Maury Povich's Controversial Show Led To Him Building A Huge Net Worth

Highlights

Maury Povich's long-running TV show, Maury, may have been canceled, but it propelled him to massive fame and a net worth to rival modern stars.
Despite the sometimes campy nature of the show, Maury loved what he did and enjoyed meeting new guests, experiencing both highs and lows alongside them, and even modernizing with a satirical episode featuring Lil Nas X.
Alongside his TV show, Maury took on other projects outside of daytime TV, appearing in TV shows and films and making guest appearances on various programs, showcasing his professional and put-together demeanor.

It might not have earned rave reviews from viewers, but Maury the TV show propelled Maury Povich to massive fame. The controversial series ran for over thirty years and topped out at 5,043 episodes. Given its longevity, many fans were shocked when the show was ultimately canceled.

For Maury, it was the end of an era, but not necessarily in a bad way. Maury was 83 when the show's cancelation was publicized, so he's well into retirement. After so many years on one of the first "reality" shows out there, Maury Povich has a net worth to rival many modern stars.

Maury Povich Spent Decades On Daytime TV

Today, Maury Povich's famous lines from Maury have been made into countless memes, but at the time of the show's debut, the program filled a gap. It was daytime TV, but it was controversial and, dare we say, trashy enough to garner if not a dedicated viewership, then at least an entertained one.

For Maury Povich, even if he didn't enjoy the sometimes campy nature of the show (he didn't have to gallop around backstage or get physical with anyone), the paycheck was clearly worth sticking it out for.

Of course, Maury has spoken about how much he loved what he did on the show, from meeting new guests to experiencing both highs and lows alongside them. He even modernized a bit with a satirical episode featuring rapper Lil Nas X and his "boyfriend," which drew many viewers to the show's YouTube channel.

Then again, the paycheck might have been part of the appeal.

Maury is said to have earned $14 million per year of his show (some sources say it's $13M), though it's unclear when he began earning that amount. It can be assumed he started out with a much lower per-year or per-season salary than what he earned for the ultimate episodes.

Maury Also Took On Other Projects Apart From His Show

Though Maury was front and center for Povich, he took on other gigs outside the daytime TV show. Since the mid-1980s, Maury Povich has appeared in a handful of TV shows and films, including a guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother and even a gig in Madea's Big Happy Family.

In those and similar roles, Maury often portrayed himself, but he also appeared on countless programs as himself, such as in interviews and appearances on shows like The View, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and more.

Interestingly, though Maury earned a ton of cash for hosting Maury, he has only a single production credit for the show. He also produced a handful of other projects over the years, but nothing that was a box-office hit.

Given that Maury's many TV appearances involved simply being himself, it seems clear that Hollywood appreciated what he offered Maury, which was always a professional and put-together appearance, even as his guests often fell apart on camera.

In fact, Maury doesn't seem to have had a scandal during his three decades in the industry, making his retirement even sadder for fans. Maury himself won't be sad, however, as he's retiring with great memories and a massively overfull bank account.

Maury Povich Retired With An $80 Million Net Worth

After so many years on air (and on-demand in the industry), Maury Povich was able to retire with a net worth of $80 million. It's clear from that figure that Maury didn't always make $13-$14M from Maury, but it's not a number to scoff at, either.

Most of his earnings stem from the talk show, but Maury has other business ventures as well. In 2017, he purchased a stake in a restaurant called Chatter, which is co-owned by other celebrities.

As far as his earnings for other roles, there isn't much information on what Maury was paid for specific projects. In most cases, he had one or two appearances on a show or a quick scene in a film, so odds are, it wasn't a ton of money.

But all together, Maury's earnings were enough for him and his wife to comfortably afford a $9 million mansion in Washington D.C., as well as a ranch in Montana.

Compared to other talk show hosts in the same circuit, Maury earned far more during his 30-plus-year run. Jerry Springer, who passed away in April 2023, was worth $60 million at the time of his death.

What Is Maury Povich Doing Now?

Given how much money Maury has already made, he could retire and ride off into the sunset, perhaps on that ranch in Montana. But Maury isn't done with his career just yet; he recently announced branded at-home paternity testing kits.

Now that Maury is over, would-be guests still need a way to find out who is [not] the father, so Maury decided to launch 'The Results Are In' for those in need.

As much as it sounds like a joke, Maury is taking his responsibilities seriously, explaining that "I've seen firsthand how DNA testing can change lives and bring families together. With 'The Results Are In,' we're making it easier and more affordable than ever before for people to get the answers they need."

Who knows how much this side gig will earn Maury, but at least he's doing it out of the goodness of his heart—and not for the drama.