With a net worth that surpasses some of the media’s most prominent moguls, Martha Stewart proved that the skill of homemaking could be turned into big money.
The pioneering authority on living well worked as a nanny, a model, a caterer, and a stockbroker before writing a cookbook and establishing a media and publishing powerhouse that has never been equaled by a woman.
Find out how much Martha Stewart is worth and how she established her great empire, from her recipes and home décor to her friendship with Snoop Dogg and, yes, her insider trading scandal.
Martha Stewart Net Worth
Entrepreneur and TV star Martha Stewart has amassed a fortune of $400 million in the United States. She became wealthy through the success of her media, publishing, and consumer goods empire. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia had a spectacular initial public offering during the height of her fame and the dotcom boom.
Martha Stewart became the first American woman to become a billionaire through her own efforts on the day her firm went public. The company’s market value declined by more than half once the bubble burst. This will be discussed further in the piece.
Martha Stewart’s Billionaire Status and MSLO’s Journey to the Stock Market
In September 1997, Stewart and her business partner Sharon Patrick were able to acquire financing to buy the Martha Stewart television, magazine, and product lines. Stewart is the chairwoman, president, and chief executive officer of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO), while Patrick is the chief operating officer.
MSLO went public on the New York Stock Exchange under the name MSO on October 19, 1999. The share price started off at $18. With the stock price at $38 by the close of trading, Stewart became a paper billionaire overnight. Because of her accomplishment, Martha became the first American woman to become a billionaire via her own efforts. In today’s dollars, after correcting for inflation, her $1 billion fortune would be worth almost $1.6 billion.
However, the stock price dropped to $16 per share in February 2002, rendering her no longer a billionaire.
In December 2015, MSO joined Sequential Brands Group. Martha maintained her status as a key investor. The Martha Stewart brand was sold by Sequential to Marquee Brands in April 2019 for $175 million.
Martha Stewart’s Insider Trading Scandal and the Aftermath That Followed
In 2001, after learning confidential information from her Merrill Lynch broker, Stewart sold all 3,928 of her shares of ImClone Systems stock, saving herself $45,673, as reported by the SEC. While in the air on a private jet, she allegedly received the tip and executed the exchange.
The government indicted her on nine charges on June 4, 2003, including securities fraud and obstruction of justice. As a result, she gave up her roles as head of MSLO and board chairwoman.
In March 2004, a federal jury found Stewart guilty of the felonies of conspiracy, obstruction of an agency procedure, and providing false statements to investigators. In 2004, she did five months behind bars followed by two years of supervised release. In addition, she was fined $30,000.
Interestingly, Martha’s billionaire status was temporarily restored when the price of MSLO shares doubled while she was behind bars. Martha’s net worth fell from $750 million to $500 million in the six months following her release, as stock gains reversed by 47%.
Below are some other famous individuals whose net worth you may be interested in learning about:
- Elizabeth Taylo Net Worth At the Time of Her Death: Elizabeth Taylor Was a Shrewd Businessperson
- Selling Sunset Star Chrishell Stause Net Worth: How Much Does Chrishell Earn from Selling Sunset?
Exploring Martha Stewart’s Multi-Million Dollar Real Estate Empire Across the US
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Martha has multiple properties across the United States. Her real estate holdings probably total well over $100 million.
She acquired the 67-acre Skylands mansion in Seal Harbor, Maine in 1997; it had been constructed in 1952 by auto heir Edsel Ford. A 12-bedroom mansion with a pink driveway. She paid $5.8 million in 2015 to acquire the 7-acre plot of land directly across the street.
Martha owns a 152-acre property in Katonah, New York, which she has named Cantitoe Corners.
New York’s Easthampton After separating from Andrew Stewart in 1991, Martha was able to purchase a piece of coastal land that spans an acre. In September of 2021, Martha made a $16.5 million profit on the sale of her property.
Martha owns a multi-unit building on Perry Street in New York City’s West Village. Although Martha allegedly no longer resides in any of her properties, her daughter Alexis still does. And now we come to Alexis Stewart. In February of this year, Alexis listed another multi-unit apartment complex of over 9,000 square feet for sale at a staggering $53 million.
Martha has two apartments in the Big Apple. The second one is a Fifth Avenue condo with Central Park views.
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