The Richest 90 Day Fiancé Stars May Surprise You
When "90 Day Fiancé" debuted in 2014, it quickly became a break-out hit for TLC, all thanks to the couples who were willing to share their struggles of falling in love with a foreign partner. The premise of the show is simple: viewers watch the journey as couples are either approved or denied for a K-1 visa. Many pairs struggle through hurdles as they try to meet the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services requirements. However, some couples do succeed and end up marrying within the 90-day time frame, while others sadly part ways or are revealed to be scams.
No one claimed that having a long-distance relationship would be easy, but the reality star couples who have made it have also learned to turn their success from TV into a lucrative day job thanks to social media and spinoffs. But when it comes to the most successful of our fan favorites, it may surprise you to learn who held the purse strings in the relationship, helping them to hold the title of the wealthiest star of "90 Day Fiancé."
Colt Johnson earns a decent amount
According to Screen Rant, Larissa Dos Santos Lima, who was arguably one of the most love-to-hate characters of the franchise, is said to be worth a mere $500,000. Dos Santos Lima has a very strong social media following and has garnered a few sponsors as well. Fans may have thought she was worth more, but she does compensate for the discretion. Most of her surgeries have been done pro rata. All she has to do is to promote the medical practice on her Instagram. In the past, she has worked with Heather Rohrer, owner of the Center for Aesthetic Medicine. She also had a career on OnlyFans and CamSoda, which ultimately got her sacked from the franchise. She once told In Touch Weekly, "I was able to make $50,000 in one year on Cameo." Dos Santos Lima is currently back in Sin City after leaving Colorado behind for her next adventure.
Not far behind the Brazilian Bombshell is her ex-husband, Colt Johnson (pictured above), who is worth $600,000 (via Life & Style). The self-proclaimed mama's boy is still working with TLC and collecting a paycheck.
Big Ed is raking in the money
Next up on the list would have to be Big Ed Brown (pictured above). The Cinemaholic reports the San Diego native is worth $800,000. Big Ed first appeared on "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days" with his ex-fiancée Rosemarie Vega. He has since gone on to star on the TLC spinoff, "90 Day Fiancé: The Single Life," and promotes himself on Cameo.
Big Ed's earnings from Cameo will make you do a double-take. In a now-deleted Reddit post, a former employee revealed that the infamous reality star took home a whopping $634,000 — and that's only after the company collected their portion of the profits, per Showbiz Cheat Sheet. But his Cameo, along with his clothing line, is just his side gig. Big Ed also works as a photographer, and is an interior designer for San Diego's Studio Europa LEICHT, reports The Things.
Despite his impressive net worth, he's had his fair share of financial struggles in the past. The entertainment outlet notes that he's filed for bankruptcy twice before: To be exact, in 2004, he was $133,827.30 in debt. This debt later resurfaced in 2017, where he owed $185,704, per The Things.
Elizabeth Potthast and Anfisa Arkhipchenko Nava are card-carrying members of the millionaire's club
On paper, "90 Day Fiancé" doesn't always seem like the most lucrative deal when you're watching each couple's financial issues play out on screen, but the money that some stars have racked in is nothing to laugh about. Showbiz Cheat Sheet reports that Season 4's Anfisa Arkhipchenko Nava and Season 5's Elizabeth "Libby" Potthast are tied for a cool $1 million.
During her stint on the series, Anfisa readily admitted that she wanted an expensive lifestyle, which Screen Rant points out became a source of contention between her and now ex-husband Jorge. In 2020, Jorge filed for divorce from the fitness model, per Daily Mail. According to Just Jared Jr., Anfisa's social media sponsorships, eponymous training app and OnlyFans account make up her streams of income.
Libby's net worth might be the biggest plot twist of them all considering Season 5 of "90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?" documented the impact of husband Andrei Castravet's unemployment and financial struggles on their relationship. The following season showed the couple overcoming said struggles and start their own real estate business together in direct opposition with Libby's father's company, per Screen Rant.
Reality TV isn't the only credit under Libby's belt. She's also an actress and, according to the Cinemaholic, makes over $50K through various roles. Her Instagram sponsorships, Cameo and OnlyFans account also bring in extra funds, reports Life & Style.
Michael Jessen's wine investments have paid off
During Season 7 of "90 Day Fiancé", all eyes were on wine investor Michael Jessen and the expensive gifts he showered his now ex-wife Juliana Custodio de Sousa with. Though their relationship was marred by criticism surrounding their 20-year age gap and difference in income levels, as per Screen Rant, Michael showed time and again that he was all in with his extravagant gifts for her including luxury jewelry pieces and a $1 million house.
Though In Touch reports that this house eventually went into foreclosure, Just Jared Jr. puts Michael's net worth at an impressive $1.5 million. Life & Style notes that the reality star has been a wine investor for Zachys Wine Auctions for over 10 years. He also co-founded Licataa Wine, and his dabblings in the wine industry have led him all over the world, according to Screen Rant.
Darcey Silva is the queen of monetization
Fan-favorite Darcey Silva has made a memorable impact on the franchise. Her popularity has led to appearances on roughly six "90 Day" spin-offs and her own TLC eponymous series with sister Stacey, per IMDb. Throughout each series, viewers have been privy to her relationship struggles and watched arguments that start out one way and go in an entirely unexpected direction. E! Online points to Darcey's fight with ex Jesse Meester over the right way to cut a steak as one of these tense moments that draw viewers in.
As one half of the Silva twins, TV Shows Ace reports that Darcey has her hands in multiple pots including her rumored $1000-$1500 pay per episode and her clothing line House of Eleven that she co-founded with Stacey in their late brother's honor, per Showbiz Cheat Sheet. This all keeps the cash flowing. It doesn't hurt that Darcey also has her father Mike Silva as a safety net, considering he dropped over $1 million on a home for she and her sister, per Starcasm.
Darcey is an expert on monetization. In 2021, Darcey pulled in $152,000 over on Cameo, according to Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Monsters & Critics notes that she's also secured partnerships with controversial weight loss companies Flat Tummy Tea and Boombod, and co-founded production company Eleventh Entertainment, per Just Jared Jr. All of these projects put her net worth at $2 million, reports the outlet.
David Murphey is the richest of them all
But the most surprising wealth belongs to David Murphey, who is said to be worth $2.5 million, per Life & Style. TLC fans felt that Murphey was creepy after he shared that he wanted to move into an RV to save money. The Las Vegas native only appeared on the show for 1 season and was used by a Ukrainian woman and her dating website.
Murphy works as a Senior Systems Programmer and earns around $130,000. The outlet reported he once spoke on an Instagram Q&A, saying, "I was spending $2,000 per month dating when I was dating in the USA. Dinner, shows, activities, and travel. When the website came out, I just transferred that expense to them. I know, I know. If you earn $4K a month, this is crazy money, but not if you earn $15k plus. None of this money is life-changing to me." So there you have it, some of the top richest "90 Day Fiancé" stars thus far.