Getty Kristin Cavallari arrives for the traditionnal Clive Davis party on the eve of the 60th Annual Grammy Awards on January 28, 2018, in New York
Kristin Cavallari got her start as one of the original teen stars on the MTV reality show Laguna Beach, but today she’s one wealthy lady.
The 34-year-old TV personality turned designer has an eye-popping net worth of $30 million dollars, according to Celebrity Net Worth. And while she was previously married to millionaire NFL player Jay Cutler, Cavallari’s wealth is her own thanks to her serious work ethic and the savvy business decisions she’s made over the years.
Here’s what you need to know about how Cavallari’s made her fortune:
1. Cavallari Has Been Working Since She was a Teen
GettyStephen Colletti and Kristin Cavallari attend Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week held at Smashbox Studios on March 11, 2008 in Culver City, California
Before MTV came calling when she was a junior in high school, Cavallari worked a typical teen job. She told In Style that before “Laguna Beach,” she worked as a hostess at a restaurant in Dana Point, California.
“{It was] called the Salt Creek Grille and that was a really big deal for me,” she told the outlet. “I got that job when I was 15. I want to say I made $8 an hour.”
By the time the second season of “Laguna Beach” aired, Cavallari was earning a lot more money than a typical teen makes.
“I used my paycheck to get a BMW X5,” she told InStyle. “That was a really big moment for me, especially because the car that I got when I was 16 was an 11-year-old Isuzu Trooper that broke down on me all the time. I hated it, especially being in Laguna Beach where all of my friends had brand-new Mercedes. And when I was 18, I bought my first pair of Christian Louboutin shoes.”
2. Cavallari Has an Extensive TV Resume
GettyAudrina Patridge, Kristin Cavallari, Lauren Bosworth and Stephanie Pratt attend MTV’s “The Hills Live: A Hollywood Ending” Finale event held at The Roosevelt Hotel on July 13, 2010 in Hollywood, California
Cavallari’s reality TV work goes far beyond “Laguna Beach.” She starred on the later seasons of the spinoff series, “The Hills,”after original leading lady Lauren Conrad exited the show. According to The Daily Beast, Cavallari earned $90,000 an episode for “The Hills.”
In 2011. she scored a lucrative gig on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” where she was partnered with pro dancer Mark Ballas. While she only lasted a few weeks on the celebrity ballroom competition, the show pays an upfront amount for contestants, estimated to be in the six-figure range. She later starred in her own E! reality show, “Very Cavallari,” from 2018 to 2020, per IMDB.
Cavallari also logged several acting roles in the scripted TV shows “Veronica Mars,” “CSI: NY,” and “The Middle.”
In 2021, Cavallari agreed to shoot one episode of “The Hills: New Beginnings” spinoff, and she didn’t just do it just to reunite with her California co-stars. A source told Page Six that producers were so desperate to get Cavallari to make a cameo on the show that they “hawked up a ton of dough” for a huge paycheck for her.
3. Cavallari Has Published Three Bestselling Books
Cavallari has published three books: “Balancing in Heels: My Journey to Health, Happiness and Making it All Work” and the cookbooks “True Roots” and “True Comfort.”
In an interview with Heavy, Cavallari described “True Roots” as a spring/summer cookbook and True Comfort as traditional comfort food with a healthy twist.” The books made Cavallari a New York Times Bestselling author, per Amazon.com.
4. Cavallari Runs a Successful Jewelry & Clothing Company
In 2017, Cavallari debuted her jewelry brand, Uncommon James, and the launch of her flagship store in Nashville played out on her accompanying reality show “Very Cavallari.” She also has a children’s clothing line, Little James, and most recently, she launched a sold-out skincare line.
“I’m so happy right now!” Cavallari told Grazia Gazette: The Hamptons in June 2021. “The jewelry is doing incredible, skincare did, and I want to open up another store, too, next year.”
5. Cavallari Always Wanted to Make Her Own Money
GettyKristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler attend the Uncommon James VIP Grand Opening at Uncommon James on October 25, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois
Cavallari has always been focused on making her own money. She told Grazia Gazette: “I’ve always had this work ethic in me and I’ve always wanted to make my own money. It has always been really important to me because I never wanted to rely on anybody. To me, money was freedom. It was independence.”
She added that she insisted on earning her own money even when she was married to Cutler.
“I remember my dad saying, ‘You know, you don’t have to have a job,’” she told the outlet. “And I was like, ‘No, I know. But I want one.’ I’ve always wanted to make my own money and be my own person.”
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