Getty $100 bills lay in stacks
When “The Renovator” debuts on HGTV this fall, its host will become the richest personality on the network by far. Though many of HGTV’s celebrity hosts have sizeable bank accounts, estimates put Marcus Lemonis far ahead of the pack when it comes to net worth. Here’s a look at his series, his wealth, and how it compares to HGTV’s richest stars…
Marcus Lemonis Will Host ‘The Renovator’ on HGTV
HGTVMarcus Lemonis outside a house seen on HGTV’s ‘The Renovator’
On October 11, 2022, HGTV will premiere “The Renovator,” hosted by uber-successful businessman and media personality Marcus Lemonis, who will use his gift for fixing businesses in chaos to tackle the messes he finds in family homes, from the physical surroundings to personal dynamics. His goal is to leave each family on the show with a renovated, functional home and better personal systems for communicating and thriving together.
In a statement via HGTV, Lemonis said, “Throughout the season, I met some amazing families who needed someone on their side to provide solutions that transform their homes into ideal spaces and help strengthen their relationships.”
Viewers may recognize Lemonis from his CNBC show, “The Profit,” which aired its eighth and final season in 2021. He is also the CEO of Camping World, the largest RV retailer in the world, and an investor in dozens of small businesses.
At 48 years old, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Lemonis has amassed an estimated net worth of $500 million. He and his wife own multiple homes, including an $18 million New York townhouse and a $3.39 million condo along Chicago’s Gold Coast, both purchased in 2021.
Lemonis enjoys spending some of his fortune to support people and causes he cares about, including recent donations to his alma maters. In February, he donated $15 million to Marquette University in Milwaukee, which he graduated from in 1995, to help build the Lemonis Center for Student Success. In December 2021, he shocked the staff of the Miami high school he attended by giving every single staff member $18,000.
How Do HGTV Stars’ Net Worths Compare to Their New Colleague?
GettyHGTV hosts (L-R) Alison Victoria, Christina Hall, David Bromstad, and Jonathan Knight in 2019
HGTV has turned many unknown home experts into stars, and has also hired established celebrities to appear on its shows. But if Lemonis’ estimated $500 million net worth is accurate, he still tops the list of wealthiest hosts on the network.
Here’s how some of HGTV’s wealthiest stars compare…
Back in 2017, Fast Company reported that “Property Brothers” hosts Jonathan and Drew Scott were the highest-paid stars on HGTV, raking in $75,000 to $150,000 per episode of their shows. With their product lines, endorsements, book deals, and appearances added into the mix, Celebrity Net Worth estimated their fortune at $100 million each in early 2022.
The twins did just ink a new three-year deal with HGTV and its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, but financial terms were not disclosed. However, the likelihood they’ve each reached a $500 million net worth is low, given the most recent estimates for them.
Mike Holmes, star of “Holmes on Homes,” has been filming home improvement shows in Canada since 2001, with lots of series under his belt, a family-run renovation company, book deals and his Make It Right branding, which have resulted in an estimated $30 million net worth.
Also hailing from Canada, Bryan and Sarah Baeumler have become renovation stars there and in the U.S., with an estimated combined net worth of $20 million. It’s not clear if that estimate was determined before the Baeumlers purchased and renovated a resort in the Bahamas, featured on HGTV’s “Renovation Island,” just before the pandemic hit and money issues became a huge concern for the couple on the show.
Former “Flip or Flop” host Tarek El Moussa was recently estimated by Celebrity Net Worth to have a net worth of $15 million. However, he is busily leveraging the notoriety he’s gained on HGTV to build his wealth, recently launching real estate investment firm TEM Capital. He also has two new two new HGTV shows — “Flipping 101” and “The Flipping El Moussas,” which will premiere in 2023 with his second wife, real estate broker Heather Rae El Moussa, who also appears on Netflix’s “Selling Sunset.”
Meanwhile, El Moussa’s first wife, Christina Hall, is growing her own wealth portfolio with two HGTV shows of her own, “Christina in the Country” and “Christina on the Coast.” She also endorses multiple brands, including Mattress Firm, CLICS hair color, and Jacuzzi. Online estimates of her net worth range from $10 million to $25 million.
One of the first people to find stardom in the home improvement television genre in the early 2000s was Ty Pennington, serving as a carpenter on TLC’s “Trading Spaces” and then as the high-energy host of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” where he was eventually making $75,000 per episode.
Pennington parlayed that fame into book deals, product endorsements, and additional series, including hosting competitions like “Ty Breakers” and “Rock the Block” on HGTV. Online estimates put Pennington’s net worth at $12 million, but that does not include revenue from his Pennington Properties real estate development firm, which opened newly-renovated condos at The Otis Building in Atlanta in June.
Most recent estimates for Erin and Ben Napier, who rose to fame with HGTV’s hit show “Home Town” and its various spinoffs, suggest the couple has a net worth of $5 million. But chances are good that number is rising rapidly, given that new seasons of “Home Town” and “Home Town Takeover” are in the works, Erin’s first children’s book just became a New York Times bestseller, and the couple opened Scotsman Manufacturing in 2022, hiring 85 employees in their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, to manufacture the products they sell — from cast iron skillets to butcher blocks.
And what about Chip and Joanna Gaines? The home renovation superstars left HGTV in 2018, but even if they were still on the network, it’s likely Lemonis’ wealth would still eclipse theirs. In June, Parade Magazine estimated their combined net worth at $50 million — the result of their success on “Fixer Upper,” book deals, real estate investments, and more.
The Gaines do have the capability of making much more, though; in 2021, they partnered with HGTV’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, to launch their Magnolia Network as a joint venture, meaning they own a significant percentage of the network and stand to make a pretty penny as it grows in viewership and ad dollars.
HGTV’s Celebrity Hosts Have Massive Wealth, Too
HGTV has hired several established celebrities to star in home renovation shows in recent years, as they’re doing with Marcus Lemonis. But even those stars haven’t made as much as his estimated $500 million net worth.
In the summer of 2022, actress Melissa McCarthy hosted “The Great Giveback” with her cousin Jenna Perusich. Celebrity Net Worth estimates McCarthy has a net worth of $90 million, thanks to her movie and TV roles, the production company she owns with husband Ben Falcone, and her clothing line called Seven7. It’s not yet known if “The Great Giveback” will get a second season.
Another celebrity host, rapper and producer Lil’ Jon, just had his show — “Lil’ Jon Wants To Do What?” — picked up for a second season. His estimated net worth is $30 million, made through not only his musical endeavors, but also by owning a wine company, producing an energy drink called Crunk, lending his name to a line of Oakley sunglasses, and doing high-end home design for clients.
Jonathan Knight was already a star when he landed his popular HGTV show, “Farmhouse Fixer.” The New Kids on the Block member amassed most of his fortune — estimated at $14 million — in the boy band, which still tours periodically. But since the height of NKOTB’s fame, he turned to another passion: renovating barns and farmhouses in New England, which is the focus of his show.
Singer and choreographer Todrick Hall will soon have his own HGTV show, when “Battle of the Bling” premieres in late 2022. Celebrity Net Worth estimates his net worth at $4 million based on his early success — after appearing on “American Idol” in 2009 — on Broadway, in viral music videos and choreographing for stars like Taylor Swift. But the estimate may not have included recent successes, including his 2022 concert tour. After being sued for unpaid rent on the LA mansion where he was living, he bought the house in June for $6.1 million.