Here's How Much Andy Cohen Is Really Worth

Whether you love Andy Cohen or happen to be one of the celebrities who can't stand Andy Cohen, there's no denying that the late-night host is a reality TV pioneer. As the executive producer of some of Bravo's biggest shows, including the game-changing "Real Housewives" franchise, Cohen has played an undeniable role in the reality television world. The "Real Housewives" series, for example, has been so successful that it expanded it yet again in 2022 with the debut of "The Real Housewives of Dubai." While it isn't the first international installment of "The Real Housewives," it is the first international version of the series to originate in the United States. Clearly, the franchise isn't slowing down.

However, despite all of his success, Cohen hasn't been immune to controversy. For example, the network's decision to shoot in Dubai landed Cohen and Bravo in hot water with human rights activists who highlighted the country's record of infringing on women's and LGBTQ+ rights. Even so, such controversy hasn't stopped millions of viewers from tuning into the "The Real Housewives" universe. What's more, Cohen's namesake talk show, "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," also continues to be a ratings powerhouse. Yup, it's safe to say that everything Cohen touches turns to gold and he's managed to build a real entertainment empire for himself — with a bank account to match. Join us as we break down his impressive earnings and reveal how much Andy Cohen is really worth.

Andy Cohen may be a natural on TV, but he had to work hard to get to where he is today. As he told USA Today, he started from scratch. "My family was in the food business, so we didn't really have any connections to TV or entertainment," he said. After enrolling in broadcast journalism at Boston University, Cohen started hustling. "I just got as many internships as I could, so before I even graduated I think I had had six or seven internships," he recalled. The last one would prove to be a career-defining opportunity at CBS News in New York where, in 1987, he got the chance to interview Susan Lucci. As he later tweeted, "[T]he interview changed my life."

Upon graduation, Cohen's drive only intensified and, in 1990, he was hired as a news clerk at CBS News. He worked his way up to producer and didn't leave until 2000 when he was tapped to develop original programming at the now-defunct Trio TV network. When NBCUniversal acquired Trio in 2004, he was appointed Vice President, Original Programming at Bravo, and then fate pushed him into his dream role. As recounted by USA Today, Bravo asked Cohen if he'd also like to blog for them, and that eventually turned into a weekly online show called "Watch What Happens."

Andy Cohen's impressive career at Bravo may have been the luckiest fluke of all time. It made him a household name and a multi-millionaire, but it only began because NBCUniversal happened to acquire Trio. As a higher-up at Bravo, he was in charge of the network's original shows, a roster that included hits like "Project Runway," "Queer Eye For the Straight Guy," and, of course, the "Real Housewives" franchise. It was a career trajectory to be immensely proud of, then things got even sweeter when Bravo allowed Cohen to fulfill a lifelong dream: being in front of the camera.

As the late-night host told "Hoda Kotb on "Today" in 2022, he had come to terms with working behind the scenes forever. As he recalled, "Someone early in my career at CBS News said, 'Oh, my God, you'll never [be on camera] because you have this horrible crossed-eye situation." Then "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" happened. Cohen has hosted and executive produced the hit show since 2009, and it's gone on to become a fixture of the late-night chat show circuit. To top it all off, he was promoted to Executive Vice President of Development and Talent at Bravo in 2011 (a position he left in 2014). Given the number of hits he's had a hand in, it's no wonder it pays well. In 2016, Forbes reported his salary was $2 million per year, but by 2022, Celebrity Net Worth listed it at $10 million a year.

Andy Cohen has raked in millions thanks to his wide-ranging TV talents, but he's also made his bank account soar thanks to a lucrative side gig: writing. To date, the late-night host is the author of four successful books, including his debut memoir, 2012's "Most Talkative: Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture." According to HuffPost, he first signed a publishing deal with Henry Holt back in 2011 for a cool $1 million. As the outlet noted, that impressive sum put it ahead of the book deal Pippa Middleton signed that same year, which was worth an estimated $622,000. One unnamed publisher didn't mince words as they slammed Cohen's deal, stating, "It's a sad, sad day when a book about a TV executive gets a bigger advance than [one by] a British royal in-law." Turns out, readers were very interested in Cohen's story, and his debut became a New York Times bestseller. What's more, the same can be said for his two follow-up tomes: 2014's "The Andy Cohen Diaries" and 2016's "Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries." Jump to 2021 and Cohen expanded his writing horizons, publishing "Glitter Every Day: 365 Quotes from Women I Love," which also became a NYT chart star.

