Introduction

Danielle Steel is an American professional writer with an estimated net worth of $600 Million. 

Quick Facts

• Earned an estimated $201 million between 2010 and 2018
• Peak annual income of $35 million in 2011
• A former bookkeeper allegedly stole $2.7 million from her in 2009
• 67th richest self-made woman in America

Net Worth History

Although not a billionaire, Forbes has been tracking Danielle Steel’s net worth for over a decade because she is a member of America’s Richest Self-Made Women. In 2016, she had an estimated net worth of $310 million, and for the next several years, this figure grew by $10-20 million annually. In 2024, her net worth jumped from $420 million to $500 million, and at the time of writing, she’s ranked as the 67th richest self-made woman in America, with an estimated net worth of $600 Million.

Earnings History

According to reports, between 2010 and 2018, Danielle Steel earned approximately $201 million from all endeavors. She often earned substantial annual sums from book advances, film and TV rights, and royalties. This included estimated earnings of $32 million in 2010 and $35 million in 2011, which were her highest-earning years of the decade. During the 2010s, Steel’s earnings gradually declined, dropping to between $22 million and $26 million in the mid-2010s and to $12 million by 2018. 

Legal Issues & Lawsuits

In 1993, Steel filed a lawsuit against author Lorenzo Bene, who was going to disclose that her son had been adopted by her husband at the time, John Traina. California law states that adoption records must remain sealed to protect adoptive families and can only be opened under very special circumstances. Generally, the records can be disclosed for medical purposes or with the consent of the adopted child once they reach adulthood. Steel believed that if her son’s adoption went public, it would violate her family’s privacy.

Despite her arguments, the state supreme court ruled in favor of opening the adoption record, which was highly unusual given that her son was still a minor at the time. Controversially, the court decided that, because of Steel’s public profile, privacy standards didn’t apply to her and therefore agreed that the records could be opened.

Theft By Former Assistant

In 2009, Steel was the victim of theft after her bookkeeper stole approximately $2.7 million from her. Kirsty Watts had worked for Steel for 15 years when, in November 2008, Steel discovered irregularities in the way Watts had handled credit cards and subsequently terminated her employment. An investigation later revealed that Watts had stolen the money by writing herself cheques and paying herself bonuses. She also used Steel’s credit card reward points to buy flights and gift cards for her family.

Watts was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing over several years and agreed to surrender her assets to help repay the money. So far, she has returned the majority of what she stole, mainly through the sale of her home, its contents, and her family’s vehicles.

Real Estate

Danielle Steel and her husband, Thomas Perkins, own the Spreckles Estate in San Francisco, California. The property has a significant history. It was initially split into four units before Steel acquired it and began her restoration efforts. She also reportedly purchased approximately 25 parking permits for guests in the adjoining streets.

While we don’t know precisely how much Steel paid for the home, recent estimations place its current valuation at roughly $19.2 million. Public records show that the annual property taxes range from $130,000 to $140,000. Over at least twenty-five years of ownership, the couple is estimated to have spent at least $2.5 million on property taxes alone. 

Introduction

Jenna Bush Hager is a professional author, journalist, and news correspondent with an estimated net worth of $14 million.

Hager made her fortune on the Today show. Although she is best known as the daughter of former President George W. Bush, Jenna has created her legacy as a talented television presenter. While she started her television career in 2009, she has no plans to leave the Today show, and we can expect to see her active for many more seasons.

Quick Facts

• Reportedly earns a salary of $4 million per year on the Today show

Before Wealth & Fame

While living in Dallas, she attended Preston Hollow Elementary School and The Hockaday School until her father was elected Governor of Texas, and they moved to Austin. She then attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and Austin High School from 1996 until her graduation in 2000. When her father became president in 2001, she started attending the University of Texas while also taking summer classes at New York University.

In New York, she was a legacy member of her mother’s sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, but Jenna and her sister quickly made headlines when they were both arrested on alcohol-related charges in April of 2001. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 with a degree in English, she started making media appearances on behalf of her father’s re-election campaign.

NBC Salary

Jenna Bush Hager has been working with NBC since 2009. Her first role with the network was as a correspondent and contributor focusing on human-interest stories. Hager’s salary during this time of her career wasn’t publicly disclosed, but NBC typically paid correspondents between $100,000 and $300,000 per year. In 2014, Hager’s on-air presence grew, and she began receiving much greater visibility.

The most important promotion came in 2019, when Hager succeeded Kathie Lee Gifford as the co-host of the 4th hour of TODAY. She was also partnered with Hoda Kotb to launch Today with Hoda & Jenna. Again, her salary during this period was not public, but it was believed to be upwards of $1 million per year.

By 2020, Hager’s annual salary with NBC had grown to a reported $3 million, and at the time of writing, she is currently earning $4 million per year with the network. Based on the information above, Jenna Bush Hager has potentially earned between $21 million and $25 million since joining NBC in 2009.

