Kody Brown from TLC’s Sister Wives has a large family. He has four wives, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn. The sister wives have 18 children between them, which means lots of mouths to feed.
The family has also been splurging on rentals and new homes for the sister wives after they moved to Flagstaff, Arizona.
They recently purchased a parcel of land in Coyote Pass that reportedly cost $820,000. Kody and Robyn also reportedly purchased a $900,000 house in Flagstaff and Christine a $520,000 house.
We also saw in the premiere episode of Season 14 that aired last week that the family has also been incurring costs on rental properties for the wives, Meri and Janelle.
The high cost of the family’s living has left many fans wondering about the source of the Brown family’s income. Fans want to know what Kody did for a living before the family’s Sister Wives reality show debuted on TLC and what he’s been doing since after they got their own TV show.
Here is what you need to know.
What does Kody Brown do for a living?
Kody revealed in the premiere episode of Sister Wives that aired on TLC back in 2010 that he and two sister wives, Janelle and Meri, worked before they rose to fame on their TLC reality show. He shared that while he, Janelle and Meri worked, the other two sister wives, Christine and Robyn, stayed at home to take care of the kids.
Although Kody did not share details about his occupation, Radar Online reported in 2015 that bankruptcy court documents filed by Kody and Meri back in June 2005 revealed that Kody worked as a salesman at a sign shop in Billings, Montana, earning a modest $4,000 a month. His wife, Meri, worked as an engraver with an award company and earned $625 a month.
E! News also reported that until 2004, before the family filed for bankruptcy in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Kody was the president of Das Hundhaus Firearms and Accessories, but it was not clear how much the business contributed to the family income.
Kody had three wives and about a dozen young kids at the time he filed for bankruptcy in 2015 and he struggled to support his family on what appeared to be a meager income. The bankruptcy documents revealed that before Kody and Meri filed for bankruptcy, the family had run up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, including mortgages, car loans, and credit card debt.
Christine also reportedly filed for bankruptcy in 2010, shortly before they started filming Sister Wives.
Although the financial fortunes of the family drastically changed after they got their own reality show on TLC, they soon found themselves facing financial hardships again.
This prompted Kody to suggest that the family leave Las Vegas and relocate to Flagstaff, Arizona. But following recent revelations about huge costs that the family has been incurring by buying houses and paying for rentals in Flagstaff, fans have continued to wonder how the family is able to make ends meet even with the income they earn from their reality show.
Cafemon estimated back in 2013 that the family earned at least $50,000 per episode of their show on TLC.
Radar Online reported Christine and Robyn run a jewelry line called My Sisterwife’s Closet. Robyn reportedly manages the jewelry line.
Meri has also been working since 2016 as an ambassador for the women’s clothing brand, LuLaRoe. She also manages Lizzie’s Heritage Inn, a bed and breakfast in Utah.
Janelle also owned a food storage business called E Z Pantry, but it is not clear whether she is still operating the business.
E! News reported that Kody Brown opened a public relations outfit called Kody Brown Family Entertainment, LLC. He started the family business in 2010, but the business has since closed.
It is uncertain what Kody currently does for a living when he is not shooting Sister Wives for TLC.
However, Celebrity Net Worth estimates Kody’s net assets at $800,000.
Sister Wives airs Sundays at 10/9c on TLC.