Gym, tan, laundry … bank? Vinny Guadagnino‘s fist-pumping action on MTV’s Jersey Shore made him a household name, but he made an immense fortune beyond the shore. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Vinny’s net worth is a staggering $5 million. To see how he made his dough, keep reading.
He Was on Jersey Shore
Vinny became a reality TV star at age 21 while appearing on the beloved reality series Jersey Shore, which he was on from 2009 to 2012. The show, which featured eight housemates living and partying in a vacation house in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, launched the Staten Island native’s career.
According to Radar, the cast originally made $10,000 a season following the first season, but by season six of the hit show, Vinny was making an astounding $90,000 per episode. Season six featured 12 episodes, meaning Vinny made $1,260,000. Following the success of previous seasons, MTV may have upped the ante and included a signing-on bonus as well.
However, he earned nothing for the first season.
“We did the first season for nothing, zero dollars, except whatever we made at the Shore Store. Me and Ronnie, the first week, we told production, ‘Listen, I think we have to leave. We don’t have any money.’ I’d just graduated college, I didn’t have a job,” Vinny told Vulture in 2018. “One night, they paid us to promote at Club Karma. I think they gave us like 500 bucks. At the time, if you handed me 500 bucks, that was like handing me a million dollars. I was good for the rest of the summer.”
The cast worked in Danny Merk‘s T-shirt shop during the show and stayed in his guest home for free.
“They started off at $10 an hour, then it went to $15, and then I think I gave them 20 bucks an hour at the very end. You live in a beach house for free and get 20 bucks an hour?” Danny told Vulture. “It was great money!”
He Was on Jersey Shore: Family Vacation
While Jersey Shore was widely popular, the spin-off Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, which first started airing in 2018, didn’t hold the same massive audience. It is unknown how much Vinny was paid to appear on the show, but a story and field producer on the show revealed on Reddit that they “don’t think it’s anywhere near what they used to make, only because the ratings aren’t to par with the original seasons.”
At this point, however, it’s likely that Vinny would sign on to reunite with his former roommates again rather than for the paycheck.
He Is an Actor and Talk Show Host
After the show wrapped, Vinny took acting lessons and appeared in MTV’s comedy series The Hard Times of RJ Berger and in the Syfy original movie, Jersey Shore Shark Attack.
In 2013, Vinny also hosted his own talk show, The Show with Vinny, where guests would have dinner with his family. He also appeared on the Cooking Channel’s Vinny & Ma Eat America.
Currently, Vinny appears with fellow Jersey Shore alum DJ Pauly D on Double Shot at Love.
The TV star also appeared on The Masked Dancer in 2021. According to Bustle, celebrities likely do not get paid to appear on the show but rather do it just for fun.