What is Luann de Lesseps' net worth? How 'RHONY' star earned millions from royal marriage, cabaret and TV
Just like many of her fellow housewives, 'Real Housewives of New York' star Luann de Lesseps came from humble beginnings but her life completely changed post marriage. Luann's life is nothing short of a roller coaster ride filled with several bumps along the way.
The OG housewife has never shied away from flaunting her wealth and status, she has a song called 'Money can't buy class', and authored a book titled 'Class with the Countess: How to Live with Elegance and Flair', so clearly wealth holds a very special place in this stunning beauty's life. Despite her humble beginnings, Luann has over the years managed to turn her life around and amassed an impressive fortune worth an estimated $25 million! If you're curious to know how the 56-year-old beauty managed to get so wealthy, read on.
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Early life and career
Luann was born in 1965, in Connecticut. She alongside her six siblings grew up in a middle-class home. Her father owned a construction company. Today Luann might be a household name thanks to her stint on 'RHONY', but before venturing into reality television, singing career and marrying French aristocrat Count Alexandre de Lesseps, she worked as a nurse. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she credits her nursing career for helping her develop people skills.
Luann left Connecticut to pursue her dreams of becoming a model in New York City. She then went abroad on her modeling assignments and crossed paths with former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who reportedly helped her get on television, as reported by Vulture. She got access to several high-profile socialites and fashion designers. In 1993, she married Count Alexandre de Lesseps.
Marriage and divorce
The couple moved to New York and got married in 1993. However, their marriage ended in 2009 after the couple filed for divorce on the grounds of infidelity. But Luann seems to bear no grudges against her former husband. She told the news outlet, "It's amazing the journey I've been on and how far I've come. When I met my husband in Switzerland he asked where I had been all his life and I said, 'Getting ready for you.' It's true. I lived in New York, so that made me more sophisticated and then I moved to Milan, which made me more sophisticated. All of these years were getting me primed for my French aristocrat. I don't think he would have looked twice at me if I wasn't groomed. I was grooming myself all of those years to get ready for him."
But Luann soon found love once again, and married Tom D'Agostino Jr in 2016, but their marriage too ended in less than a year.
Net worth
Luann's net worth has been estimated at a whopping $25 million. Although a good chunk of it may have been the result of a fat divorce settlement payout from her ex-husband Count Alexandre, the housewife too began pulling her weight and making some money of her own.
Considering she has been on 'RHONY' since Season 1, it is safe to assume that Luann must be getting some fat paycheque from Bravo. Although her exact salary hasn't been revealed by either the reality star or the network. Aside from starring on 'RHONY', Luann also had a few acting gigs such as an episode of 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit', where she played a socialite. She also had a role in the movie 'Movie of All Secrets' (2020), which was filmed in Bermuda. Additionally, she headlined her own cabaret show, "#CountessAndFriends", in February 2018. It featured the reality star singing songs that allude to her life as a countess and reality TV star. The show also featured appearances from her celebrity friends, such as Rachel Dratch and RHONY co-star Sonja Morgan.
Luann also dabbled in singing, after releasing her first single 'Money Can't Buy you Class' in 2010. She went on to release few other tracks, which have been well-received by fans. She also wrote a book, titled "Class with the Countess: How to Live with Elegance and Flair". It was published by Gotham Books on April 16, 2009. So clearly, Luann doesn't need a rich husband to keep her bank balance growing, as the housewife's hustle at amassing her own wealth seems to be working well.
'Real Housewives of New York' airs every Tuesday at 9/8c only on Bravo.