When The Real World premiered in 1992, MTV pushed the boundaries of reality television by sticking seven strangers in a house to have their lives filmed. At the time, this seemed scandalous and perhaps exploitative, but it proved to be more as the years went on, and it changed reality TV forever. The Real World aired for 33 seasons, and during its run, the cast members dealt with genuine real-life issues.
The Real World was also a launchpad for some of its cast members’ careers. Using their reality television fame as fuel, they were able to venture into showbiz and other lucrative projects, and some of the most famous former housemates are worth a surprising amount of money today.
10 Johnny Bananas – $200K
MTV fans were first introduced to Johnny Devenanzio on The Real World: Key West. Better known as Johnny Bananas, he’s maintained a consistent presence on TV following his days in The Real World house.
Over the years, he has won over $1 million in prize money from his regular appearances on The Challenge. He also hosts two shows on NBC: Celebrity Sleepover and 1st Look TV. His consistent appearances on television have earned him a net worth of $200,000.
9 Heather B. Gardner – $300K
Heather B. Gardner was part of the groundbreaking first season of The Real World nearly 30 years ago. Today, fans can see her reuniting with her castmates on The Real World Homecoming: New York.
After her original run on The Real World, Heather released two rap albums and appeared in a handful of acting gigs. She even popped up in Marvel’s Luke Cage. Fans can also hear Heather every single day in her various hosting gigs on Sirius XM. Her time spent working in media has earned her a net worth of $300,000.
8 Wes Bergmann – $500K
Wes Bergmann is one of the most revered competitors in the history of The Challenge. Before that, he got his start on The Real World: Austin. While fans have seen Wes win tons of cash on television, reality TV is not his only gig.
Outside of MTV, Wes is a founding investor in a company called BetaBlox. The company is a startup incubator that helps develop new companies into profitable businesses. His work in the entrepreneurial world has helped him earn a net worth of $500,000.
7 Kevin Powell – $1 Million
Kevin Powell appeared in the first-ever season of The Real World, and more recently, the Paramount+ special, The Real World Homecoming: New York.
Following his time on the show, Kevin went on to become a successful writer and a prominent political activist. He’s written for an uncountable number of publications and has published 14 books. His writing covers everything from poetry to politics. With an impressive literary career, Kevin has earned a net worth of $1 million.
6 Cameran Eubanks – $1.5 Million
The Real World: San Diego introduced the world to a handful of memorable cast members, among them is Cameran Eubanks, who was just 19 years old at the time of filming. Years later, she reemerged as a leading cast member on Bravo’s Southern Charm. She also recently published a memoir called One Day You’ll Thank Me.
Cameran left Southern Charm after six seasons, and she says that she’s probably done with reality TV for good. However, her consistent time on TV has helped her earn a net worth of $1.5 million.
5 Tami Roman – $3.5 Million
Tami Roman broke into the entertainment business after appearing on the second season of The Real World. Following her time on the show, she forayed into music and made a handful of appearances in movies and TV shows as an actress.
But perhaps her most notable post-MTV gig was her starring role on VH1’s Basketball Wives. Although Tami is no longer on reality television, fans can still see her on TV, as she just recently landed her own talk show on Fox Soul. Tami has a net worth of $3.5 million from her success as a TV personality.
4 Karamo Brown – $4 Million
Thanks to Netflix’s Queer Eye, Karamo Brown has become a household name. But MTV fans met him first in 2004’s The Real World: Philadelphia.
Like many alumni of the show, Karamo competed on The Challenge, but he temporarily stepped away from the limelight to work as a social worker. Now that Karamo is back in front of the cameras, he has earned a massive net worth of $4 million.
3 Kyle Brandt – $4 Million
MTV watchers remember Kyle Brandt from 2002’s The Real World: Chicago, but that was just the beginning of his TV career. The year after his season aired, he went on to appear in Days of Our Lives, portraying the character of Phillip Kiriakis.
After his stint on daytime television, Kyle transitioned into sports media. He served as a producer on the Jim Rome Show and often acted as a fill-in host. In 2016, he became one of the hosts of Good Morning Football, a morning show on the NFL Network. His long-lasting career in television and radio has earned him a net worth of $4 million.
2 Jamie Chung – $5 Million
Jamie Chung has a net worth of $5 million, thanks to an impressive acting career following her time on The Real World: San Diego. Although she did appear in one season of The Challenge, she quickly left reality television to focus on a full-time career in acting.
Fans have seen Jamie in shows like Lovecraft Country, The Gifted, and Once Upon A Time, and she also has an impressive track record on the big screen.
1 The Miz – $14 Million
With a net worth of $14 million, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin is seemingly the richest The Real World alumni. Following his time on MTV, he became an extremely successful professional wrestler with the WWE. And that’s not his only gig.
The Miz is an actor, having appeared in a handful of movies and TV shows. He’s hosted The Challenge and some of its reunion shows, and he also has his own show on the USA Network called Miz & Mrs. All of these projects have helped him earn that whopping net worth of $14 million.
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