Kody Brown's Lavish Life
Even if you do not watch "Sister Wives," there is a good chance you are familiar with series patriarch Kody Brown. Kody and the rest of the Brown family have been a staple of the TLC lineup since 2010, and it is no exaggeration to say their lives have turned upside-down since they found reality stardom. When the TLC reality series began filming, Kody, a practicing polygamist and member of the Mormon fundamentalist group the Apostolic United Brethren, was married to Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, and Christine Brown. In the premiere, viewers watched Kody as he got ready to marry his fourth wife, Robyn Brown. As of Season 18, Kody, who is the father of 18 kids, is no longer married to Meri, Janelle, or Christine.
Kody's messy splits aren't the only things that have changed his life. With reality TV stardom comes reality TV money, and by all accounts, he has embraced living a more lavish lifestyle. Fans and family members alike have commented on Kody's more recent spending habits, calling out his gifting habits, real estate moves, and beyond.
Once upon a time, way back in 2010, the family told Oprah Winfrey that at that point in their lives, they weren't exactly going on shopping sprees. "We just have to learn how to stretch our dollars just like any other American family," Meri said. Oh, what a difference a few years and a hit reality show make.
Kody Brown lived a relatively modest life before the show
When "Sister Wives" premiered on TLC in 2010, it was the first reality show about a polygamist family on the network. The series, which was created by Tim Gibbons and Christopher Poole, initially aimed to give viewers a less sensationalized picture of the unconventional and controversial lifestyle. According to the Puddle Monkey Productions website (via Showbiz CheatSheet), they hoped to "create a window into a lifestyle and faith that had never been truly documented before."
"Sister Wives" wasn't the Brown family's first taste of the spotlight: In 2009, Kody Brown and his family were featured in a BBC story. After Gibbons saw that story, he thought he might have a reality show on his hands. Anne Wilde, an advocate and cofounder of a polygamist fundamentalist group, ultimately connected Gibbons with Kody Brown and his family.
It's no stretch to say that before "Sister Wives," Kody's life looked a lot different. According to various reports, Kody's lengthy job history includes a stint as president of Das Hundhaus Firearms and Accessories, working a lumberjack, and spending time as a traveling salesman. Though his first three wives worked various jobs, too, the family went through a number of money troubles before TLC came knocking. In 2005, Kody and Meri Brown filed for bankruptcy. Janelle Brown filed in 1997. And in 2010, Christine Brown filed for bankruptcy, too. Reality TV certainly changed Kody's family's financial situation.
Sister Wives brings in a steady paycheck
When it comes to being a reality star, the salary range is pretty vast. One Bravo veteran was said to have made over $2 million a season; contestants on a certain popular dating competition show reportedly do it for free. As for how much money Kody Brown makes from "Sister Wives"? Well, it looks like the number falls somewhere in between zero and $2 million.
In 2009, E! News reported that families on TLC usually bring in about 10% of the show's overall budget. According to the outlet's source, TLC reality families earned somewhere around $25,000 and $40,000 an episode at that time. It's worth noting that this report predates "Sister Wives," so there's a chance the "Sister Wives" salary range looks a little different. On top of his reality TV income, Kody has turned to Cameo to help bring in extra dough. As of this writing, his video messages go for $149 a pop.
In 2018, rumor had it the network was ready to ax the show due to low ratings, but the series patriarch was ready to take a major pay cut to keep them on the air. At the time a source claimed to In Touch, "Kody told them he'd be willing to have the network slash his family's pay from $180,000 for each adult to $180,000 total if it meant they could make Season 12." Of course, the show didn't get chopped; the salary negotiation details remain unconfirmed.
Kody Brown seems to always give one of his wives a lot of financial support
Meri Brown, Christine Brown, and Janelle Brown's issues with Robyn Brown began long before they left Kody Brown. When Robyn joined the family all the way back in "Sister Wives" Season 1, the first three wives had concerns about what Robyn would contribute to the family on a financial level. In a 2023 livestream hosted by John Yates, Christine and Kody's son Paedon Brown addressed the question of whether or not Robyn worked to help support the rest of the family like the other wives did. "Work? Well, she did a few things for a few weeks a few times," he deadpanned. According to Hollywood Life (via Starcasm), she apparently had $30,000 in store credit card debt when she married Kody. The rest of the family assumed and paid off her debt.
