Kim Kardashian Net Worth

The Kim Kardashian net worth total of $149 million comes from TV, fragrances, merchandise, endorsements, lawsuits and divorces. Kardashian has earned a total of $348 million in her lifetime. A high tax bracket and expenses cut a whopping $219 million from the star’s net worth. The bulk of the star’s money comes from TV and movies ($39 million), fragrances ($117 million) merchandising and endorsements ($146 million.) Kardashian has built a gigantic financial empire on top of her own fame. The superstar’s notoriety began with an illegally released sex tape. From there, the Kardashian brand has conquered movies, TV, fragrances, makeup, publishing and more. All numbers are current as of 12/13/16. A rumored $100 million Kardashian movie would add $20 million to Kim Kardashian’s net worth.

Kim Kardashian Net Worth

According to Us Magazine, Kardashian wants a divorce as of 12/7/16. That rumor comes on the heels of West’s alleged “temporary psychosis” diagnosis. Just how would a divorce affect the Kim Kardashian net worth sum? That comes down to the details of their prenup. In the meantime, rumors and news pump up Kardashian’s fame and fortune, increasing ad revenue and sales of her products.

Kim Kardashian Net Worth Facts

Kim Kardashian Net Worth Facts 
Kim Kardashian Net Worth$148,543,904
Kim Kardashian net worth plus Kanye West net worth$214,543,904
Kim Kardashian net worth vs Miley Cyrus net worth30% bigger
Kim Kardashian net worth vs Selena Gomez net worth3 times bigger
Kim Kardashian net worth vs Taylor Swift net worth67% smaller
Kim Kardashian net worth vs Bernie Sanders net worth284 times bigger
Kim Kardashian net worth vs Robert Downey Jr. net worth30% smaller
Kim Kardashian net worth vs Justin Bieber net worth10% smaller
Kim Kardashian net worth vs Kanye West net worth2.5 times bigger
Kim Kardashian net worth vs Nicki Minaj net worthTwice as big
Kim Kardashian net worth vs Drake net worth70% bigger

Kim Kardashian’s net worth of $150 million is 2.5 times bigger than her husband Kanye West’s net worth of $62 million. The combined Kanye West and Kim Kardashian net worth figure is $212 million. Kim Kardashian’s wealth is 30% bigger than Miley Cyrus’ $115 million. It’s three times bigger than Selena Gomez’s $45 million and 67% smaller than Taylor Swift’s $251 million. Bernie Sanders’ net worth of $528,000 is 284 times smaller than Kim Kardashian’s. Robert Downey Jr.’s net worth of $200 million is 30% bigger than Kim Kardashian’s. Finally, the Kim Kardashian net worth total is 70% bigger than Drake’s net worth of $88 million.

Kim Kardashian Net Worth Timeline Chart

Kim Kardashian Net Worth Through Time

The Kim Kardashian net worth story kicked off back in 2000 when Kardashian divorced NBA star Damon Thomas. Kardashian got an estimated settlement of $10 million for the deal. From then through 2007, Kardashian laid low. Then in 2007 a major lawsuit over a sex tape released online landed her a settlement of $5 million. Not content to rest on her laurels, Kardashian began to appear regularly in the mid 2000s on TV and in movies. She also started signing endorsement deals and merchandising deals, releasing fragrances and books. Her fortune skyrocketed. If there’s a single answer for the question, “What does Kim Kardashian do?” it is, “She monetizes her own fame.”

Kim Kardashian Net Worth Through Time 
Kim Kardashian net worth 2006$4,385,222
Kim Kardashian net worth 2007$11,400,844
Kim Kardashian net worth 2008$19,178,648
Kim Kardashian net worth 2009$33,682,851
Kim Kardashian net worth 2010$44,197,624
Kim Kardashian net worth 2011$75,154,845
Kim Kardashian net worth 2012$97,177,677
Kim Kardashian net worth 2013$108,874,664
Kim Kardashian net worth 2014$124,972,078
Kim Kardashian net worth 2015$142,629,985
Kim Kardashian net worth 2016$148,543,904

Also see: Kanye West Net Worth

Kim Kardashian Net Worth Sources: Fragrances, Acting, Endorsements, Divorces

Kim Kardashian Net Worth SourcesKim Kardashian has taken a lot of flak for earning big money from divorces. She has earned an estimated $13 million from divorces over the years. That said, divorces are only a small slice of the Kim Kardashian net worth pie. It may shock some to learn that the biggest source of Kim’s earnings is actually fragrances.

