Judge Judy’s Net Worth is $480 Million
Who is TV’s reigning boss? A Kardashian, perhaps? A famous news anchor? Nope, it’s Judge Judy, the feisty American lawyer–turned–family court judge who has America hooked.
Aging like fine wine, she’s been among the top-billing TV stars for ages, and has a bank balance to prove it. As of 2023, our queen of daytime TV is rocking a $480 million in the bank.
So how did this Brooklynite master her own TV court and amass a fortune that even lottery winners would drool over? Advise the stenographer to stretch their hands because this story is as fascinating as it is long, demonstrating wit, resilience, and that unmistakable New York sass. Join us while we dive into the life, career, and insane net worth of this TV legend.
| Name | Judith Susan Sheindlin (née Blum) |
| Profession | American Prosecutor, Family Court Judge, Television Personality, Author |
| Net Worth | $480 Million (as of 2023) |
| Birthplace | Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Birthday | October 21, 1942 (Libra) |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft. 1 in. (155 cm) |
| Relationship Status | Married |
On the Bench: Judy’s Early Career and Breakthrough
Judy Sheindlin (you might know her as Judge Judy) started her story in a gritty Brooklyn neighborhood, the daughter of German-Jewish and Russian-Jewish parents. Little Judith Susan Blum was already a go-getter. She smashed glass ceilings left and right, being the only girl in her class at New York Law School (class of ’65) and passing the bar the same year. Initially Judy jumped into private practice, but she took a detour when she became a mother.
By 1972, Judy was back in the game as a prosecuting attorney in the jungle that is New York City’s family court. She deftly dealt with her cases and quickly earning a solid reputation. Mayor Ed Koch took notice of this fireball and appointed her a judge in the Bronx branch of the family court in 1982. From then on, there was no stopping Judy.
Sheindlin quickly climbed the ladder and by 1986, she’d bagged the gig of supervising judge in the family court’s Manhattan branch, a role she would occupy for a decade. Her refreshingly brutal honesty gained her some much-deserved love (and probably a few raised eyebrows), not just from people in the Big Apple, but also from the nosy media.
Fast forward to 1993. Judy’s larger-than-life personality landed her a cameo on “60 Minutes”. She dropped a bombshell of a book in 1996 (I mean, with a title like Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It’s Raining: America’s Toughest Family Court Judge Speaks Out, how could you not love it?). The plot twist came when TV execs approached her about ruling the roost on a courtroom show, similar to The People’s Court. Boy, did she nail it! Judge Judy was born, and so was her famously snappy style on the bench.
After Justice: Revenues from Judy’s Primary Career
The addictive drama of Judge Judy drew in viewers in droves, and allowed Judy to pull in a nice payday. From 2012 to 2020, the lady behind the bench was cashing in $47 million gross a year.
Rather than rest on that substantial laurel, Judy, in an epic move, sold the rights to her show with thousands of episodes from the past and in the future to CBS in 2017 for a staggering $100 million. This seriously boosted her bank account and secured her status as one of the top moneymaking TV hosts.
Cutting to 2021, after a quarter century, the beloved court show wrapped up. But don’t be fooled, Judy was far from ready to retire. Later that year, she returned to our screens with a new show, Judy Justice, now streaming on IMDb TV. It’s not yet clear how much dough she’s making from this fresh gig, but judging by her track record, she negotiated decent compensation.
Beyond the Bench: Judy’s Other Revenues
That quick-tongued, sharp-witted lady who becomes a meme every other day didn’t earn the big bucks only by laying down the law on TV—she also has a ton of smart investments to her name.
Back in 2014, she took a leap into TV production and created her own company, Queen Bee Productions. They’ve made a bunch of those intense real-life, courtroom-style TV shows like Hot Bench. And guess what? This move didn’t only stoke her rep, it also seriously padded her bank account.
On Land, Sea, and Air: Judy’s Notable Possessions
With a bank account bulging with hundreds of millions, Judge Judy has a collection of toys that is just as sprawling as your wildest dreams. From chic estates to killer wheels to a private jet, this lady sure knows how to spend it.
