Martha Stewart

Well, Martha Stewarts had her share of ups and downs in the market. She was the first self-made woman billionaire in the U.S. However, she lost her billionaire status when her company’s market cap dropped significantly, more than 50% to be precise. 

Most people would have lost hope but Martha Stewart persisted and transitioned her ventures to retain her multi-millionaire status. She made most of her money from daily talk shows, magazines and sale of home goods. Let’s dive deeper into Martha Stewart’s net worth. 

What is Martha Stewart’s net worth? 

As of 2024, Martha Stewart’s net worth is estimated to be $400 million, which seems to be on the lower side for a businesswoman of her caliber. 

Not many are as ambitious and career-oriented as Martha Stewart. She began minting money at the tender age of 15 when she started modeling and appearing in commercials and magazines. Also, her culinary skills generated a robust revenue stream. In 1976, she co-founded a catering business and became the manager of a gourmet food store. 

Later on, Martha opened her own store and even released her first cookbook in 1982. Following the success of her first book, she released many more cookbooks. She also ventured into television shows, magazines, endorsements, and home products and even launched her own multimedia company, “Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia,” with a focus on lifestyle content. 

Martha held a 70% stake in her multimedia company when the company went public for $18 per share. The prices began to soar from day one and tripled upon IPO closing. As a result, Martha became the first self-made woman billionaire in the U.S. Even after the sale of the company in 2015 for $353 million, Martha received a salary of upwards of $6 million in 2017. 

Martha Stewart business ventures are spread far and wide. It includes everything from a gummy brand to a wine brand, including furniture and home accessory lines with different department stores like Sears and Kmart, to name a few. As per Forbes, in 2021 alone, Martha’s brought in $900 million in retail sales annually, and her products can be found in more than 70 million households. Also, her kitchen goods brand is estimated to bring in $1 billion by 2025. 

Martha’s star power in shows like "The Martha Stewart Show” and “Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party” added to her revenue. As per reports, she made $1 million for the first season of the latter show. She earns a good sum of money from her own restaurant and real estate deals.

What is Martha Stewart’s claim to fame? 

Well, Martha Stewart’s claim to fame is nothing short of amazing. She started with humble modeling in her college days but later diversified her career into finance, television, and media, making her a household name. Some of the events that catapulted her success are: 

• Book Publishing: Martha Stewarts published her first cookbook, "Entertaining,” in 1982, and it became a staggering success. It sold more than 625,000 copies. Inspired by her first success, she has written over 100 cookbooks. 
• Magazine Acquisition: Well, Martha borrowed a staggering $85 million to finance the acquisition process of her own magazine. Actually, the first issue of her Martha Stewart Living magazine was published in 1990 in partnership with Time Publishing Ventures. Initially, there were two million subscriptions, and thus it was converted into a quarterly magazine in 1991. Seeing the success of the magazine, they started publishing it every month. 
• Own Brand Name: Martha Stewart acquired the rights to her brand and made it a part of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, which was founded in 1996. In 1999, her media giant went public, and luckily her IPO soared three times the initial price on closing. She became the first woman billionaire, joining the Forbes list of billionaires. She stated, “"I was the first self-made female billionaire. I had opposition, and that kind of opposition to a woman-built business was really outrageous.”
• Serving Prison Term: Well, the prices of her giant business conglomerate slashed after she was convicted of three felony charges in 2004. She spent five months in prison, followed by five months of home confinement, and was fined $30,000. In an interview, she recalled her prison experience as a "very, very awful thing."
• Selling the Business Conglomerate: In 2015, she sold Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to Sequential Brands Group for a whopping $353 million. As per her own stake, Martha made $167 million from the deal. In 2019, the same entity was sold to Marquee brands for $215 million. 
• Return to Limelight: Well, in 2023, the 81-year-old returned as a model for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. She grabbed eyeballs with this issue, as not many have the guts to be the face of the magazine issue at her age. For the 2023 issue, she wore a white swimsuit with a plunging neckline and an orange-gold cover-up. Once again, she made it to the 2024 60th anniversary issue of the magazine alongside other legendary models. 

What businesses does Martha Stewart own? 

