Bethenny Frankel is an American television personality, philanthropist, entrepreneur and author known for her appearances on reality TV shows like The Real Housewives of New York City and The Apprentice: Martha Stewart.
She is the founder of Skinnygirl and BStrong, a disaster relief initiative, and has authored self-help books.
Frankel has been involved in various ventures, from a party-planning business to a baking company.
Recently, she has been advocating for improved pay and working conditions for reality TV performers, aiming to form a union in the industry.
| Net worth | $80 million |
| Profession | TV personality, philanthropist, entrepreneur, author |
| Date of birth | November 4, 1970 |
| Nationality | American |
Background
Frankel was born on November 4, 1970 in New York City and is of mixed Ashkenazi Jewish and Welsh ancestry.
She graduated from New York University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communication.
Frankel’s parents are Robert J. Frankel and Bernadette Birk.
Her father was a horse trainer, while her mother was an interior designer.
When Frankel was 4 years old, her father left her mother, who then remarried John Parisella.
Frankel had a difficult childhood due to her mother’s drinking and frequent violent arguments with her stepfather.
Prior to her television and entrepreneurial career, Frankel worked various odd jobs, including as an assistant to Jerry and Linda Bruckheimer and as a production assistant on the set of Saved by the Bell.
Net worth
Frankel’s estimated net worth is $80 million.
She made her fortune primarily through her business ventures, notably the sale of her Skinnygirl cocktail company for around $100 million in 2011 to Beam Suntory.
Additionally, Frankel earned from her appearances on reality TV shows like The Real Housewives of New York City, where she made $40,000 per episode and starred in a total of 152 episodes, accumulating nearly $1 million from the show.
Her entrepreneurial success extended to various products under the Skinnygirl brand, real estate investments, and other ventures like her involvement with the celebrity greeting app Cameo, where she made a significant profit from her early investment.
The Real Housewives of New York City salary
For Season 1 of The Real Housewives of New York City, Frankel was paid a flat rate of $7,250, which she did not dispute at the time as she was “a nobody” and considered it “a lot of money”.
She has mentioned that reality TV performers do not receive residuals and that there is a particular aspect in contracts she crossed out, likely referring to the absence of backend compensation.
However, Frankel was able to negotiate a higher per episode salary of $40,000 as the show became more successful.
She has been vocal about the low pay and lack of benefits for reality TV performers, advocating for the establishment of a reality TV union to enhance working conditions.
The search results suggest that at the beginning of RHONY, all cast members were paid equally, but they were able to negotiate higher salaries in subsequent seasons by uniting.
Frankel also mentioned that her former friend Jill Zarin asked her to negotiate on her behalf.
Business ventures and investments
Frankel is involved in various business ventures and investments.
She is known for her role as an angel investor and has diversified her portfolio beyond her core business.
Frankel has ventured into new territories, such as investing in Cameo and securing equity in the business.
Additionally, she has expanded her presence in the entertainment industry with projects like her HBO Max show, The Big Shot With Bethenny, where she plays a significant role both in front of and behind the camera.
This move showcases her interest in producing content and exploring different aspects of the television industry.Â
Real estate
Frankel purchased a 3,725-square-foot loft in Tribeca, New York for $4.995 million in 2011, and spent an additional $500,000 renovating it.
She later sold this property for the full asking price of $6.95 million in 2016 during her divorce proceedings.
In 2014, Frankel bought a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom condo on Mercer Street in New York City for $4.2 million, featuring original details like a hand-carved staircase and crown moldings.
In 2020, she purchased a $2.1 million Colonial-style home in Greenwich, Connecticut, and in 2021, she bought another Greenwich property for $4.5 million, which included a main house, guesthouse and several outbuildings on around 3 acres of land.
Additionally, Frankel bought a seven-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom Victorian home in the Hamptons for $2.03 million in 2017, renovated it, and rented it out before selling it for $2.28 million in 2021.
Career
Frankel first gained prominence as a contestant on the reality TV show, The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, in 2005, where she was the runner-up.
She then starred on the Bravo reality series, The Real Housewives of New York City, for 8 out of the 13 seasons.
Frankel leveraged her reality TV fame to launch several successful business ventures.
In 2011, she sold her Skinnygirl cocktail company for an estimated $100 million.
Frankel has also authored several self-help books, including Naturally Thin and The Skinnygirl Dish.
In addition to her business pursuits, she has starred in several of her own reality TV shows, such as Bethenny Ever After and Bethenny & Fredrik.
Frankel also hosted the daytime talk show “Bethenny” from 2013-2014.
More recently, she has been an outspoken advocate for improving pay and working conditions for reality TV performers.
Frankel has teamed up with lawyers to investigate the industry and push for the formation of a reality TV union.
Awards and accolades
Frankel was the runner-up on the NBC reality competition series, The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, in 2005.
In 2022, she was honored with the Reality Royalty Award at the MTV Movie & TV Awards: UNSCRIPTED, which recognized her as a pioneering reality TV star.
Frankel’s spin-off series, Bethenny Ever After, had the highest-rated premiere for a Bravo reality series at the time, garnering 2.1 million viewers.
She also finished in second place on the reality competition series, Skating with the Stars, in 2010.
The search results do not mention any other major awards or accolades received by Frankel, with her primary achievements seeming to be her success as a reality TV personality, entrepreneur and author.
Philanthropic efforts
Frankel founded the BStrong initiative, a nonprofit that provides real-time emergency assistance to people in crisis.
Through BStrong, she has led major disaster relief efforts, including distributing over $100 million in aid to Ukrainian refugees following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
This included providing 100,000 relief kits and large-scale donations from major companies.
She also traveled to Puerto Rico in 2017 to help communities affected by Hurricane Maria, as seen on The Real Housewives of New York City.
Additionally, she has delivered cash cards and critical supplies to people impacted by other disasters like hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frankel’s philanthropic work leverages her business acumen, organizational skills and ability to mobilize resources quickly in crisis situations.
She has described BStrong as operating like an “Amazon fulfillment center” to rapidly distribute aid.
In addition to her disaster relief efforts, she has also supported other charitable causes like PETA, Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Children’s Health Fund.
Personal life
Frankel was first married to Peter Sussman in 1996, but they divorced in 1997.
She then married Jason Hoppy in March 2010, and they have a daughter together named Bryn Hoppy, born in 2010.
However, Frankel and Hoppy separated in 2012 and finalized their divorce in January 2021.
Currently, Frankel is engaged to Paul Bernon, a real estate executive and film producer.
