He’s got a lot of mouths to feed! Kody Brown is the patriarch of the polygamous Brown family, as fans of TLC’s hit reality TV series Sister Wives know. Kody has three wives — Meri Brown, Janelle Brown and Robyn Brown after his fourth wife, Christine Brown, announced her split from her husband of 27 years in November 2021. Among the family, there are 18 children, which means the 50-year-old had more than one mortgage, multiple sets of household bills and a lot of children for whom to provide. So, what exactly does Kody do for a living? Keep scrolling for info about Kody’s occupation and how he makes enough money to support his family.
Kody Was a Salesman Before Sister Wives
When we first met the Browns in 2010, Kody and his wives Janelle and Meri were all working — though Meri lost her job soon after. Kody was never clear about what he did for a living, though he’d make mention of some sort of online ad sales work. Before that, Kody was the president of Das Hundhaus Firearms and Accessories, according to E! News. It appears that he’s no longer involved in any of those previous jobs and instead quit his job to focus on building the family’s brand.
He Stars on Sister Wives
While it is unclear how much the Browns take home from appearing on the TLC show, reality producer Terence Michael has estimated that reality families earn about 10 percent of a show’s per-episode budget. TLC is said to spend anywhere between $250,000 and $400,000 per episode on its shows, which means the Browns take in $25,000 to $40,000. The show has run for 14 seasons, which would’ve made them, at minimum, around $4 million. That said, with so many mouths to feed, that money doesn’t go a long way. Celebrity Net Worth reports Kody’s worth to be $800,000. It’s nothing to scoff at for the normal person, but given what they should’ve made through the years, it’s a surprisingly low number.
His Wives Have Side Gigs
While Kody focuses on the family’s brand and helps ensure viewers are tuning in to their reality TV show, his wives (and former wife Christine) do have side jobs. Meri runs a bed and breakfast called Lizzie’s Heritage Inn in a house that her great-great-grandparents built in Parowan, Utah.
Janelle’s company, Strive with Janelle, is mostly about blogging and sharing workout motivation on social media. She is also a certified health coach and offers “body compassion and accountability coaching.”
Robyn runs the family’s “online jewelry and clothing line boutique, “My Sisterwife’s Closet.” However, the website has not been updated since 2019.
Christine launched a business, CBrown Quest, LLC, on May 15, 2020, with the Arizona Corporation Commission, The Sun reported. Like Janelle, she also does Cameos to stay in touch with her fans. Christine and Meri are also Independent LuLaRoe Fashion Retailers.
The Family Experienced Financial Trouble
In 2005, Kody and Meri filed for bankruptcy; Christine eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2010 as well.
In 2014, Robyn’s son Dayton got in a serious ATV accident that resulted in a major medical bill. Because of Kody’s reported six-figure debt, they were unable to pay the hospital, and a lien was reportedly put on their home until the debt was settled a year later. In June 2020, Christine asked fans to purchase her LuLaRoe clothing in order to pay for her daughter Ysabel’s $50,000 scoliosis surgery.