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Whether you broke the law or not, everyone is a little terrified of Judge Judy. The most well-known judge on television has a no-nonsense personality and isn’t afraid to say exactly what she’s thinking. Defendants can’t get away with anything on Judge Judy’s watch.

Daytime television wouldn’t be the same without her. And it’s clear many television viewers agree with this point – Judge Judy was just ranked as the highest-paid TV host right now, beating out Ellen and Dr. Phil for the honor. She holds the Guinness World Record for the longest career as a TV judge.

So how much money does the straight-talking judge have? A lot.

Judge Judy
Judge Judy | Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Who is Judge Judy?

You might know her as Judge Judy, but in real life she goes by Judy Sheindlin. She was born in Brooklyn, the second of four siblings born to Jewish German immigrant parents. She graduated from American University in Washington DC and New York Law School. After a brief stint as a corporate lawyer for a cosmetics firm and then taking time off to raise her young children, Sheindlin became a prosecutor for the Manhattan division of family court.

While Judge Judy doesn’t agree that she’s “tough” or “harsh (she sees it as merely being practical), that’s the reputation she got while working as a judge in New York. A 1993 LA Times profile made Judge Judy famous and indirectly led to her television career. Soon after, she was featured on 60 Minutes and worked on her first book, Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It’s Raining. Amazingly, Judge Judy didn’t appear on camera for the first time until she was 52 years old.

Television made her a star

Judge Judy’s syndicated show premiered on September 16, 1996. Since day one, it’s been at the top of the ratings charts, boasting nine to 10 million viewers per day. In the 2009-2010 television season, Judge Judy managed to beat out the Oprah Winfrey Show for viewers, making it the first show to accomplish that feat in a decade.

And Judge Judy is part of pop culture now. She’s one of the most recognizable names and faces out there, which is one of the reasons why she’s paid so well. She was parodied on SNL and featured on The Simpsons, among many other programs. Judge Judy is a household name.

Judge Judy
Judge Judy | Peter Kramer/iStock/Getty Images

How much money does Judge Judy make?

A recent report stated that Judge Judy makes $47 million per year on her show alone, making her the highest paid TV show host, period. In total, she’s worth about $400 million. She ranked 48th on Forbes’ list of America’s Self-Made Women in 2018.

Judge Judy recently sold the rights to her show’s library for about $100 million in 2017. She also created the courtroom series Hot Bench, which is a huge success.

Judy Sheindlin lives in Naples, Florida with her husband. They have five children.

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