Martha Stewart Net Worth 2026: How Rich Is the RHONY ‘Friend Of’?

Martha Stewart is estimated to have a net worth of $400 million in 2026. The entrepreneur, television personality, author, and lifestyle expert built her fortune by turning her expertise in cooking, entertaining, gardening, and home design into a massive media and merchandising brand.

Stewart’s career has stretched across books, magazines, television, retail products, licensing deals, restaurants and digital media. At the height of her business success, her stake in Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia was worth approximately $1.2 billion, briefly making her America’s first self-made female billionaire.

Now 85, Stewart remains active in business and television — and she recently added RHONY guest star to her long list of credits.

Key Fact

Net Worth: $400 million

Age: 85

Hometown: Jersey City, New Jersey

Career: Entrepreneur, TV personality, author, publisher

Notable Shows: “Martha Stewart Living,” “The Martha Stewart Show,” “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party”

Former Spouse: Andrew Stewart

Children: Alexis Stewart

How Did Martha Stewart Make Her Money?

Stewart’s $400 million fortune came from building one of the best-known lifestyle brands in the country.

She began modeling as a teenager and continued while attending Barnard College. After graduating, Stewart worked as a stockbroker on Wall Street before eventually leaving the financial industry.

Her next move changed her career. Stewart started a catering business from her Connecticut home in 1976, and her work eventually caught the attention of publishing executive Alan Mirken.

That connection led to Stewart’s first book, “Entertaining,” in 1982. The book became a bestseller and helped establish her as an expert on food, parties, and entertaining.

More books followed, along with magazine, television and retail opportunities.

Her Martha Stewart Living Empire Made Her a Billionaire

Stewart launched “Martha Stewart Living” magazine in 1990, followed by a television version in 1993.

She eventually consolidated her television, publishing, and merchandising businesses under Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

When the company went public in October 1999, Stewart owned more than 34 million super-voting Class B shares. Her stake was worth approximately $1.2 billion at the end of the company’s first day of trading, making her America’s first self-made female billionaire.

Her fortune later declined as the company’s stock price fell.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia was acquired in 2015 in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $353 million. In 2019, Martha Stewart sold the brand again to Marquee Brands for $175 million, with the possibility of additional earnout payments.

Retail Deals Became a Major Source of Income

Retail licensing also played a huge role in Stewart’s business empire.

Her longtime partnership with Kmart produced the Martha Stewart Everyday line, which included cookware, bedding, towels, furniture, gardening supplies, paint, and other household products.

By 2002, Martha Stewart-branded merchandise generated about $1.5 billion in annual sales at Kmart. That figure represented retail sales rather than Stewart’s personal earnings, but it showed just how powerful her name had become as a consumer brand.

Stewart continued expanding into other ventures, including television projects, branded products, and restaurants.

She opened The Bedford by Martha Stewart at Paris Las Vegas, a restaurant inspired by her Bedford, New York, farmhouse.

Stewart Expanded Her Audience With Snoop Dogg & New Projects

Stewart found another successful television partnership with Snoop Dogg after he appeared on “The Martha Stewart Show” in 2008.

The two later teamed up for VH1’s “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party” in 2016 and continued appearing together in commercials, specials, and other projects.

Stewart has also remained active as an author. In 2024, she released “Martha: The Cookbook,” her 100th book.

Her life and career were also examined in the 2024 Netflix documentary “Martha.”

In 2023, Stewart made another unexpected career move when she appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue at age 81, becoming the oldest cover model in the publication’s history.

Martha Stewart’s Real Estate Portfolio

Real estate has also been an important part of Stewart’s life and brand.

She owned Turkey Hill in Westport, Connecticut, for more than three decades before selling it for $6.7 million in 2007.

Stewart’s properties have also included Cantitoe Corners, her sprawling farm in Katonah, New York, and Skylands, her historic estate in Seal Harbor, Maine.

She previously owned an East Hampton property that she purchased for $1.7 million in 1991 and sold for $16.5 million in 2021.

Stewart Made a Memorable RHONY Appearance

Stewart recently brought her trademark high standards to “The Real Housewives of New York City.”

During the Sept. 8 premiere, Stewart visited new RHONY cast member Daisy Toye, who is also her makeup artist.

Toye admitted she had been nervous the first time Stewart visited her two-bedroom apartment.

“The first time Martha came to my house, I was so nervous,” Toye said. “Oh my God, it’s not nice enough. But like now, I don’t care. Like, I live in a little two-bedroom apartment with popcorn ceilings. I don’t care. She loves it.”

“But my apartment’s always Martha Stewart-ready,” she added. “Always.”

Stewart put that claim to the test when she spotted a store-bought pie in Toye’s kitchen.

“What do you have in this kitchen … store-bought pie?” Stewart asked. “Oh, come on.”

After Toye blamed her husband, Eugene Toye, for the purchase, Stewart offered to help.

“I’ll teach you how to make pie, so you don’t ever have to buy a pie,” she told her.

As Bravo and Cocktails previously reported, Stewart is expected to make multiple appearances during the season.

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