The Richest Teen Mom Star Might Surprise You

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The ladies of "Teen Mom" have come a long, long way. We first met many of them back in 2009, when "16 and Pregnant" was first released (per IMDb). Later that year, MTV introduced "Teen Mom," which followed the ladies of "16 and Pregnant" as they explored motherhood and went through the ups and downs of their ever-changing lives.

With over a decade on TV, it's easy to assume that the "Teen Mom" stars have made some good money from reality TV. Juggling fame with other responsibilities hasn't proven to be easy for many of these women. Nearly every mom in the franchise has struggled financially at one point or another, but many of them have learned from their mistakes. "They weren't taught how to handle their money properly," Farrah Abraham's mom, Debra Danielsen, who has a MBA, told Heavy. She noted, "When they set up businesses nobody tells them how to take care of their taxes and stuff," adding, "I think the cold, hard fact of the matter is they don't have good counsel from a business perspective."

The "Teen Mom" stars are getting more financially savvy and taking advantage of the many opportunities available to them. Ultimately, they're looking to build wealth for their children and take care of their extended families, while trying to figure out their own passions. Still, one "Teen Mom" star has made the most.

Maci Bookout, also known as Maci Bookout McKinney, is another "16 and Pregnant" star who continued on with "Teen Mom" (per IMDb). The franchise has followed Bookout from her days as a shy high schooler with big dreams to her life as a mom of three (per In Touch Weekly). 

Outside of her reality TV life, Bookout is a businesswoman through and through. She runs a social media marketing company she's very proud of that's completely separate from her television persona. "I don't brand it as me from MTV or on TV, if people don't watch the show then they would never know that I'm on TV. I don't bring it up," Bookout told International Business Times. "I never use my personal accounts to help promote. I keep it very separate. Part of the reason why I like it that way is because I never know when it's going to help me or hurt me." Bookout also helps husband Taylor McKinney with their clothing line, Things That Matter. 

Bookout's hard work paid off in a big way in June 2021, when she dropped $339,000 for a home on 48 acres of land in Cleveland, Tennessee (per The U.S. Sun). Despite her nice home, or perhaps because of it, her current net worth is estimated at $10,000 (per Celebrity Net Worth).

Kailyn Lowry got her start on Season 2 of "16 and Pregnant" and later transitioned to "Teen Mom 2" (per IMDb). The busy mom of four is working on her financial savvy, especially after filming less for "Teen Mom 2" after they hired ex Chris Lopez, the father of her youngest two children (per The U.S. Sun). 

Outside of reality TV, Lowry has hit her stride in the podcasting world. She's the host of two podcasts, "Coffee Convos" and "Baby Mama: No Drama," as noted on her website. In addition to media-related endeavors, Lowry also started a line of CBD-oil infused hair care products, Pothead. She's also an author. In addition to an adult coloring book, she has released "Pride Over Pity," "Hustle and Heart," and "A Letter of Love," books that are part-memoir, part inspirational. Additionally, she's released a children's book, "Love Is Bubblegum."

Lowry also worked hard to make a big investment. In May 2021, she revealed she was building a home for her and her family in Delaware (per In Touch Weekly). There's no word on what Lowry spent to make the almost-complete house happen, but her estimated net worth as of January 2022 is $25,000 (per Celebrity Net Worth).

Leah Messer was just a cheerleader when she learned she was pregnant with twins on the second season of "16 and Pregnant" (per IMDb). From there, the mom moved on to the cast of "Teen Mom 2," where they followed the mom of three as she dealt with what life threw at her. She's also appeared on "Teen Mom: Family Reunion."

Like many of her co-stars, Messer has branched out from reality TV. She penned a book, "Hope, Grace, and Faith," released in 2020 (per Amazon). She is also in the process of launching a health coaching company under the name Go Higher With Purpose (per PopCulture). Messer has some debt to deal with as well. The U.S. Sun reported she has an unpaid federal tax lien from 2019 for $123,841.

Messer is doing relatively well for herself in spite of setbacks, with an estimated net worth of $50,000 (per Celebrity Net Worth).

You might think Bristol Palin has a leg up on the "Teen Mom" competition because of her background. Palin is the daughter of former Alaskan governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin (per The Washington Post). She lived a fairly high-profile life before even joining the MTV series. She appeared on a number of talk shows with her famous family, was on "Dancing With the Stars" twice, appeared on her mom's reality show "Sarah Palin's Alaska," and even had her own show for a year, "Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp" (per IMDb).

Palin joined "Teen Mom OG" from 2018 to 2019 (per CNN). She left the show because it allegedly "took away [her] peace," as she shared on Instagram. Notably, the same year she began working on the show, she also began her career in real estate, as noted by the Daily Mail. Today, she heads her own real estate team with Austin Home Seekers. Celebrity Net Worth estimates her net worth at $500,000.