Who is Kody Brown's richest wife? Here's how much money 'Sister Wives' stars will earn from TLC show
Becoming a reality star by starring on your own reality show could mean rolling in money for many. But if you ever watched TLC's popular reality show – 'Sister Wives', you would know that it might not be true for everybody. This hit TLC show premiered way back in 2010 and documents the lives of the polygamic Brown family – comprising of Kody Brown and his four wives, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brown. Kody has time and again been vocal about the family's financial woes. In an earlier season, we saw Kody declaring that their financial situation was in shambles, and they were just a few months away from being unable to pay their bills.
So, is the Brown family's economic situation really as dire as Kody paints it to be? In case you're wondering the same then we got you covered.
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How much does the Brown family earn from 'Sister Wives'?
When 'Sister Wives' first premiered, Kody kept details of his work life as vague as possible. According to reports, when he was approached for filming 'Sister Wives', he quit his job to focus on building the family's brand. But appearing on the reality show didn't help some of the family members much. After the shoe premiered, Meri was reportedly fired from her job in the mental health industry. During an appearance on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show', she said, "They felt that they needed to protect the company, I think. It actually makes me really sad because I loved my job. It breaks my heart, definitely. ... But I understand where they're coming from."
In 2012, Kody and his four wives together penned down a book, which eventually went on to become a bestseller- 'Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage'. By this time, the Brown family members had become celebrities of sorts. Each of the five adults was reportedly being paid a whopping $180,000 per season. The wives- especially, Meri, Janelle, and Christine, used their newfound fame to get into the lucrative world of becoming social media influencers. The Brown family was understandably trying to make hay while the sun was shining.
But after Season 11, their fortune changed. The show's ratings were at an all-time low, and TLC was ready to cancel the show and cut their losses. But Kody wasn't ready to go down without putting up a good fight. He began negotiating very hard with TLC. He finally managed to woo back the network into continuing their reality show by taking a huge pay cut. Instead of the earlier $180,000 per season salary that each of the cast members (Kody and his four wives) were getting, he brought it down to $180,000 for all five individuals combined per season. TLC agreed to Kody's offer and continued to run the show.
The show's ratings and numbers began improving, and the cast members finally got a salary revision. According to reports, Kody and the wives get paid 10% of the budget assigned to each episode. Each episode's budget is estimated to be between $250,000 to $400,000. So, this means that Kody and his wives together make roughly $25,000- $40,000 per episode. The number of episodes per season of the show varies, while some seasons have just eight episodes, others have had 24 episodes. So, either way it looks like their pay from 'Sister Wives' is nothing to scoff over.
Who is Kody Brown's richest wife?
Considering each of the cast members was being paid $180,000 per season for ten seasons, it is safe to assume that the Brown family members have managed to amass a fortune over the years, aside from their income from other jobs. Unlike his wives, Kody makes most of his money through 'Sister Wives'. Kody's net worth is estimated at $800,000. Kody's first wife. Meri's net worth is estimated at $400,000. Meri has multiple sources of income, aside from the show. She not only makes money off promotional posts on her social media but also runs her own bed and breakfast place with her mother.
Kody's second wife, Janelle's net worth too is estimated at $400,000. Just like Meri, she too is pretty active on social media, and makes money through her promotional posts, aside from running her very own real-estate firm. Christine, Kody's third wife's net worth too is $400,000, although her sources of income are the show and social media promotional posts.
Robyn, Kody's last and youngest wife, is surprisingly the richest housewife compared to all her fellow sister wives. Robyn's net worth is estimated T $600,000. Aside from running a very successful online clothing and jewelry business, her impressive net worth can be credited to the multiple real-estate properties she owns. According to SoapDirt, Robyn's name appears on more property deeds than her co-wives'. She’s listed as co-owner with Kody on four of the Sister Wives properties, including lots on Coyote Pass. So, it seems like the 'Sister Wives' stars' financial situation isn't all that bad.
'Sister Wives' Season 15 is all set to premiere on Sunday, February 14, at 10/9c on TLC.