Fragrances have earned Kardashian $117 million. Merchandise and endorsement deals pull in another $146 million. Many of those endorsements are nothing more than expensive tweets featuring a product or Instagram posts that push a brand.

Kim Kardashian Net Worth Sources 
Kim Kardashian Acting/TV Money$38,968,000
Kim Kardashian Fragrances$117,000,000
Kim Kardashian Merchandise$90,000,000
Kim Kardashian Apps$500,000
Total Kim Kardashian Earnings$348,168,000
Kim Kardashian Salary$38,685,333
Investment Income (6% after tax)$19,373,576
Taxes (52.9%)$184,180,872
Expenses (est. 10% of income)$34,816,800
Total Kim Kardashian payouts$218,997,672
Kim Kardashian Net Worth$148,543,904

Kim Kardashian Net Worth SourcesFrom the table above, the major Kim Kardashian money wellsprings are TV, fragrances, merchandising and endorsement deals. Smaller income streams include lawsuits and divorces, publishing and apps.

Kardashian’s average salary is right around $39 million per year. Her payouts for income taxes and expenses come to a staggering $219 million over the course of her career.

TV, movies, fragrances, endorsements and other Kim Kardashian net worth sources are broken out in detail below.

TV, Movies and Kim Kardashian Net Worth

Kim Kardashian Net Worth FactsActing and TV appearances add $39 million to the Kim Kardashian net worth total. The diva has appeared in an astonishing 484 TV episodes and five movies. The megastar’s acting chops have been called into question. If the criticism hits home it doesn’t show. Kardashian parlayed an appearance in an illegally released sex tape into an acting career that would be impressive all on its own. While the shiny sister may never win an Oscar, she’s smiling all the way to the bank. As of 9/28/16, Kardashian is starring in the new documentary Vif and Zoolander: Super Model.

Kim Kardashian TV/Acting Money 
Role/AppearanceKim Kardashian Net Worth Addition
Keeping Up With the Kardashians (2007)$25,000,000
Disaster Movie (2008)$20,000
Kourtney & Kim Take Miami (2009)$2,500,000
Kourtney & Kim Take New York (2011)$2,500,000
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016)$1,000,000
Other TV/Movie Roles$7,948,000
Total Kim Kardashian Net Worth from TV/Movies$38,968,000

The TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians has racked up 149 episodes. The show brought in a reported $50 million when it was re-upped in 2012. Not all of that went toward the Kim Kardashian net worth numbers. The money was split three ways between Kim and her sisters, Khloe and Kourtney.

Kim Kardashian’s other major TV shows include Kourtney and Kim Take Miami and Kourtney and Kim Take New York. Her role in 2008’s Disaster Movie won her a nomination for a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress. Rather than taking it as an insult, Kardashian approached with a sense of fun and humor. She has said she giggled all through the filming of the movie.

Also see: Lady Gaga Net Worth

Fragrances and Kim Kardashian Net Worth

Kim Kardashian net worth and fragrancesFrom a famous marriage, Kim Kardashian branched out into a lucrative sex tape lawsuit and a TV career. Her next step was fragrances. The Kim Kardashian net worth sum gets a gigantic boost from sales of her perfumes. The fragrances cost $30 a bottle and sell millions of bottles each.

Kardashian’s first fragrance was the self-titled Kim Kardashian in 2009. Since then, she has released a new scent about every year. There are no hard figures on her earnings from the perfume sales. However, industry estimates figure roughly 10% of the money from each sale goes directly toward the Kim Kardashian net worth sum.