Real Estate

In 2015, Jenna Bush Hager and her husband, Henry Chase Hager, paid $4.58 million for a four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom apartment in New York City. The unit is located in the Tribeca neighborhood and features 2,545 square feet of living space. The couple listed the home for sale in 2022 with an asking price of $5.375 million. We’re not sure whether this property has been sold.

Summary 

Jenna Bush may have become well-known thanks to her father, George, but her success since 2000 has been all her own. While she has worked on the Today show since 2009, she remains a co-anchor today, and she seems to have no plans to leave anytime soon.

Introduction

John Grisham is an American novelist, politician, and activist with an estimated net worth of $400 Million. 

Quick Facts

• Typically earned between $14 million and $18 million per year
• Earned at least $308 million between 1993 and 2018
• Peak annual income of $36 million in 1997
• Donated $5 million to help Mississippi recover from Hurricane Katrina

Earnings History

In the 2010s, John Grisham was a frequent name on Forbes’ list of the World’s Highest-Paid Authors, typically earning between $14 million and $18 million per year. That said, he also frequently appeared on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, which the publication released annually from the 1990s to the 2000s. During our research, we found fifteen years in which Grisham appeared on these lists. To the best of our knowledge, he first appeared on the list in 1993 and last appeared in 2018. 

During this period, John Grisham’s estimated earnings totaled $308 million; however, information is still missing for eleven years. Beginning in 1993, Grisham earned an estimated $17 million, followed by a similar sum of $16 million in 1994. At the time, his books frequently occupied the New York Times Bestseller list. This includes releases such as The Firm, The Pelican Brief, and The Client, all released between 1991 and 1993. It’s also worth mentioning that Grisham received additional income from selling the film rights to these novels, which is why his income was so high at the time. 

Grisham’s earnings peaked at $36 million in 1997, by which point he was dubbed Hollywood’s favorite author. Since then, he’s realized several other lucrative years, often earning between $25 million and $26 million per year. However, as we mentioned above, his earnings have consistently ranged between $14 million and $18 million in the most recent years for which estimates are available.

Legal Issues & Lawsuits

Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

In 1996, attorney Polly Nelson filed a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement against Grisham. She claimed that his 1994 novel, The Chamber, unlawfully copied elements from her biography, Defending the Devil: My Story as Ted Bundy’s Last Lawyer. Nelson had previously represented serial killer Ted Bundy during his final death row appeals. She claimed Grisham’s novel borrowed heavily from her personal and professional experiences.

The case was heard in the U.S. District Court, with Nelson arguing that both books shared themes of capital punishment. She also stated that the books featured lawyers defending controversial death row inmates. However, the court found no legal grounds for her claim and dismissed the lawsuit without further action.

Defamation Lawsuit

Grisham had another lawsuit filed against him in 2007. Former Pontotoc County District Attorney Bill Peterson and two investigators filed defamation, invasion of privacy, and conspiracy claims. They were unhappy with how they were portrayed in The Innocent Man. The book was Grisham’s nonfiction account of the wrongful convictions of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz.

Peterson and the investigators claimed the book misrepresented them, which damaged their reputations. In 2008, U.S. District Judge Ronald White dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that the discussion of wrongful convictions was of public interest.

OpenAI Lawsuit

In 2023, Grisham joined a group of 16 authors, including Jodi Picoult and George R.R. Martin, in a class-action lawsuit against OpenAI. Filed by the Authors Guild, the lawsuit claims that OpenAI’s ChatGPT was trained on copyrighted books without the authors’ consent or compensation. The Authors Guild argued that it is large-scale copyright infringement and creates unfair competition by using authors’ original works to generate new content.

They also stated that using copyrighted material in this way undermines writers’ rights. OpenAI has filed motions to dismiss, arguing that using publicly available text for AI training constitutes fair use under U.S. copyright law. As it stands, the lawsuit remains unresolved.

Philanthropy

Grisham has been involved in many philanthropic endeavors throughout his lifetime. In 1993, Grisham and his wife, Renée, created the Grisham Writer-in-Residence program at the University of Mississippi to support emerging writers. Funded entirely by the Grishams, the residency offers writers a year-long post in Oxford, Mississippi, along with a regular payment and housing. Residents are only required to teach one class per semester, allowing them time to focus on their writing and research. Many also get involved in mentoring students and contributing to campus literary life.

Hurricane Katrina Donation

In 2005, Grisham and his wife donated $5 million to aid Mississippi’s recovery after Hurricane Katrina. They established the Rebuild the Coast Fund to support residents and local businesses severely impacted by the storm. To ensure the money went where it was most needed, they hired a team to review aid requests and direct funds to specific local needs. Although the Grishams typically keep their charitable work private, they chose to go public with this donation to encourage others to lend a hand.

Justice Reform

Grisham’s first nonfiction book, The Innocent Man, came out in 2006 and told the story of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz, who were wrongly convicted of murder. Writing the book marked the beginning of Grisham’s involvement in the justice reform movement. After the book’s release, he joined the board of the Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization that works to exonerate people who have been wrongly convicted. Since then, Grisham has become a strong public advocate against flaws in the justice system.