Martha Stewart Net Worth (Money & Salary)
What Is Martha Stewart’s Net Worth?
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Martha Stewart is an American entrepreneur and television personality who has a net worth of $400 million. Her net worth was earned through a business conglomerate, which included television shows, magazines, endorsements, home products, and the company Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia that she launched. The explosive IPO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia made her the first American self-made female billionaire on the day her company went public during the dot-com bubble peak. The company’s market cap dropped over 50% post the bubble burst, but Stewart sold it for over $350 million in 2015.
Starting as a fashion model, Stewart transitioned to finance as a stockbroker before entering the catering business in the late 1970s, which laid the foundation for her future success. Her gourmet cooking and presentation skills made her popular in New York’s elite circles.
Her first cookbook, “Entertaining,” published in 1982, became a bestseller and led her to become a household name. Subsequent television appearances and her own show, “Martha Stewart Living,” further solidified her as America’s lifestyle guru. The show’s success led to the launch of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, which covered publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising ventures.
Over time, her brand expanded to include a magazine, home goods line, and a daily talk show. Despite challenges, including a highly-publicized legal battle and subsequent incarceration, Stewart showed resilience by expanding her brand and collaborating with companies like Macy’s and Payless.
In 2004, Stewart served five months in prison after being convicted of insider trading for acting on a tip from her stockbroker about ImClone Systems stock. This enabled her to avoid losing $45,673.
(Photo by Stephen Chernin/Getty Images)
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Martha Stewart was born Martha Helen Kostyra on August 3, 1941, in Jersey City, New Jersey. She is the second of six children to Edward and Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra. The family moved to Nutley, New Jersey, when she was three years old. Stewart graduated from Nutley High School and pursued her education at Barnard College of Columbia University. She started modeling as a teenager, featuring in TV commercials for Unilever and Tareyton, and continued modeling through college, working with clients like Chanel to supplement her income.
Meeting Andrew Stewart, a student at Yale Law School, while in college led to their marriage in July 1961, with her Columbia graduation in 1962 featuring a double major in History and Architectural History.
Honing skills in cooking, sewing, and gardening learned from her parents, Martha expanded her expertise during visits to her grandparents in Buffalo, New York.
Beginning her career as a stockbroker in 1967, Martha, along with her husband, acquired and restored an old farmhouse in Westport, Connecticut. This venture led to various jobs, such as owning a catering business and managing a gourmet food store. Her husband, Andrew, meanwhile, had ascended to the presidency of New York City publishing company Harry N. Abrams, Inc. It was through catering a book release event for Abrams that Martha caught the eye of Alan Mirken, the head of Crown Publishing Group, resulting in collaborations and her first published work, “Entertaining” (1982), with ghostwriting assistance from Elizabeth Hawes.
Career
Following the success of her initial book, Martha embarked on a prolific writing career with titles like “Martha Stewart’s Quick Cook” (1983), “Martha Stewart’s Hors D’oeuvres” (1984), and “Martha Stewart’s Pies & Tarts” (1985), all released under the Clarkson Potter imprint. Her endeavors extended to newspaper columns, magazine articles, and appearances on TV shows such as “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “Larry King Live.”
Martha inked a deal with Time Publishing Ventures in 1990 to launch a magazine bearing her name. “Martha Stewart Living” premiered in late 1990, boasting an initial circulation of 250,000, with Martha serving as editor-in-chief. A television show, “Martha Stewart Living,” adapted from the magazine, debuted in 1993 as a weekly half-hour program before expanding to an hour-long format in 1999, running until 2004.
Christopher Polk/Getty Images
Becoming a Billionaire
By partnering with Sharon Patrick, Martha was able to secure funding in September 1997 to acquire all related television, print, and merchandising ventures under the Martha Stewart Brand. These ventures were merged into Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO), where Martha was appointed chairwoman, president, and CEO alongside Patrick as COO.
On October 19, 1999, MSLO was publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol MSO, debuting at $18 per share. The closing price that day reached $38 per share, instantly catapulting Martha to billionaire status on paper. This achievement solidified her position as a visionary entrepreneur.