Fragrances and Kim Kardashian Net Worth  
FragranceSalesKim Kardashian Earnings (10%)
"Kim Kardashian" (2009)5,000,000$15,000,000
Kim Kardashian "Love" (2011)6,000,000$18,000,000
Kim Kardashian "Gold" (2011)6,500,000$19,500,000
Kim Kardashian "True Reflection" (2012)7,000,000$21,000,000
Kim Kardashian "Glam" (2012)4,000,000$12,000,000
Kim Kardashian "Pure Honey" (2014)5,000,000$15,000,000
Kim Kardashian "Fleur Fatale" (2015)5,500,000$16,500,000
Total Kim Kardashian Net Worth from Fragrances$117,000,000

Lawsuits and Kim Kardashian Net Worth

Kim Kardashian Net Worth Through TimeA decent slice of the Kim Kardashian net worth pie comes from lawsuits. The star has earned a reported $25 million in court since 2007. That doesn’t include divorces.

Kardashian’s first major lawsuit was also the springboard to her initial fame. In 2007 the star sued over the online publication of a sex tape and won a reported $5 million. Her second lawsuit was against Old Navy and the Gap in 2011. In that suit, Kim Kardashian sued for publicity rights. She was awarded a reported $20 million by the court.

Lawsuits and Kim Kardashian Net Worth
Lawsuit Kim K. Earnings
Sex Tape (2007) $5,000,000
Old Navy/Gap (2011) $20,000,000
Total Kim Kardashian Net Worth from Lawsuits $25,000,000

Also see: Rihanna Net Worth

Divorces and Kim Kardashian Net Worth

Kim Kardashian DivorceDivorces add an estimated $13 million to the Kim Kardashian net worth total.

The details of Kim Kardashian’s divorce payouts haven’t been made public. That said, her first husband Damon Thomas has an estimated net worth of $45 million. Insiders place Kardashian’s settlement amount at no less than $10 million from the divorce.

Kardashian’s second divorce from NBA star Kris Humphries is a little bit more complicated. Kardashian apparently filed for divorce only 72 days after marrying Humphries. Humphries filed a countersuit claiming the marriage was a fraud. The pair finally settled for an undisclosed amount. Given Humphries’ net worth of about $18 million and Kardashian’s relationship with Kanye West, the split added a probable $3 million to Kardashian’s net worth.

Endorsement Deals and Kim Kardashian Net Worth

Kim Kardashian pulls down the endorsement deal and licensing dollars on the level of a top sports star or music diva. Kardashian has deals with Sears, ShoeDazzle, Midori, Charmin, Skechers, Carl’s Jr. and many, many more. We estimate endorsement deals add $10 million a year to the Kim Kardashian net worth pile.

While many Kardashian endorsements are magazine ads or TV commercials, a significant percentage are nothing more than tweets. Industry insiders say a star like Kardashian can make as much as $100,000 for a single tweet. Why would tweets pay as much as TV commercials? It’s all about reach. A TV ad in the Super Bowl can cost $5 million and reaches 125 million viewers. A Kardashian tweet like the one below from 5/1/16 can reach 45 million of the right people. It’s no wonder companies will pay big bucks for a social media plug by a Kardashian.

Merchandise and Kim Kardashian Net Worth

Clothing lines, apps, sunglasses, jewelry, workout videos and makeup. Cell phone covers, posters, pens and pins. The Kim Kardashian net worth powerhouse is fueled by more than TV and perfume. The star seems to have taken her fame into a hundred directions to make money. Kardashian earns an estimated $20 million a year from sales of merchandise.

Anyone who wants to take the Kardashian fantasy to iPhone-land can download the Kim Kardashian app pictured here. The app’s “star packs” sell for anywhere from $4.99 to $39.99 each.

Also see: Taylor Swift Net Worth

Publishing and Kim Kardashian Net Worth

Kim Kardashian has earned a decent amount from publishing over the years. From a nude appearance in Playboy magazine to her Selfish book of selfies, the star has added an estimated $4 million to her net worth from publishing.

