Wendy Williams has been a prominent voice in entertainment journalism for over thirty years. Known for her witty catchphrases and hot tea, her voice is one that fans can count on for the hottest news.
However, her tea isn’t the only thing that’s hot. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Williams is worth a scorching $40 million. They estimate that she makes $10 million per year from her nationally syndicated television talk show “The Wendy Williams Show” that she’s been hosting since 2008.
Clearly, she’s come a long way from making $3.75 an hour at her first radio gig back in 1986, according to Closer Weekly. Williams was a fresh college graduate from Northeastern University and landed an on-air talent position at a radio station in the Virgin Islands, Williams shared in an Instagram post.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUhQRQpB04j/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
“I made $3.75/hour and loved every second of it. I was on my own and lived in a small apartment,” she wrote on Instagram. “It was an amazing experience and really helped launch my career.”
Her claim to fame came in 2001 when she launched her syndicated radio show “The Wendy Williams Experience” on WBLS in New York. The show was on until 2009, raking in over 12 million listeners, according to Women’s Health Magazine. During that time, Williams made culturally historic moments like the iconic Whitney Houston interview and developed a no-holds-barred reputation that propelled her to being inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
In 2008, Williams became a household name when she pivoted her career onto television and debuted her daytime talk show “The Wendy Williams Show.” Lately, though, fans of the show have been noticing a string of “special guest hosts” like Sherri Shepherd, Remy Ma, Fat Joe, and Bill Bellamy. That’s because Williams is taking some time away from her show to recover from her reported health issues.
In short, Wendy Williams has become nothing short of an entertainment juggernaut. Let’s take a look at all the other ways Wendy Williams makes her money.
Editorial note: The net worth listed in this piece is a speculative estimate drawn from a variety of online sources.
Books
Wendy Williams is the author of three non-fiction books. Her first book, “Wendy’s Got the Heat,” was co-written with New York Daily News journalist Karen Hunter in 2003. The book debuted at No. 9 on the New York Times bestseller list.
Just one year later, she released “The Wendy Williams Experience,” which was a much more salacious book than her autobiography.
And in May 2013, she released “Ask Wendy,” which was part self-help, part practical advice.
Music and Comedy
When Wendy Williams interviewed Blu Cantrell in 2003, the R&B diva released the interview on a bonus DVD to accompany her album, “Bittersweet.”
Williams has also released compilation albums on Virgin Records — now part of the Universal Music Group family of record labels — which are more “mixtapes” of sorts featuring some of her favorite Hip-Hop artists.
Endorsements
In addition to being a spokesperson for Alizé liquors, Wendy Williams had her own clothing, shoes, and wig line on HSN.
Real Estate
In October 2021, OK! Magazine reported that Wendy Williams dropped $4.5 million on a Manhattan high-rise apartment. Located in the Financial District, her three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2400-square-foot abode is in a high-rise luxury building that features top-of-the-line amenities like a swimming pool and a private gym.
