Tyler Perry Bought an Army Base for $30M. There Was a Catch.

Tyler Perry paid $30 million for 330 acres of a closed Army base in Atlanta. The deal came with strings. Now he is moving to Puerto Rico. Want the blueprint behind celebrity wealth? Subscribe for weekly investigative money documentaries: 👉 Celebrity Investments: https://www.youtube.com/@Celebrity-Investments?sub_confirmation=1 In 2015, a city-appointed authority bought the former Fort McPherson from the Army for $26 million and sold 330 acres to Tyler Perry for $30 million. According to reporting on the contract, the land could only become a film studio without the authority's consent, and the authority would be first in line to buy it at market value if he ever sold. We follow the land from an 1835 militia drill ground to the 2015 fight over the deal, the 2019 opening, the FDA lab Perry argued against, the entertainment district that has not been built, and the death of studio president Steve Mensch. Then the question that matters now: with Perry leaving for Puerto Rico and Shark Tank taping on his stages, who decides what happens to the studio? Related: ▶️ Tyler Perry Is Moving to Puerto Rico. The IRS Isn't. https://youtu.be/3hDBWa8UhK8 ▶️ Shark Tank Put His Ribs in 3,000 Restaurants. He Says He Made $2,900. https://youtu.be/S7sqIVVOHwE ▶️ Diddy Was a Billionaire. Now He Sells Mansions From a Prison Cell. https://youtu.be/eVW68Ly3zrk 📌 CHAPTERS 00:00 The Deal and the Move 01:58 An Army Post Since 1885 04:32 The $30 Million Deal and Its Strings 08:43 The Studio Opens, the Promises Stall 12:53 What Happens to the Studio Now SOURCES AJC: Tyler Perry plans to relocate to Puerto Rico. What about his Atlanta studio? https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/09/tyler-perry-plans-to-relocate-to-puerto-rico-what-about-his-atlanta-studio/ WABE: $26M Tyler Perry Fort McPherson sale approved (2015) https://www.wabe.org/26m-tyler-perry-fort-mcpherson-sale-approved/ Creative Loafing: Tyler Perry's Fort McPherson studio dreams to become a reality (2015) https://creativeloafing.com/content-219143-Tyler-Perry's-Fort-McPherson-studio-dreams-to-become-a-reality Creative Loafing: City takes on $13 million financial risk to keep Fort McPherson deal alive https://creativeloafing.com/content-218975-City-takes-on-$13-million-financial-risk-to-keep-Fort-McPherson-deal-alive Saporta Report: Fort McPherson-Tyler Perry deal back in business (2014) https://saportareport.com/fort-mcpherson-tyler-perry-deal-back-in-business-with-a-little-help-from-his-friends/ Georgia Historical Society: Fort McPherson historical marker https://www.georgiahistory.com/ghmi_marker_updated/fort-mcpherson/ Saporta Report: Tyler Perry on new Fort Mac deal (2021) https://saportareport.com/tyler-perry-on-new-fort-mac-deal-its-an-incredible-moment-in-time/sections/reports/maria_saporta/ WSB-TV: FDA unveils new research laboratory at Fort McPherson (2026) https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/south-fulton-county/fda-unveils-new-research-laboratory-fort-mcpherson-atlanta/LXNXB3H7FBDSJCZQRYWXH4ZX4U/ AJC: Steve Mensch, Tyler Perry Studios president, dies in plane crash https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/steve-mensch-tyler-perry-studios-president-dies-in-a-plane-crash/NI54XWNQKZFINCGODQMSTZAKGI/ AJC: ABC's Shark Tank moves to Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta https://www.ajc.com/arts-entertainment/2026/05/abcs-shark-tank-moving-to-atlanta-from-los-angeles/ GPB: Film and TV work drying up in Georgia https://www.gpb.org/news/2025/09/04/film-and-tv-work-drying-in-georgia-the-states-film-office-director-remains #celebrity #networth #investing #wealth #business #money #hollywood #entrepreneur #finance #tylerperry #atlanta #fortmcpherson