Following his star turn in the film, Ferrell shot to the top of the Hollywood high earners' league, commanding fees of around $20 million (£15m) a movie. The comic had become so wealthy that he was rich enough to turn down a $29 million offer to appear in an Elf sequel in 2006, the equivalent of $45 million (£35m) in today’s money, as he didn’t want to be "Buddy the middle-aged elf".

But Ferrell hasn't turned his back on Christmas movies completely. In 2022, a festive film with fellow actor Ryan Reynolds was released. A reimagining of A Christmas Carol, the movie Spirited is rumoured to be one of the most expensive Christmas films ever made, with a budget of $75 million (£58m) for 'talent' alone. Today, Ferrell has an estimated net worth of $160 million (£124m).

Christmas made these people very rich