Judge Judy's net worth

Judge Judy's net worth is estimated at $440 million.

How did Judge Judy build her net worth?

Judge Judy's net worth has been built on her incredibly successful career as an on-screen judge.

It may not be a well-known fact, but Judy Sheindlin, aka Judge Judy, was the highest-paid woman on US TV by dispensing hard-hitting, no-nonsense legal advice to real people with real-life legal problems while the cameras rolled. In her previous life, she adjudicated small claims in family court and was feted as one of the toughest family court judges in the country.

It all started when the LA Times ran an article about her in 1993. After "60 Minutes" aired a segment on her, Sheindlin was offered a book deal with Harper Collins, published in 1996, titled "Don't Pee On My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining." Harper Collins was unhappy with the title, but the book sold nearly 217,000 copies.

Kaye Switzer and Sandi Spreckman, two talent scouts, sensed a pot of gold and, in March 1995, asked Sheindlin if she would like to preside over her courtroom series, which she accepted.

Sheindlin stated that she only saw the courtroom show lasting two to three seasons, but she was wrong. The show had a phenomenal run with Judge Judy at the helm when it premiered in 1996, and 25 seasons later, it concluded its run in 2021. However, there is a neverending loop of syndications of her show which only increases her net worth.

Toward the end of her career as a TV judge, Sheindlin was grossing $47 million a year. Her contract stated that she only had to work 52 days a year. The producers filmed ten to twelve cases every 52 days it was taped. This made up a week's worth of episodes, all done within one day. So, effectively once a week, she earned a phenomenal $900,000 just for shouting at the plaintiffs and defendants and banging her gavel.

It is no mean feat to become an alumnus of the Guinness World Records, and in 2015, Judge Judy took her place as the longest-serving judge in TV history.

However, those who are devastated at Judge Judy ending her run and enjoyed the mundane and repetitious "court" drama, fear not as "Judge Judy" has transformed into "Judy Justice," which airs on IMDB TV and is set to add a few more bank notes to her pile.

How has Judge Judy spent her wealth?

Judy Sheindlin's real estate portfolio reads like the total listings in a top-tier real estate agency. She owns two properties in Naples (not Italy) — an $11 million penthouse with its lagoon and a mansion a stone's throw away from the penthouse that set her back $8.6 million.

Moving on, her primary residence is a $13.2 million nine-bedroom manor in trendy Greenwich (not England). A home away from home in Beverly Hills is what she likes to call her $10.7 million, five-bedroom condo in a gated community. Scheindlin often travels from LA to her duplex with four bedrooms on the Upper East Side of New York.

Last but not least is the home that she purchased for $9 million. It is known as the "Bird House" because it is perched at the highest point in Newport.

With all these properties, it's a safe bet that Judy is not traveling by coach. No, she has her private jet to make her trips from LA to New York and back more bearable. No kidding!

Given her fierce reputation in the courtroom, who in their right mind would want to face the formidable judge Judy across the aisle? But Scheindlin has been legally tied up with suits and countersuits over the years. She doesn't defend herself but pays the big bucks for the best legal advice.

We're not quite sure what she means when she says she "spoils" her 13 grandchildren, but we're pretty sure they don't just get candy floss and ice cream like any other grandma would pay for.

Is anyone surprised that Scheindlin used to own a 152-foot yacht aptly named "Triumphant Lady," which she sold for $6.9 million?

Judy is quite the socialite and numbers many A-listers among her friends. We're talking about Bette Midler, Amy Poehler, Samuel L. Jackson, RuPaul, and many more. You can't just invite them to a bring and barbeque; no, you have to entertain in style with crazily prized dinners for which we heard Judy picks up the tab.

They say the small things mount up, and can you imagine how much money she has spent on her favorite food — the McDonald's Egg McMuffin she ate every day while filming her show.

You win some, you lose some, and Judy admitted to waving goodbye to a couple of cars after Hurricane Ian hit Florida. Never mind, she has her favorite Bentley convertible and her other ride, a Lexus, in which she swans around when in Los Angeles.

FAQs

How rich is Judge Judy?

Judge Judy's net worth is estimated at $440 million, making her the richest TV judge.

Is Judge Judy a millionaire?

Judge Judy is a multi-millionaire who made $47 million a year from her "Judge Judy" series. In fact, she's nearly halfway to billionaire status.