Judge Judy Sheindlin, the famous television personality has an estimated net worth of $400 million according to Forbes. Judge Judy is renowned for her long-standing eponymous daytime court show which was first aired in 1996 and is still broadcasted today. Judge Judy set a new precedent in the courtroom with her no-nonsense approach to legal disputes. Judge Judy’s success on the small screen has enabled her to amass an impressive wealth which includes real estate holdings and income generated from other ventures. As one of the most recognizable faces in television, Judge Judy’s continued success makes it clear that there is good money to be made in providing justice.
What’s Judge Judy’s net worth and salary?
Judge Judy, also known as Judith Sheindlin in America, is a television star and a family court judge who has accumulated a net worth $440 million. Although “The Real World”, is often cited as the origin of reality TV, there have been other forms of reality television that have existed for longer. Since before television was invented, TV shows that featured real people suing one another over a range of issues have existed. The first court dramas were broadcast on radio and then moved to television. They have been in popular use since the mid-1940s. The semi-popular court show “The People’s Court”, which aired from 1981-1993 and was then rebroadcast in 1997, was the one that set the foundation for today’s court programming. The reigning queen of court shows, however, is “Judge Judy”, which was hosted by Judith Sheindlin, a retired Manhattan judge. After its 1996 debut, “Judge Judy”, which aired 6,280 episodes in 25 seasons, ended in July 2021. Judy was consistently the highest-paid person on television by a mile.
Judge Judy Sheindlin Salary
Judy is the most highly-paid entertainer on the planet. She earned $47 million annually during the peak of her syndicated shows. In 2005, her salary was $15 million annually. In 2010, she negotiated a new contract, which resulted in her almost $50 million annual salary.
Judy shared the secrets to her $47 million salary negotiation. Here’s how it ended:
- First Judy wrote down her annual salary on a piece paper.
- Then, she sealed the envelope and placed the paper inside.
- She then drew the envelope across the table to the CBS executive responsible for talent compensation at the end of the lunch meeting.
- Finally, she refused to take no for an explanation.
Judy worked 52 days per year when the syndicated program was being broadcast. This translated to approximately $900,000.
Re-Run Sale
Judy made a simple request to CBS during her 2015 contract negotiations. She wanted CBS to grant her rights to her entire archive of episodes. CBS was reluctant to comply with her request at the time because they didn’t believe there would be much demand for her older episodes.
Judge Judy earned $147 million between June 2017 and June 2018. After CBS bought back all the old episodes, an additional $100 million was made.
Early Life
Judge Judy was born Judith Susan Blum, Brooklyn, New York. Judy Sheindlin is her married name. After graduating from James Madison High School, she attended American University in Washington DC. Judge Judy received her college degree from American University in government. She then began her law degree at Washington College of Law. Judge Judy was the only woman in her class of 126 students. After completing her law degree at New York Law School, she continued on to graduate.
Law Career
She passed the 1965 bar exam and was hired immediately as a corporate lawyer at a cosmetics company. Judy left the job after two years because she was unhappy with it. She went on to have her children. She was a family court prosecutor since 1972. After being appointed as a judge in New York’s criminal court, she was also the supervising judge for the New York family court system. Judy was responsible for prosecuting domestic violence and child abuse cases. Her no-nonsense approach and tough judging style were well-known. She was profiled in Los Angeles Times and 60 Minutes. In 1996, she published the book “Don’t Pee on my Leg and Tell me It’s Raining”. She retired shortly after having heard more than 20,000 cases.
The Judge Judy Show
Judy received national attention after her 60 Minutes special. She was offered the role of Judy in a reality television courtroom show. It would feature real cases and real rulings. On September 16, 1996, Judy accepted the offer. She began her own court show, Judge Judy, which has been the most watched television show for 15 years. In September 2019, the show’s 24th season ended. It regularly draws 10 million viewers daily. In 2009, Judge Judy became the first TV series to attract more viewers in the day than “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. According to a 2013 Reader’s Digest poll, Judge Judy was more trusted than the United States Supreme Court justices. Judge Judy was named the Guinness World Records’ longest-serving judge on a television show that featured courtroom scenes in 2015. CBS extended Judge Judy’s contract for four more seasons in March 2015. The current season will expire in 2020-2021. Judge Judy announced that the series would end on “The Ellen Degeneres Show”, March 2020. Judy Justice is a new program in development and will air in 2022.
Judge Judy has been interviewed by thousands of news, cable and talk broadcasts throughout her career. She has been on “Entertainment Tonight”, The Wendy Williams Show, “The View,” Larry King Live,” The Tonight Show,” The Tonight Show,” The Tonight Show,” The Tonight Show,” The Tonight Show,” The Tonight Show,” The Tonight Show,” 20/20,” Dateline NBC” and many other programs. Judy appeared as a surprise guest on “Saturday Night Live” October 1998. She did so during Cheri Oteri’s parody of her. Judy was a Miss America judge in 1999. On February 21, 2000, the Biography Channel broadcast a documentary about Judy called “Judge Judy: Sitting In Judgement.” The documentary captured her entire childhood and reflected on her life. Judge Judy shared previously unknown fun facts about her life and career in a two-hour interview with Katie Couric for Archive of American Television. Judy launched “IWitness,” a game-show that ran for six consecutive weeks in 2017. It tested contestants’ observational skills by asking them to watch video clips and then compete to recall the most quickly. After a slanderous incident in which they falsely claimed Judy had cheated her husband and was suffering with Alzheimer’s Disease, the National Enquirer issued Judge Judy a formal apology. Judy was featured on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, where she mocked her husband.
Judy published six books after the success of her first one.
Personal life
Judy had a mini-stroke on March 11, 2011. While reviewing a case, she fainted while on set. The next day, she was discharged from the hospital.
In 1965, Judy married Ronald Levy. After 12 years of marriage, they had two children. She married Judge Jerry Sheindlin in 1977. He was a judge on The People’s Court during the ’90s. In 1990, they divorced and remarried one-year later. She is a stepmother to Jerry, and has 13 grandchildren.
Judy is an independent registered voter and supports same-sex marriage. She ran for President in 2020 alongside Mike Bloomberg.
Judge Judy brought a lawsuit against John Haymond, a personal injury lawyer, and his company in 2014. Haymond was accused of using her TV image for advertisements that claimed she supported their company without her consent or knowledge. After she had told Haymond to stop, the ads continued to be produced. The lawsuit sought damages of more than $75,000. The case was settled in court with a favorable resolution for Judy.
Judge Judy Net Worth History
- 2009 – $50 Million
- 2010 – 75 Million
- 2011 – $130 Million
- 2012 – $150 Million
- 2013 – $230 Million
- 2014 – $250 Million
- 2015 – $300 Million
- 2016 – $320 Million
- 2017 – $350 Million
- 2018 – $380 Million
- 2019 – $400 Million
- 2020 – $420 Million
- 2021 – $430 Million
- 2022 – $440 Million
Real Estate
Judy Sheindlin has a large portfolio of real estate, which is worth more than $100 million.
For tax purposes, her primary residence is a $13million ocean-view home in Naples. Her $11 million mansion is located in Naples.
Judy and Jerry also have a 9-bedroom Greenwich mansion that they purchased for $13.2million in 2007. This 12.5-acre property is now worth likely more than $20 million.
They paid $10.7million for a Beverly Hills 5-bedroom condo in 2013
They have a New York City pied a terre worth $8.5 million.
Judy and Jerry spent $9 Million to purchase a Newport, Rhode Island home in August 2018.