Kody's first three wives have pursued various lines of work. Janelle was working for the government when the family was still in Utah, but she dove into the world of real estate when they moved to Nevada. In 2019, she opened her own business, Strive With Janelle, which offers health coaching, as well as apparel and accessories for purchase. Christine has teamed up with Janelle to promote health products on Instagram. What's more, Christine sells LuLaRoe products. Meri also works for LuLaRoe and owns a bed and breakfast in Utah called Lizzie's Heritage Inn. Though Paedon implied Robyn hasn't worked much, she has helped out with My Sisterwife's Closet, the family's online store.
Kody Brown sure seems to like to buy expensive jewelry
When Savanah Brown graduated high school in 2023, dad Kody Brown wore a not-so-subtle piece of jewelry to the ceremony that got tongues wagging. The necklace, which is featured in a picture Janelle Brown took of her daughter and the "Sister Wives" patriarch at the event, just so happens to be a David Yurman piece that retails for over $1,000. The necklace is made of sterling silver, cobalt lapis lazuli, and sapphires. Redditors were quick to point out that the necklace looked like a slightly smaller version of the Heart of the Ocean necklace from "Titanic."
This pricey necklace probably did not shock Gwendlyn Brown too much. A few weeks before the ceremony, Kody and Christine Brown's daughter commented on certain family members' relationships with money. "I think that my dad and Robyn have a terrible habit of spending very crazy and not within their means at all," she said on her YouTube recap of Season 17 Episode 14.
Kody and Robyn have also been spotted wearing Rolexes on the show. And in Season 18, Kody started wearing a signet ring by David Yurman that runs for about $1,000. Fans also noticed that Robyn happened to have her own version of that David Yurman ring.
Kody Brown's spending has received a lot of negative attention
Kody Brown's daughter is not the only person who has raised an eyebrow at the way he spends his money. The "Sister Wives" patriarch's financial habits have gotten a lot of heat from fans of the series, too.
In 2023, one Redditor went so far as to declare that Kody is "clearly terrible with money" before going on to point out his various real estate moves and employment history. Other Redditors chimed in to express how frustrated they were to see him play with all the money he receives from filming rather than put it toward more practical costs.
As far as Gwendlyn Brown's concerned, cutting bait with her dad is a wise money move. "Janelle and Meri are kind of similar to my mom in that they're not going to be salty or petty and try to take money from him, even though they totally deserve it because he's been spending all of their money on whatever," she said on her YouTube channel. "They'll probably be a lot better off now that they're no longer with him and they're no longer financially tied to him."
Kody Brown enjoys 'lavish trips and shopping extravaganzas'
Throughout "Sister Wives," the Brown family has taken a number of family vacations, visiting everywhere from Hawaii to Massachusetts to Alaska. Naturally, there has been speculation about whether or not TLC foots the vacation bills; travel can get expensive, especially with five adults and 18 children. (That said, vacation planning sure looks a lot different now that three of Kody Brown's wives have gone their separate ways.)
As far as Kody's vacations that are not featured on the hit reality show? Well, it feels more than safe to assume those come straight out of Kody's checking account. In 2023, for example, he and Robyn Brown headed to Las Vegas where they reportedly did some shopping. The two were spotted browsing the stores at Caesar's Palace during their stay. And apparently, when he and Robyn are out and about, he's more than down to shell out. "All of Kody's grand gestures and lavish trips and shopping extravaganzas are to make Robyn happy," a source told The U.S. Sun. "He's spending a lot of money on Robyn because that's what makes her happy."
This "lavish" lifestyle has generated a lot of speculation about Kody and Robyn's relationship with money. When asked if she thinks Robyn struggles with a shopping addiction on her Patreon in October 2023, Kody and Christine Brown's daughter Mykelti Brown only added fuel to the fire. "Shopping addiction? Probably true. Definitely," she said (via withoutacrystalball/Instagram).
He bought over-the-top Christmas gifts for some of his children
As "Sister Wives" viewers have seen time and time again, Kody Brown is not always the most fair when it comes to how he spends his money on his 18 children. And now that Robyn Brown is his only wife, that lack of fairness is all the more apparent. In Season 18, Kody gifted his and Robyn's five children gas-powered motorbikes. The rest of his children, however, did not receive such extravagant gifts. What's more, while he did see the children he shares with Christine Brown after the fact, he didn't go out of his way to spend time with the rest of the kids.