This property powerhouse has a taste for spreads that are anything but ordinary. She owns a stunning 12.5-acre Connecticut estate that cost her $13.2 million, boasting more than 20,000 square feet of welcoming comfort. In 2013, Judy snagged an upscale five-bed home in Montage Beverly Hills for $10.7 million. The same year, she went all out and bought a duplex penthouse at 14 Sutton Place South in Midtown East for $8.5 million. Add to that, a beachfront manor in Naples, Florida, for $8.6 million and a swanky Rhode Island estate known as the ‘Bird House’ for $9 million. Now that’s a property spree!
Fact: Judge Judy has more than just one Bentley, the British maker of some of the swankiest cars and SUVs out there. She’ll easily zip between the East Coast and L.A. in her own private jet when recording her hit show.
Judy’s love for the high seas pops up in her luxury yacht collection, too. Sterling Yachts along with Bannenberg & Rowell built her a chic $16 million sea cruiser back in 1985.
Sure, Judy’s got plenty of dough to splash on life’s luxuries, but she’s also got a heart that knows when to give back. After all, her alliance Her Honor Mentoring, and her acts of funding public debate spots in universities, do highlight her generous side.
Judge Jerry: Judy’s Personal Life
Every day, Judge Judy dishes out justice with her razor-sharp wit and no-nonsense attitude, but behind the scenes, she’s deep into family and love.
Judy Sheindlin, the Brooklyn girl we know as Judge Judy today, was born as Judith Susan Blum, the only child to German and Russian Jewish parents. Growing up, she thought the world of her dad Murray, a dentist, whom she joked was “the greatest thing since sliced bread.” Her mom Ethel, the office manager, was everything you’d call a “meat and potatoes kind of gal.”
Judy’s first walk down the aisle was in 1964 when she tied the knot with Ronald Levy, a prosecutor in the juvenile court. The couple had two kids together: Jamie Hartwright and Adam Levy. After 12 years and some memories later, they called it quits in 1976.
But Judy hadn’t given up on love and marriage. The very next year, she married Jerry Sheindlin, a fellow lawyer who later leveled up to a judge of the New York State’s Supreme Court. They got divorced in 1990. They didn’t stay apart for too long, however, and were hitched again a year later. Now they have three stepchildren—Gregory, Jonathan, and Nicole Sheindlin—and 13 grandchildren.
Inside the Winning Love Story of Judge Judy and Husband Jerry Sheindlin https://t.co/vdl6NFZY3y pic.twitter.com/0KPd06DFxG
— Fausto Enrique Abreu (@Fausto_Enrique) June 25, 2021
Cool tidbit: Judy was the one who got down on one knee for Jerry. Talk about reverse roles, huh? And they’ve shared many touchy-feely moments, like performing the wedding ceremonies for all four of their happily hitched kids.
A Judge Gets Sued: Judy’s Major Events
Even Judge Judy, with all her courtroom swagger, hasn’t managed to dodge every curveball thrown her way. Her highlight reel comes with a couple of real jaw-droppers that’d make for some juicy gossip at your next dinner party.
First on our list went down in March 2013. Judge Judy got herself tangled up in a lawsuit. Patrice Jones, the soon-to-be-ex wife of Randy Douthit (the big boss of Judy’s show), freaked out when she found out Douthit had sold Sheindlin some fancy Christofle plates and Marley cutlery that were technically hers. Allegedly, Sheindlin only paid $50,815. When Jones found out, she demanded $514,421 from Sheindlin. But instead of making it a big courtroom drama, Sheindlin sent the silverware back to Douthit and called it quits, settling everything outside the court.
A year later, in March 2014, Sheindlin sued John Haymond, a personal-injury lawyer from Hartford, and his law firm. Sheindlin claims Haymond misused her TV image in their ads, making it look like she’s endorsing them (spoiler: she did not). She wanted compensation—$75,000—for this unsolicited cameo. This messy situation ended on a good note, with the case settling out of court and Haymond agreeing to fund Sheindlin’s charity, Her Honor Mentoring.
