How does Judge Judy make and spend her fortune? Tough-talking Judy Sheindlin earned much of her US$480 million net worth from her legal reality shows – her first even beat The Oprah Winfrey Show’s ratings
- Sheindlin, 81, had a decades-long legal career before launching hit TV show Judge Judy in 1996, then Judy Justice on Amazon Freevee in 2021 – raking in millions while at one point only working 52 days a year
- She and her husband Jerry Sheindlin enjoy mansions in Beverly Hills, New York and Florida, and private jet trips – but their marriage wasn’t always happy, as they divorced in the 90s and remarried a year later
She might be 81 years old, but the woman best known for settling minor legal disputes in her fiery courtroom reality TV show will not be slowing down any time soon.
Judy Sheindlin, better known as Judge Judy, is famous for her black attire, prim hairstyles, and witty one-liners that leave her courtroom – and millions of viewers – speechless. Having passed the New York bar exam in 1965, Sheindlin quickly rose through the ranks of the city’s justice system, building a reputation as a tough-as-nails adjudicator.
After officially hanging up her robes in 1996, she leveraged her image as a no-nonsense judge to create a successful TV career, raking in millions – of viewers and dollars – since she went on air.
So just how much is she worth – and how does she splurge her fortune? Let’s take a closer look.
How much does Judge Judy make from her shows?
Judge Judy became famous for her straight-talking, no-holds-barred approach to legal disputes in her TV series of the same name. She earned a whopping US$47 million per year from the show between 2012 and 2020, per Forbes.
Although her long-running series ended in 2021, after 25 years on TV screens, the show returned on Amazon Freevee under a new name, Judy Justice. It features a similar format as before: a mock courtroom TV drama solving minor claims disputes. Her estimated net worth as of June 2023 is US$480 million, according to Forbes.
