How Did Lisa Vanderpump Make Her Money?

Even if you can’t picture Lisa Vanderpump in your mind’s eye, you’ve certainly heard her name. Her reality TV show, Vanderpump Rules, is a hit with an eleventh season planned for 2024. She also had a long run on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

But Lisa has done much more than appear on reality TV shows. She’s an accomplished actor who has used her name recognition to build a small business empire. Her career has taken her in many directions, including acting, real estate investment, restaurant management, and branded products.

Together with her husband, Ken Todd, Vanderpump has become a household name. Through seemingly endless work and careful consideration, she has found success in just about everything she sets her mind to.

How much wealth has her hard work earned? Let’s take a closer look at her career and personal life to learn more.

Why Is Lisa Vanderpump Famous?

Lisa Vanderpump started her acting career when she was just 13 years old. As a teenager, she frequently had small roles in English television shows.

Although Vanderpump had a lot of experience as an actor, she didn’t become famous until she appeared in the reality TV series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She was on Bravo’s debut season of the show, which also featured Taylor Armstrong and Kim Richards.

Lisa stayed on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for nine seasons, leaving the show in 2019.

This wasn’t the end of reality TV for Vanderpump. Bravo later approached her to discuss creating a show called Vanderpump Rules, which focuses on her role as a bar and restaurant owner in West Hollywood.

So far, it has aired 11 seasons and created two spin-off shows, Vanderpump Rules After Show and Vanderpump Rules: Jax & Brittany Take Kentucky.

Does Lisa Vanderpump Come From Money?

Lisa grew up in a modestly wealthy family, but she gained financial independence by the time she turned 19. Until then, her income relied on television and movie appearances. She branched out to explore opportunities in business, though.

Vanderpump and her husband own several restaurants, including the upscale West Hollywood eatery, SUR. 

She also co-owns:

• Tom Tom Restaurant & Bar in West Hollywood
• Vanderpump Cocktail Garden in Las Vegas
• Pinky’s at the Flamingo in Las Vegas
• Vanderpump à Paris in Las Vegas
• Wolf by Vanderpump at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe

Lisa has also ventured into selling branded products, including several lines of alcoholic beverages such as :

• Vanderpump Vodka
• Vanderpump Sangria (originally called LVP Sangria)
• Vanderpump Wines, which includes at least three wines (Vanderpump Rosé, Vanderpump Chardonnay, and Vanderpump Cabernet)

Other business ventures include a branded line of homewares called Vanderpump Beverly Hills by Pop Culture Promotions and Vanderpump Alain, a collection of home decor.

She started a lifestyle blog, Very Vanderpump, in 2012 that still receives regular updates.

Where Did Ken and Lisa Get Their Money?

Ken and Lisa entered their relationship with relatively significant amounts of money. He had found success in construction and restaurants. She had built a career in entertainment. Today, they share combined interests that continue to grow their wealth.

It’s important to note that Ken and Lisa didn’t start off as wealthy people but rather had middle-class backgrounds that allowed them some privileges though nothing like those enjoyed by the ultra-wealthy. Instead, the couple had to build their business empire one step at a time.

Today, it might seem inevitable that they own a list of successful restaurants and bars but reaching that goal was never a certainty. In fact, they have had to close several of their establishments along the way to ensure profitability. For example, Vanderpump had to close her first U.S. restaurant, Villa Blanca, during the health scares a few years ago because it couldn’t sustain itself during lockdown. Vanderpump and Todd have a good track record of making pragmatic decisions like that.

How Much Does Lisa Vanderpump Make From Her Show?

Bravo recognized that Lisa is one of the channel’s key assets, so it pays her handsomely for appearing on shows like The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules.

She reportedly earns $50,000 for each episode and the show airs a different number of episodes each season, so Lisa doesn’t have a uniform income from her role. Season One had 10 episodes, which means she would have earned $500,000. Season Six had 25 episodes, so she would have made $1.25 million that year. The majority of seasons have 24 episodes each.

Overall, Vanderpump Rules had 205 episodes by the end of Season 10 so Lisa has earned about $10.25 million from the show. It’s been reported that most Vanderpump Rules cast members earn about $25,000 for each episode they appear in.

How Much Are Ken and Lisa Worth?

There’s some debate over how much Ken Todd and Lisa Vanderpump are worth, but it’s generally accepted that they have a net worth between $90 and $100 million.

Some believe that they have a combined net worth of $200 million.

How Did Lisa Vanderpump Make Her Money?

Like many wealthy actors, Lisa Vanderpump used the money she earned from roles on television, movies, and commercials to invest in profitable businesses. She started out small with uncredited appearances on TV shows. As her reputation grew, she was able to secure jobs that made more money. Notably, she was financially independent and owned an apartment in London by the time she was just 19.

She became interested in restaurants and bars when she met her future husband in England. He was in London setting up a new bar called Corks. They fell in love immediately and got engaged within six weeks of knowing each other.

Ken had already found some success in the construction industry, but he discovered that he enjoyed working in hospitality more because it gave him opportunities to create unique experiences and interact with discerning customers. Lisa also found that she enjoyed the industry, so she started devoting more of her time to restaurant management.

Although Lisa liked working with restaurants, she never left the entertainment industry but instead continued getting roles in television series and movies.

When Bravo approached her about appearing on a reality TV show, it became obvious that she could use her acting and management talents to build a hybrid career that included both industries. This dream came to fruition when she and Bravo created the Vanderpump Rules series. 

With the success of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules, Lisa’s name recognition became an asset to the business. She took advantage of her popularity to start several brands for beverages, housewares, and home decor.

Today, she makes her money by combining her acting, management, and investing skills. The multi-tiered business grew organically, with each stage of her career leading to the next.

Is Lisa Vanderpump a Billionaire?

Most people who follow Lisa Vanderpump estimate that she has a net worth close to $90 million. That’s very far from being a billionaire. She would need to multiply her worth by more than 1100% to reach that goal.

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