Cohen's foray into literature has been such a success that publisher Henry Holt actually offered him his own imprint, Andy Cohen Books, in 2019. It's already publishing top titles, like 2020's "The Meaning of Mariah Carey."

Andy Cohen doesn't just have cash in the bank, he's also racked up some stunning real estate investments. In 2017, Elle Decor visited him at home in New York's West Village where he's turned three apartments into a massive duplex with views of the Empire State and Chrysler buildings. The residence began as a single unit purchased back in 2003. As Cohen shared with the outlet, he only started thinking about expanding after he heard from his doorman that the resident in the unit above him was dying. Once the unit became available, the late-night host joked, "My doorman and super were looking at me like I'd killed him." According to Dirt, the upper unit alone cost $2,571,081; The U.S. Sun estimated the value of the custom-made duplex at $8 million.

However, that isn't the only luxury real estate Cohen owns. Per Dirt, he bought a fourth apartment in the same building, a studio, for $900,000 in 2015. Oh, and he's also invested in the Hamptons: In 2019, Hedges reported that he was about to close on an oceanfront lot in Amagansett, New York, which came with a $5.9 million price tag. He eventually built a vacation home there and even used it for his show during the 2020 pandemic lockdown. As it turns out, Cohen was no stranger to the area as he already owned a cottage on Noyac Bay.

Andy Cohen knows how to treat himself. Speaking with CNBC in 2019, the King of Bravo revealed that he has some spending habits the Real Housewives would surely approve of. In addition to his love of splurging on real estate, he has no qualms about traveling and doing so first class. As he told the outlet, "I don't want to sit in the back of the plane anymore. I just don't, sorry." However, the biggest gift he's ever given himself might just be a Rolex that friend John Mayer convinced him to buy. As Cohen shared, he wanted to purchase a special watch for himself when he found out his show got a big renewal. The TV host ended up with an especially special timepiece. "[Mayer] talked me into a watch that was outside of what I was thinking, but I'm glad I did it," Cohen shared. It was the perfect accent to his already impressive wardrobe, which includes a closet full of well-tailored suits from some of his favorite labels, including Calvin Klein Collection and Duckie Brown whose T-shirts alone can retail for $150.

While he enjoys shelling out dough for top-tier items, Cohen revealed to CNBC that a luxury car wouldn't make his list of must-haves. Instead, he prefers to take the New York City subway to and from work because, in his experience, it's more efficient. "[A car is] a waste of money, it's a waste of time, it's a waste of gas," he proclaimed.

Andy Cohen won't be suffering for cash anytime soon. For one, Bravo renewed "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" for two additional years in January 2022. As E! News noted, it was no real surprise given Cohen's great ratings. The show had nearly 17 million viewers in 2021 and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it became the most-watched late-night cable talk show in the 18-49 demographic. Speaking about the renewal, Cohen thanked his entire team for the show's success. "My WWHL team rose to every challenge of the pandemic, and getting to do WWHL for two more years is the ultimate reward," he said in a press release.

What's more, Cohen is also growing his entertainment empire with countless side gigs, like hosting his own SiriusXM show, "Radio Andy," famously (and drunkenly) co-hosting CNN's New Year's Eve countdown, spearheading a game show called "Love Connection," and more. As he told Elle Decor in 2017, he's a hustler. "I have, like, nine jobs," he mused. Case in point: When he fell in love with Sant and Abel's luxury pajamas during the pandemic lockdown, he decided to team up with the brand to launch his own capsule collection. When all is said and done, Andy Cohen has generated quite the fortune: According to Celebrity Net Worth, his net worth sits at $50 million.