Kim Kardashian PublicationKim Kardashian Payout
Playboy (2007)$500,000
Kardashian Konfidential (2010)$700,000
Selfish (2015)$1,500,000
Total Kim Kardashian Net Worth from Publishing$2,700,000

Kim Kardashian Net Worth Calculations

Kim Kardashian Net Worth CalculationsThe Kim Kardashian net worth story isn’t just about how much she earns. Of course Kardashian has to pay taxes, and living in California gives her a 13.3% state tax bracket. That’s on top of 39.6% in federal taxes.

Kardashian also has expenses, like staff, cost of living and other payouts. Those are estimated at a total of 10% of her annual income.

The table below pulls together all Kim Kardashian net worth estimates from every income stream. Then it subtracts for taxes and expenses and adds back for investment income.

Kim Kardashian Net Worth Calculations  
YearKim Kardashian Adjusted EarningsKim Kardashian Net Worth

Kim Kardashian Net Worth in the News

The Kim Kardashian app is free, but every time a fan buys one of her 10 service packs, it can cost them anywhere from $1.99 to $39.99. On 4/27/16 on Twitter and Instagram, Kardashian posted about her low-cost drugstore makeup tutorial, available only through the app. The idea is, fans will get the free app to get her tutorial. Then they’ll end up adding to the Kim Kardashian net worth sum by buying extra packs.

One more news item of note is Kardashian’s feud with Taylor Swift. Feuds like this may look ugly, but they’re really just more money in Kardashian and Swift’s pockets. To an extent, all publicity is good publicity.

Kim Kardashian Net Worth vs the World

How many of you would it take to equal one Kim Kardashian? The table below shows a few popular jobs vs the glam idol. Kardashian’s net worth is based on earnings of about $19,500 per hour. At that rate, it would take 217 doctors earning $90 an hour to equal one Kim Kardashian. Put another way, it would take almost 700 high school math teachers to build net worth at the same rate as the mogul model.

earn as much as Kim Kardashian net worth

Kim Kardashian Net Worth vs...  
JobHourly Pay# to Equal 1 Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian$19,3431
Minimum Wage (median)$82442

The Kim Kardashian net worth engine keeps chugging along. On 3/16/16, the star lent her name to a new lipstick line by designer Charlotte Tilbury. Tilbury’s new line is called the Hotlips Collection. The designer says the “pale nude” shade suits Kim’s face perfectly.

Kim Kardashian Net Worth in the Future

Will Kardashian continue to pile up the cash? It’s hard to say. As of 3/23/16, media reports indicate Kardashian’s ability to sell makeup may be waning some. The celebrity sister reportedly visited sister Kylie Jenner’s Lip Kit factory to get some tips for her own makeup line. Younger sister Kylie has consistently sold out her Lip Kits.

Not to worry. As far as fragrances go, Kardashian is still the queen of sales.  Age doesn’t matter much in the perfume world. Elizabeth Taylor died in 2011 at the age of 79. Her fragrances continue to be popular sellers even now. The Kim Kardashian net worth data could keep getting a boost from fragrance earnings all the way to the year 2060 and beyond.

The Kim Kardashian Net Worth Chicken/Egg Dilemma

Kim Kardashian Net Worth Chicken EggThe biggest puzzle of the Kim Kardashian net worth saga is what it’s based on. With many rich people, their fame comes from some unique talent or skill. Musicians create music. Actors act. Business people make something or sell something that catches on because it’s unique and valuable to consumers in some way. It’s only after their success that fame comes, as an add-on.

Kim Kardashian has tipped the fame/money equation on its head. Yes, she sells things. The biggest contributor to the Kardashian’s earnings is perfume sales. But Kardashian didn’t initially get famous because her perfume sold so well. Nor did she win fame for her skill at acting, though she has some acting chops now. She’s not a musician or an artist. She didn’t at first do any of the things that generally make people famous.

Instead, Kardashian’s wealth came second, after she got famous. The thing that launched her into fame was not a skill or talent, but a lawsuit over an illegally released sex tape. Still, in a society where spectacle has value, perhaps she did provide a service. She gave people a bigger spectacle to watch. The superstar has brilliantly capitalized on that fame. Once she had it, she used it to sell perfume, books, get TV shows and endorsement deals, building an ever larger Kim Kardashian net worth.