Well, it’s not easy to document everything Martha has done in her life. However, most of her businesses are synonymous with money-mining factories. Martha is a brand in herself, and everything she puts her hands upon becomes a successful venture. Some examples of her business ventures include: 

• Martha Homeware and Cookware: Martha by Martha Stewart is a brand that sells everything one needs to make a “house” real "home." It includes a curated collection of bedding, towels, comforter sets, and bath accessories. The cookware line includes cooking utensils, bakeware, etc. She made a deal with department stores like Kmart, J.C. Penny, Home Depot, and more for selling her brand products. For online sales, she has partnered with Amazon. 
• Martha Stewart Cafe: In 2015, she opened her very own cafe in New York City. The coffee shop sells her very curated coffee, pastries, hot drinks, and much more. 
• Martha and Marley Spoon Meal Kits: Martha and Marley Spoon partnered in 2018 and launched a meal kit service. One can cook like Martha without making much effort with meal kits that are essentially pre-portioned recipes. 
• Martha Stewart Restaurant: In 2022, Martha started her own restaurant, The Bedford by Martha Stewart, at the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. However, the same was criticized for serving explicitly expensive meals. For example, the roast chicken entree costs $90. 
• Martha and KB Homes: Martha and KB Homes have collaborated to design multiple homes based on Martha’s very own design language. The designed houses carry an influence of Martha’s very own houses and architecture. 

What brands have Martha Stewart endorsed? 

Well, Martha clearly knows how to stay relevant, as even after so many years, her own brand products have excelled in the market. She has collaborated with the following major brands besides endorsing her own ventures.

• Skechers: Martha appeared in a commercial for Skechers, as she was also the brand ambassador for it. In one of the ads, she was seen alongside Snoop Dogg, her longtime friend and collaborator. 
• Liquid Death: Well, Martha’s not only into subtle stuff, it seems. She was seen in a commercial for Liquid Death selling a dismembered moments candle. It is basically a limited edition candle in the shape of a human hand clutching a can of liquid death. 
• BIC Lighters: She has also done a commercial for BIC EZ Reach lighters with Martha’s marble-inspired designs alongside Snoopy. Well, Snoop Dogg has his own designs too for sale. 
• Anti Social Club: OMG! Martha hasn’t left any stone unturned when it comes to collabs and endorsements. She shared the post on her social media accounts promoting Anti Social Club graphic T-shirts and hoodies with her picture on them. We don’t know how many would prefer such a design, but yeah, her die-hard fans won’t mind wearing one. 
• Tito’s Vodka: About a year ago, Martha appeared in a commercial endorsing Tito’s vodka and its uses in cooking and cocktails. Indeed a clever idea to cast a culinary legend and promote a handmade vodka brand. 
• Oreo: Martha promoted the limited edition Most Oreo Oreo sandwich biscuits on her social media accounts last year. We think it’s no more Oreo metaverse but marthaverse indeed! She said, "I am excited to make my metaverse debut in partnership with one of my favorite cookie brands, Oreo, and having Ryan there with me will make it all the more fun.”

How does Martha Stewart spend her millions? 

Martha Stewart is indeed no longer a billionaire but has enough wealth to splurge on her lavish lifestyle. Even after her drop from billionaire to millionaire status, she has more money than most could even dream of. She is often seen enjoying her meals on luxe vacations at tropical locations around the world. She also owns lavish real estate and a luxurious set of four wheels in her garage. 

How many houses does Martha Stewart own? 

Well, for an influential person like Martha Stewart, owing some of the most huge and lavish properties is obvious. She owns some of the most expensive, vintage, and rare real estate that anyone could think of. Some of the best examples of her houses are: 

