10 of the richest Drag Race stars of 2024 – net worths, ranked: from RuPaul herself to her best friend and fellow judge Michelle Visage, entrepreneur Trixie Mattel and ‘comedy queen’ Bianca del Rio
When RuPaul’s Drag Race aired its very first season on Logo TV back in 2009, little did we know the low-budget reality competition would become an award-winning, worldwide success.
While the original American series has gone from strength to strength, it’s also paved the way for British, Australian, Chilean, Thai, Canadian, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, French, Philippine, Belgian, Swedish, Mexican, Brazilian and German editions, with even more countries in the pipeline.
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In fact, it’s not uncommon for drag queens to become millionaires these days. Thanks to the show’s increasing popularity, past contestants like Latrice Royale, Katya Zamolodchikova, Willam Belli, Shangela and Courtney Act have all joined the millionaires’ club, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
But which Drag Race stars have accumulated the largest fortunes until now? Here’s how they stack up.
10. Raven, 44 – US$2 million
David Petruschin, best known as Raven, became a household name when she appeared on the second season of Drag Race. While she didn’t win, she later nabbed an off-camera job as RuPaul’s make-up artist, which has since landed her various Emmy nominations and a win for season 12. Now focusing her efforts mainly on film and television projects as a make-up artist and guest star, Raven has become one wealthy queen.
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9. Violet Chachki, 31 – US$2.5 million
8. Alyssa Edwards, 44 – US$3 million
Long before Drag Race, Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson’s alter ego Alyssa Edwards was an award-winning pageant queen. But it was her participation in season five and All Stars 2 that saw the tongue-clicking queen’s career reach new heights. These days, Edwards owns and operates dance studio Beyond Belief Dance Company in Texas, which led to the docu-series, Dancing Queen, produced by RuPaul.
7. Chad Michaels, 52 – US$3 million
Chad Michaels, arguably the world’s most famous Cher impersonator, made a name for herself in season four and eventually returned to win the first season of All Stars. She now produces and performs in the drag show Dreamgirls Revue and has embarked on plenty of international tours over the years. Celebrity Net Worth puts her net worth at US$3 million.
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6. Derrick Barry, 40 – US$3 million
5. Alaska, 38 – US$3.4 million
Viewers were first introduced to Alaska, born Justin Andrew Honard, as season three winner Sharon Needles’ partner. By season five she bagged herself a spot in the race, and by All Stars 2 she finally won the crown. Since then, she’s released four studio albums, appeared on shows like Hell’s Kitchen and Drag Me to Dinner, and released a memoir called My Name’s Yours, What’s Alaska?
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4. Bianca Del Rio, 48 – US$4 million
When comedian Roy Haylock, better known as Bianca Del Rio, won Drag Race’s sixth season, she became the first “comedy queen” to do so. She fast became a worldwide sensation, touring internationally and becoming the first drag queen to headline London’s Wembley Arena. She’s also starred in her very own film, Hurricane Bianca, and appeared on both the film and West End adaptations of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. She has a net worth of US$4 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.
3. Michelle Visage, 55 – US$5 million
As RuPaul’s best friend and fellow judge, Visage has become a stalwart in the drag community without even being a drag queen herself. Besides her long-time role on the American version, she also serves as a permanent judge on spin-off series RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. Drag Race aside, she’s also competed in reality shows like Celebrity Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing. She has US$5 million in the bank, per Celebrity Net Worth.
2. Trixie Mattel, 34 – US$10 million
Is there anything Trixie Mattel can’t do? After a lukewarm debut on Drag Race’s seventh season, Brian Michael Firkus, better known by the stage name Trixie Mattel, went on to win All Stars 3. Since then, she’s pretty much done it all. From her country album releases, music tours and comedy shows with Katya to her documentary Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts, Mattel has become one of Drag Race’s biggest success stories.
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These days, she also co-owns Wisconsin’s oldest LGBTQ bar, This Is It!, has her own Trixie Cosmetics line and runs the Trixie Motel in Palm Springs. Celebrity Net Worth puts her net worth at US$10 million.
1. RuPaul Charles, 63 – US$60 million
It comes as no surprise that RuPaul’s Drag Race’s wealthiest star is, well, RuPaul herself. And rightly so. Thanks to Ru’s dedication to all things drag, what started off as a small show on a tiny network has become one of the most watched and awarded TV series of our time.
Thanks to Drag Race’s many successful seasons, international spin-offs, tours, residencies and even Drag Cons, RuPaul is officially the world’s wealthiest drag queen with a hefty net worth of around US$60 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.
- RuPaul’s Drag Race has come a long way since its humble conception in 2009 – today, it’s in its 16th season, having won 29 Emmy Awards as well as inspiring successful international editions
- Drag queens are now wealthy pop culture icons, with season 7 winner Violet Chachki walking the runway at Milan Fashion Week and Britney Spears impersonator Derrick Barry performing alongside Madonna