‘Bling Empire’: Anna Shay’s Net Worth at the Time of Her Death
Netflix’s Bling Empire came hot off the heels of Crazy Rich Asians, and it showed the world of rich East and Southeast Asian Americans living the rich, Los Angeles life. Sadly, Anna Shay of Bling Empire fame died on June 5, 2023. What was Anna Shay’s net worth at the time of her death? Here’s what to know.
Anna Shay’s net worth when she died
Bling Empire fans will certainly miss Anna Shay. She was one of the richest members of the cast. Anna Shay’s net worth stood at $600 million at the time of her death, though it could have been even more thanks to the money she received from the Netflix series.
So, how did Shay accrue her wealth? It seems her rich father is mostly responsible for her lavish life and riches. Her father, Edward Shay, founded Pacific Architects and Engineers, an American defense and government services contractor. The company provided goods to the U.S. Department of State as well as the United Nations, the U.K. Ministry of Defence, the New Zealand Defence Force, and the Central Intelligence Agency. Shay’s father died in 1995, and when he died, he left the company shares to his kids. Her brother, Allen, then took over the company as CEO. The siblings then sold Pacific Architects to Lockheed Martin.
Co-star Kane Lim explained more about Shay’s fortune in the series, stating her father sold “bombs, guns, defense technology — and it’s worth, like, a few billion.”
In addition to the funds Shay was gifted by her father, she also makes money via Instagram. With over 500,000 followers, she certainly made an income from the social media platform.
Anna Shay died from a stroke at 62 years old in 2023
Unfortunately, Anna Shay died due to a stroke. It seems likely that her fortune will pass on to her son, Kenny Kemp.
“It saddens our hearts to announce that Anna Shay, a loving mother, grandmother, charismatic star, and our brightest ray of sunshine, has passed away at the early age of 62 from a stroke,” her family shared with People on June 5, 2023. “Anna taught us many life lessons on how not to take life too seriously and to enjoy the finer things. Her impact on our lives will be forever missed but never forgotten.”
Her co-star Kevin Kreider shared sweet words on Instagram regarding Shay’s death. “You never know when your last goodbye will be,” he wrote. “So unexpected and wished when I saw you last for lunch I would have taken a moment to smell the roses and had one last adventure with you.”
Who’s the richest star from ‘Bling Empire’?
While Anna Shay’s net worth was impressive, she wasn’t the richest star in Bling Empire. The richest star from the reality TV series is Mimi Morris.
Morris entered the show in season 2 and has an estimated net worth of around $800 million when combined with her husband, Don Morris. And with the additional income she received from the show, the couple was estimated to actually have a net worth closer to $1 billion.
Cherie Chan and Jessey Lee were the next richest cast members with a combined net worth of $200 million. Chan acquired wealth thanks to her uncle’s denim empire, and she also started her own tequila company, Religion Tequila. She once aspired to have a music career and even signed a recording contract in Japan. As for Lee, he has his own furniture company.
Is ‘Bling Empire’ Season 4 coming?
Anna Shay’s death has fans wondering what’s next for the series. Is Bling Empire Season 4 on its way?
Unfortunately, Netflix decided not to move forward with another season of Bling Empire. The spinoff, Bling Empire: New York, was also canceled. The first season of Bling Empire aired in January 2021, the second season aired in May 2022, and the third season aired in October 2022.
While fans can still catch the stars — Christine Chiu, Kane Lim, Kelly Mi Li, Kevin Kreider, Gabriel Chu, Cherie Chan, Jessey Lee, Kim Lee, Andrew Gray, Jamie Xie, and Guy Tang — on social media, fans shouldn’t expect to see them on reality TV anytime soon.
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