Tom Cruise's unexpected paycheck for Paris Olympics stunts will seriously surprise you

You don't have to pay Tom Cruise much for him to do what he loves, even if it's a risky stunt.

The most recent daring act the Mission: Impossible actor, 62, took on was for the Paris Olympics, during the closing ceremony and handover ahead of the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

And though it entailed a huge leap through the air, intense motorcycle biking, and more daring stunts, the movie star was actually not paid a dime for it.

During a recent CNBC panel, Casey Wasserman, 2028 L.A. Olympics President and Chairperson, gave insight into how Tom's appearance came to be.

"We pitched on a Zoom," he first shared, adding: "About five minutes into the presentation, he goes, 'I'm in. But I'm only doing it if I can do everything.'"

He went on: "Every step of the way, he got more involved and more engaged," and revealed: "By the way, he did it all for free."

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Further recalling the creative process, he said: "The original idea was a person in the stadium as a stunt double," however Tom was adamant about being part of the whole spectacle. 

Ben Winston, who executive produced the handover, which also featured performances from Billie Eilish and Snoop Dogg, similarly gushed about Tom to The Hollywood Reporter last month: "I don't think there's anybody like him in the world," maintaining: "There is no better collaborator."

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Among Tom's most jaw-dropping stunts have been scaling Dubai's 163-floor Burj Khalifa for 2011's Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, dangling from an airplane for 2015's Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, riding a motorbike off a cliff and parachuting down to land for 2023's Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, plus many other instances of diving, building jumping and beyond.

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When the first Mission: Impossible film premiered in 1996, just over ten years into Tom's career, he was paid a whopping $70 million.

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Though for the franchise's seventh installment he made a significantly lower estimate of $12-14 million, he makes much more as an executive producer of the movies.

The Mission: Impossible franchise has reportedly grossed over $3.8 billion, while Tom's net worth is estimated to be about $600 million.