From Grey's to Bridgerton: Shonda Rhimes' 2023 Net Worth is Skyrocketing
Inside the career of the world's richest female showrunner.
Without a doubt, Shonda Rhimes is one of the greatest showrunners of all time. The prolific writer created some of the most successful shows on television, which turned into true pop culture phenomena shortly after their first episodes aired. Reimagining classic soap operas and presenting contemporary dramatic and romantic stories, Rhimes never fails to impress the audience.
The showrunner came to prominence back in 2005 with the release of the incredibly popular first season of Grey's Anatomy. In 2023, Rhimes continues to write and produce new series, and her fortune is growing accordingly. Let's delve into the career of one of the world's most influential women.
Shonda Rhimes embarked on her career as a writer back in 1995 after she graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She landed good writing jobs on movies like Crossroads with Britney Spears or The Princess Diaries 2 with Anne Hathaway, but it was only 10 years later that Rhimes achieved true fame after she successfully pitched her own project to ABC, which came to be known as Grey's Anatomy.
The new show became a worldwide sensation and brought its creator a multi-year contract with ABC. At the same time, Rhimes founded her own production company, Shondaland, which produced the Grey's Anatomy spin-off, Private Practice, and the rest of her series.
Rhimes continues to work as an executive producer on Grey's Anatomy, which is still going strong and is expected to release its 20th season in fall. Each episode pays Shonda Rhimes approximately $1 million, including all the fees, royalties, and syndication interest.
The writer's financial power was boosted even further with her exclusive deal with Netflix in 2017, reportedly worth a staggering $100 million. And the streaming giant wasn't disappointed with the investment, as Rhimes' Bridgerton, a historical romantic drama about Regency-era high society, proved to be a great success with viewers and won a number of prestigious awards. The show also spawned the equally successful spin-off Queen Charlotte, released earlier this year.
As a result, Rhimes' net worth has grown to a staggering $160 million, an increase of $20 million since 2018. With the continued popularity of her series, that amount is expected to grow further, as Netflix is likely to renew its exclusive deal with the producer.
We look forward to more original and compelling shows from Shonda Rhimes and hope that the talented writer will reach even greater heights in her career.
Source: Celebrity Net Worth.