Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner are the richest reality TV stars in 2026, each with a fortune we estimate above $1 billion, built on beauty and shapewear brands that grew out of reality-show fame. This list ranks 8 reality TV stars by our own estimates, using disclosed company deals where they exist. The original version ranked stars by show salary, which no longer explains who is rich: ownership does.
| Rank | Name | Reality TV link | Our estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kim Kardashian | The Kardashian family show | About $1.5 billion |
| 2 | Kylie Jenner | The Kardashian family show | About $1.2 billion before tax |
| 3 | Simon Cowell | American Idol, X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent | About $600 million |
| 4 | Ryan Seacrest | American Idol host | About $450 million |
| 5 | Gordon Ramsay | Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef | About $300 million |
| 6 | Kris Jenner | The Kardashian family show | About $200 million |
| 7 | Bethenny Frankel | The Real Housewives of New York City | About $100 million |
| 8 | Tyra Banks | America’s Next Top Model | About $90 million |
1. Kim Kardashian: about $1.5 billion
Kim Kardashian co-founded the shapewear brand Skims with Jens Grede in 2019. Skims was reported to be worth over $1.6 billion in April 2021, $3.2 billion in January 2022 and over $5 billion in 2025. She also founded KKW Beauty, valued at over $1 billion in 2021, and the skincare line SKKN by Kim in 2022. In 2012, E! renewed the family’s show for two seasons in a deal reported at $50 million.
How we valued it: we assume she holds roughly one third of Skims at its 2025 valuation (about $1.7 billion), then allow for tax and other income. Her actual stake is not public, so this is a rough estimate.
2. Kylie Jenner: about $1.2 billion before tax
In November 2019, Coty bought a 51% controlling stake in Kylie Cosmetics for $600 million, valuing the company at about $1.2 billion. Jenner kept the remaining 49%.
How we valued it: $600 million in cash for 51%, plus 49% of the $1.2 billion deal valuation (about $588 million), gives roughly $1.19 billion before tax and later changes in the brand’s value.
3. Simon Cowell: about $600 million
Cowell judged Pop Idol, The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, and appeared on American Idol. He formed Syco in 2005 with music, TV and film units, and built Il Divo and other acts. He remains a judge on Britain’s Got Talent.
How we valued it: decades of judging fees, format ownership and Syco revenue. Individual deal prices are not public, so this is rounded.
4. Ryan Seacrest: about $450 million
Seacrest hosted American Idol for years and co-hosted Live with Kelly and Ryan. In September 2024 he replaced Pat Sajak as host of Wheel of Fortune.
How we valued it: host contracts and production income, rounded.
5. Gordon Ramsay: about $300 million
Ramsay turned restaurants into a television career with Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares and the US MasterChef, which he began judging in 2010. He was reported to have earned $70 million in 2020.
How we valued it: that 2020 earnings figure as a guide to annual income, plus a restaurant group of many venues, estimated.
6. Kris Jenner: about $200 million
Kris Jenner, the family’s manager, rose to fame starring in the family series that ran from 2007 to 2021. She has built a business managing her daughters’ brands and careers.
How we valued it: management fees and show income, rounded.
7. Bethenny Frankel: about $100 million
Frankel created the Skinnygirl Margarita in 2009. Her cocktail line was sold to Beam Global for a reported $120 million in 2011.
How we valued it: the reported sale price, reduced for tax and shared interests.
8. Tyra Banks: about $90 million
Banks created and hosted America’s Next Top Model. Her later ventures include the ice cream brand Smize & Dream, founded in 2020.
How we valued it: modeling, production and show income, rounded.
Keep reading
- Most common ways to become a self-made billionaire: how brands turn fame into equity.
- 7 rules that change once you own assets: why ownership beats a salary.
FAQ
Who is the richest reality TV star?
Kim Kardashian, at about $1.5 billion by our estimate, narrowly ahead of Kylie Jenner at about $1.2 billion before tax.
How did Kylie Jenner become so rich?
Through Kylie Cosmetics. Coty bought 51% for $600 million in 2019, at a valuation of about $1.2 billion.
Who has the richest salary on reality TV?
Pay is rarely published. Gordon Ramsay was reported to have earned about $70 million in 2020 across television and restaurants.
Do reality TV stars get rich from the shows?
Mostly not directly. The largest fortunes come from brands the shows made famous, such as Skims and Kylie Cosmetics.
Why does this list differ from the old version?
We now rank by ownership and deals instead of show salaries, which no longer predict who is wealthy.
How we estimate net worth
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
For this list we used disclosed deal prices and reported company valuations. Where a stake is not public, we state the assumption we made.
Last updated: October 2026.
