I would like to take this opportunity and say to Jaycee: you’ve done something wrong and you have to be responsible for the consequences.
“I’m your dad and I’ll always be with you. We will face the road ahead of us together.”
