Michael Bay reveals the eye-watering net worth he's accumulated from film

"I'd say about half... Half a B."

Not many directors could overshadow promotion of their new film by discussing how much they cost, but Michael Bay has managed it.

In a profile focused on the upcoming release of action thriller 13 Hours: The Secret Soliders of Benghazi, Rolling Stone got to discussing the director's huge financial success which has been aided largely by the (critically panned but commercially succesful) Transformers franchise throughout the past decade.

When the interviewer pointed out that Bay's 11 films (including Armageddon and Pearl Harbor) have all grossed over $5 billion internationally – the fourth-highest return for any director – talk turned to his net worth; the man was more than happy to reveal just how much he costs. And in empthatic terms.

"I'd say about half; half a B".

That's right, the man who has churned out four Transformers films has made so much money he can no longer be bothered to use the word 'billion.'

In his defense, he plans to put the money to a good cause.

"I'll probably do a very large wildlife-protection fund. Not yet. One day."

Upon being asked whether he'd love to win an Oscar, an achievement that cinema's five other biggest-selling directors have all achieved, he replied, "I'm not losing sleep over it. You reach a point in your life when you're comfortable with who you are and you don't need to prove anything to anybody. Do what makes you happy."

...and just like that, the recently-announced Transformers 5 makes a lot more sense.