Jim Carrey No Grinch

By Stephen M. Silverman

06/05/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Jim Carrey may play a Grinch on movie screens, but he clearly isn't one in real life, reports PEOPLE in its new issue. (A Grinch, for anyone who's been living in a monastery for the past two months, is sort of a cross between Ebenezeer Scrooge and an amphibian.) Following the success of "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," Carrey recently purchased four Porsche Carreras for his team of agents and managers, says PEOPLE. He also sprung for lavish vacations (worth nearly as much) for his personal assistant, publicist and lawyer. Not that the comic actor, who turned 41 on Wednesday, can't afford to be generous. The Ron Howard-directed movie fantasy in which he stars has made more than $330 million worldwide, with Carrey netting an estimated 17% percent of the gross. Do the math: That's $55 million. Merry Christmas, Mr. Grinch.