Award-winning writer and director Ryan Coogler is a multi-millionaire now—but he didn't start out that way: He was once $200,000 in debt from film school.

The success of his films "Fruitvale Station," "Creed," and "Black Panther," have made Coogler one of the highest-grossing Black filmmakers. Coogler, the first Black director to shoot a Marvel film, directed the vampire horror film "Sinners" starring Michael B. Jordan mwhich has become a blockbuster hit, grossing $161 million globally since its April 18 release, according to Variety. The film could pay Coogler for life, thanks to a deal he🥃 made with W💫arner Bros.

Coogler has an estimated net worth of $25 million according to Celebrity Net Worth.

From "Creed" to "Sinners", here's how Coogler made his millions.

Ryan Coogler's Deal With WB For "Sinners"

Coogler's films have made millions—or, in "Black Panther's" case, billions—at the box office. "Black Panther" and it's sequel, "Wakanda Forever," earned over $2 billion at the global box office, according to Forbes.

His latest film, meanwhile, could pay him for life. Coogler fought to own the rights to "Sinners" and won: His deal with Warner Bros. gives him the rights to his film after 25 years. It was important to Coogler that he owns "Sinners", which focuses on Black ownership, he told Business Insider.

In addition to his salary for "Sinners," Coogler asked for control of the film's final cut and a share of gross ticket sales before Warner Bros gets a cut, according to multiple reports. The deal also give Coogler royalties from streaming services and television, as well as merchandising and licensing deals, according to CNBC.

The Oscar-nominated director also owns his own production company, Proximity Media, which produced his films"Judas and the Black Messiah" and "Space Jam" along with "Sinners."

Coogler co-founded the company in 2018 with his wife Zinzi Coogler and producer Sev Ohanian. The company struck an exclusive five-year deal with Disney in 2021, giving Coogler the chance to be executive producer for a Disney+ series set in Wakanda, and another series called "Ironheart."

Correction: Coogler asked for control of the final cut of "Sinners" and a shares of gross ticket sales in addition to his salary. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said his salary was $90 million.