• Hamptons Home: After her divorce, Martha needed some time to recover and started spending her time in Hamptons. Initially, she used to stay in a rented property but later bought her own house in 1991. It was an old house built in 1873, and she bought it for $1.7 million. Martha said, “It was the oldest house on the block and a total wreck." She renovated the entire property soon after. However, the same house was sold in 2021 for $16.5 million. 
• Seal Harbor Estate, Maine: To escape the summer heat, Martha Stewart bought this home in 1997. It was actually built for Edsel Ford in 1925 for $4 million and boasts 12 bedrooms. Antique furniture and sun-filled rooms. Martha sold her Hamptons home so she could spend her time here. She talked about this property on her blog and stated, "The Henry Ford house is an imposing "prairie-style" stone edifice with extraordinary woodwork and leaded windows.”
• Farmhouse in BedFord, New York: Martha bought this farmhouse in 2000, but it was originally built in 1925. The gigantic 153-acre property was just plain land when she first bought it. Later on, multiple works were done, and now the farm has modern and rustic buildings, a greenhouse, gardens, and even different animals. Martha still owns this house. 
• Duplex Condo, New York: Well, Martha is known for her taste in rustic and vintage-style properties. However, this one was an exception with large windows and a bright white interior. The 3,600-square-foot duplex house was purchased by her in 2000 for $6.1 million. She put it up for sale in 2002 but was able to sell the same in 2004 for $6.6 million. 
• Apartment in The Belnord, New York: Martha and her daughter Alexis Stewart recently bought this house in 2024. The 4,600-square-foot apartment was bought for $12.3 million, while its asking price was $18 million. The six-bedroom apartment boasts heated bathroom flooring, cerused oak and white lacquer kitchens, along with serene gardens and a fitness center around the main building. 

Well, the above was just a glimpse of real estate she owns. Besides the above ones, she has owned several properties that were equally extravagant and expensive. 

How many cars does Martha Stewart own? 

Martha Stewart showcased her love for cars on social media several times. Though she might not drive one at her age now, there’s plenty of information that suggests she to be a car enthusiast in some way. Some of the dope sets of wheels in her garage are: 

• Mercedes-Benz EQS: Besides being a Mercedes-Benz ambassador, she owns an all-electric EQS 580+ in obsidian black. She even shared the details of the car on her personal blog, stating, “My drivers and I love its maneuverability and comfort. Here I am with Andres. We’re leaving the farm for a long, busy day of meetings at our New York City offices.” The star car would have cost her $126,000. 
• Aston Martin DB9: Yeah, after the environmentally-friendly car, there’s fuel guzzling Aston Martin. She shared the pictures of the car and stated that she drives a 15-year-old manual DB9. She used the car during the pandemic to deliver eggs to her friend, like, literally! She even tried her hands at the review, stating, “It’s about 15 years old, standard shift, not a very good radio, but the car sounds great and drives like a dream once you master the gears. The British legend would have cost her $155,000. 
• 1958 Edsel Roundup two-door station wagon: Not everything’s modern and fast in Martha’s car collection. As mentioned earlier, Martha owns Edsel Ford’s home in Maine; she also owns the brand’s station wagon. The two-tone red over white station wagon was only produced by Edsel (a Ford sub-brand) for just one year and is actually a Ford Ranch Wagon with the distinctive Edsel grille to match the funk of the car. 
• Polaris XP 1000: Martha Stewart required an off-road capable vehicle for maintaining her farm. So, she chose the versatile Polaris XP 1000. She shared the pictures of the same on her blog, stating, “Whenever I am home, I am also very busy outdoors—I visit all my animals, check on the many plantings, plow the roads in winter, and harvest vegetables in summer. In fact, she owns other similar Polaris vehicles at the farm, but the latest one is more powerful, which makes it a versatile vehicle. 

What are Martha Stewart's charitable contributions? 

Martha Stewart has donated a good amount of money to charity and causes that would improve human lives. Some of them are: 

• Martha and Alexis Stewart Foundation: Martha Stewart started this foundation to support the lives of underprivileged communities. 
• Martha Stewart Center for Living: In 2006, Martha founded the Martha Stewart Center for Living by donating $5 million at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. The center aims to help the elderly access healthcare resources more effectively. 
• Wedding Dress Donations: Martha supported and listed seven different charities on her blog that make good use of your wedding dress for enriching others’ lives. 

Besides the above-mentioned charities, Martha has supported Make-A-Wish Foundation, Heifer International, Five and Alive, Robinhood, Aid Still Required, and Dogs Deserve Better, to name a few. 

What’s next for Martha Stewart? 

Martha believes there’s no reason for her to retire, and we couldn’t agree more. After making it on the cover of Sports Illustrated last year and this year, we believe, “Age is just a number." She stated, “My life is about doing things, learning things, and teaching things.” In 2024, Martha also shared her 100th cookbook, consisting of her most personal and favorite recipes. With ongoing business ventures and endorsements, Martha Stewart’s net worth is bound to grow overtime.