Top-earning reality stars: Kardashians, the Situation are making millions

Just in time for the Christmas crunch comes a perhaps-confounding list of top-earning reality stars for 2010.

For the small price of diminished privacy, these "real" personalities rake in a ton of dough. With their per-episode salaries, endorsement deals and nightclub and other promotional appearances, these folks are taking their boom mikes and camera crews directly to the bank.

Not surprisingly, Kim Kardashian and her colorful sisters top the list, compiled by the Daily Beast.

Kim herself nabs the No. 1 spot (another top ranking for her in 2010), with an estimated $6 million in income. Just don't expect that cash pile to pay off any self-named credit cards. The name you might not expect is that of the second-highest earner: Lauren Conrad.

Clocking in with $5 million in earnings this year, Conrad hasn't technically been a reality star since May 2009. However, the legacy she's carried — a successful franchise of novels and more successful clothing collections — earns her 2010 cash-cow status.

Fear not, Conrad will be back on MTV, though not for the lunches and love lives she touched on "The Hills." The new show will focus on her enterprise.

"The Real Housewives of New York" star Bethenny Frankel arrives at No. 3 with $4 million, with Conrad's "Hills" pal Audrina Patridge next at $3.5 million. Matching Patridge cent-for-cent, according to the report, is reality mom Kate Gosselin.

With a nod for the boys, at No. 6 we find Mike "the Situation" Sorrentino, earning $3 million for hawking products including his own fitness DVDs and a protein-infused vodka. Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian come in after the Sitch with $2.5 million each, rounded out by another "Jersey Shore" fist-pumper, Paul "DJ Pauly D" Delvecchio, with $2 million for the year.

Former playmate Kendra Wilkinson claims the No. 10 position with $2 mill as well. What do you think of the highest-paid reality stars? Tell us in comments below.

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— Matt Donnelly
Twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Right photo: From left, Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian are the best-paid family in reality television. Photo credit: E! Entertainment.

Left photo: Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino at The Times' Photo Booth on Dec. 5, 2010, at the "VH1 Divas Salute the Troops" concert at the Marine Corps base in Miramar. Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

 

Comments

[Elizabeth]

Slight mistake here: the Gosselin children are earning millions of dollars. Kate lives off of them. W/o her children Kate Gosselin would disappear. In the real world, not the reality world, selling children for monetary gain is illegal.

[madsircool]

Sounds like a bunch of publicist planted nonsense to make these fools like glamorous. Lets see some tax forms.

[Paleta Fresca]

Jesus Christ. These horrible people make millions? What is wrong with people... will they accept any imbecile as a style or thought leader?

[mojo]

Sadly enough we as a society have lifted these idiots up to their socialite status and are keeping them there making millions for their stupidity. We need to wake up and stop caring about what other people wear, do, or say. Stop watching these morons on tv and live your own life instead of living theirs. I will admit I watched the jersey shore one time, but I wondered how on earth did someone ever think of putting this on the air.

[Roberta]

Who ARE these people, and WHY do we care? WHAT have they contributed to this world? I just don't get it!

[hippysaurus]

How can so many people with so little talent make so much money.

[exie]

i'm sure the hardworking, creative and talented actors in LA who are just trying to get a decent role, are winching at this unfortunate aspect of the industry.

[Dakota]

We now live in a world with no real values. The amount of money these people, with no real talent except self promotion make, representsthe total lack of education in our society. Heck, you can't fault them for going with the show...it's the powers that be that put them on the air. So many people work so very hard trying to make the world a better place, promoting food and water for the starving in the world, trying to find safe havens for the tortured, making improvements and discoveries in medicine....and they work for practically nothing. There is such an imbalance and unfairness surrounding us on a global level it is becoming the downfall of humanity. Very sad. Very sad, indeed.

[waskoma]

This makes me want to throw up....

[BilboBagBoy]

I'm happy to report that I don't have a clue who any of these people are beyond recognizing a name here and there, and that whatever money they are making, not a penny of it comes from me. No, I don't make millions, but dollars to donuts my life is far more interesting than any of these folks.

[Bluejeans]

What about the Deadliest Catch captains?

[Mick]

I tend to agree with MadSirCool who posted earlier that the numbers they've quoted for the reality stars is exaggerated for publicity purposes. We need Forbes magazine to release a tax form verified list.

Having said that...these people are obviously entertaining otherwise they wouldn't return for a subsequent season.

[ChaChaheels]

Simply put they're high priced media hungry, politely put "hires for the right occasions"...or just simply place a big W on their foreheads...

[emi]

It urkes me that so much money is paid to these non talented people....my three young daughters are more talented than all of these people put together...we live paycheck to paycheck and these people get millions just for there sex appeal....c'mon throw me a freaken bone w/meat on it por favor!!!

[Cosmo Kramer]

Incredible. You total these people's I.Q's together and I wonder what you get. Probably night higher than 50 - together.

The lack of intelligence in the general population turns people to watch these idiots mull around their own boring daily lives. Because the audience has no life of their own. Good God is America becoming stupid.