Later, Savanah Brown told Janelle Brown and Christine that she was hurt by how Christmas played out that year. "I was really sad, it's my dad. Now I'm just angry at him. No gifts, nothing," she said. In the same episode Christine expressed how hard it was to watch her ex handle the holiday like he did. "My kids felt neglected for years. It's just happening all over again," she said.
That said, Robyn was not exactly thrilled with the over-the-top gifts her husband gave their children. "I kind of wonder if Kody was trying to compensate with these bikes," she said. "Instead of the kids focusing on the fact that family isn't all together, he's gone, 'Look! Look at this pretty cool thing over here.' Compensate for what we're actually missing here."
Kody Brown shares a massive home with Robyn Brown in Flagstaff
In 2019, the Daily Mail reported that Kody Brown and Robyn Brown shelled out a whopping $900,000 on a massive house in Flagstaff, Arizona. The 4,400-square-foot home features five bedrooms and four bedrooms, along with a four-car garage, heated floors, and a sprawling deck. In December 2023, The U.S. Sun reported that the two had big renovation plans for the property, including reroofing the house and redoing electrical panels. According to the outlet, the property's value had jumped up to $1.9 million since they first purchased it. As fans have noted online, Robyn's Flagstaff house is barely featured on the show.
As "Sister Wives" fans saw on Season 14, Kody Brown and all four wives originally planned to rent houses in Flagstaff as they waited for their shared compound to be built. However, when Robyn's rental suddenly was no longer available, Kody went rogue and bought a house. This didn't go over well. At the time, Robyn was upset because she was unable to find a rental that suited their needs, and she did not necessarily want to purchase a house at that point.
What's more, this house gave viewers another reason to believe Robyn was Kody's favorite wife by a mile. "Robyn is getting the best place to live," a source told the Daily Mail. "Even her previous rental home in Flagstaff was almost 7,000 square feet. Basically double the size of the other three wives' homes."
He has big plans for a big piece of land in Flagstaff
When the Brown family first left Las Vegas for Flagstaff, Arizona, they scooped up five parcels of land and dreamed of building a compound where they all could live. They bought the property for $820,000 in 2018. The area, which is named Coyote Pass, is near the massive house Kody Brown shares with Robyn Brown. After Kody's first three wives left the plural marriage, he decided to divide the property up. However, he did not divide the land up evenly, and that proved to be a source of drama.
Another source of drama? The actual building process. They cannot break ground on construction until the land is totally paid off, so Kody's compound dream has been on hold for years. Janelle Brown did stay on her parcel in her RV for a few months in 2021, but other than that? None of the wives have lived on the property. As of this writing, construction has not begun on Coyote Pass.
The family's dynamic has changed drastically since they first acquired Coyote Pass, and so have the plans for the land. In 2022, In Touch reported Christine Brown sold her parcel to Kody and Robyn for $10. In 2023, The U.S. Sun reported Kody and Janelle paid off two of the parcels. Later that year, In Touch reported that Kody apparently owed nearly $5,000 in property taxes.
Kody Brown is a car guy
Kody Brown is clearly a car guy. Whether he's zipping around town in a bronze 2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet or driving to one of his four wives' homes in a Ford pickup truck, the series patriarch sure loves his wheels.
However, if there's one automobile from his collection that is sure to stick out in "Sister Wives" fans' minds, it is the white Lexus convertible. In Season 18, Kody sold three of his cars, including the white Lexus convertible, to a friend. After all of the miles and memories they'd shared, the white Lexus convertible was almost like a family member to the Brown family patriarch. "This car has been part of my life for so long," Kody said on the show. "This is the car I was driving when I first went public with the polygamy thing." When it came time to part ways with the car, his four wives all acknowledged that the vehicle held a special place in Kody's heart. In a confessional, Meri Brown remarked, "The white sports car was definitely Kody's baby."
Some Redditors speculated that money issues were the reason for the sale; others claimed he still owned the cars and the sale was all a fake storyline for the show. Whether or not he still owns any of those three cars, it is worth noting that some fans have said online that they've seen him out and about in a Mercedes.