The first female, self-made billionaire in the United States was Martha Stewart. Her net worth was $1 billion, equivalent to around $1.6 billion today after adjusting for inflation.
However, in February 2002, the stock price dropped to $16 per share, causing her to lose billionaire status.
MSO merged with Sequential Brands Group in December 2015, with Martha remaining a major shareholder. In April 2019, Sequential sold its Martha Stewart assets to Marquee Brands for $175 million.
Stock Trading Case and Incarceration
In 2001, according to the SEC, Stewart avoided a loss of $45,673 by selling all 3,928 shares of her ImClone Systems stock after receiving insider information from her broker at Merrill Lynch. The alleged tip was received while flying on a private jet and executing the trade before landing.
She was indicted by the government on June 4, 2003, on nine counts, including securities fraud and obstruction of justice. Subsequently, she stepped down from her position as CEO and Chairwoman of MSLO.
In March 2004, Stewart was found guilty of felony charges of conspiracy, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and making false statements to federal investigators. She served five months in prison in 2004 and underwent two years of supervised release, in addition to paying a $30,000 fine.
Interestingly, during her prison stay, the price of MSLO stock doubled, temporarily restoring Martha’s billionaire status. However, in the six months after her release, the stock gains retreated by 47%, reducing Martha’s net worth back down to $500 million.
Post-Incarceration Projects
Upon her release from prison in March 2005, Stewart embarked on a highly publicized comeback and quickly achieved success once more. She relaunched daytime television with “The Martha Stewart Show,” which aired from 2005 to 2010 for five seasons and received six nominations at the 33rd Daytime Emmy Awards in 2006. The show then transitioned to the Hallmark Channel in 2010, running for two more years under the name “Martha.” Stewart also released various books, including “Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook” (2005) and “Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook” (2006), among others.
In late 2020, Martha introduced her own line of CBD products in unique flavors such as Blood Orange, Meyer Lemon, and Pumpkin Spice, inspired by her friendship with Snoop Dogg. She collaborated with hemp and cannabis company Canopy Growth Corporation to bring the project to fruition.
Personal Life
Andrew Stewart was Martha’s husband from 1961 to 1990. The couple has a daughter, Alexis. Martha has been romantically associated with actor Sir Anthony Hopkins and billionaire Charles Simonyi.
Recognition & Awards
In 1995, Martha Stewart received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. She was honored with the Edison Achievement Award in 1997 for her innovation commitment. Stewart was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Licensing International Hall of Fame in 2020.
Real Estate
Unsurprisingly, Martha owns numerous homes across the country, likely giving her a property portfolio worth over $100 million.
In 1997, Martha purchased a 67-acre estate in Seal Harbor, Maine, named Skylands, originally constructed in 1952 for auto heir Edsel Ford. The estate features a 12-bedroom home with a distinctive pink driveway. In 2015, she acquired the adjacent 7-acre property.
Martha’s real estate portfolio is quite impressive. In Katonah, New York, she owns a 152-acre estate named Cantitoe Corners, and she acquired a one-acre oceanfront property in Easthampton in 1991, following her divorce from Andrew Stewart, which she recently sold for $16.5 million. She also has multiple units in a West Village building on Perry Street and another condo on Fifth Avenue with Central Park views. Her daughter, Alexis Stewart, listed a multi-unit apartment complex for $53 million in February 2019.
In addition, Martha bought a condo at The Belnord in NYC for $12.3 million in May 2024, and she no longer resides at any of her NYC units, while Alexis still lives in one. Notably, Alexis Stewart listed a different multi-unit apartment complex covering over 9,000 square feet for sale at a jaw-dropping $53 million in February 2019.
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The data spans from 2023 and 2024, with forecasts extending to 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028.
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Australia, Canada, USA, UK, UAE, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, US, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia, U.S., South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates.
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan.
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi.
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Post Title: Martha Stewart Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Last Updated: January 16, 2025