Many of the richest people in the world aren’t even real. From the escapism of The White Lotus to the financial up and downs of Carrie Bradshaw, avid TV viewers have spent years watching shows about the lives of ridiculously wealthy people and how their status affects everyone around them.
While some rags-to-riches stories can be relatable, some TV characters’ wealth is simply beyond anyone’s imagination. Even the likes of Taylor Swift and the Kardashian family can’t hold a candle to Succession’s Logan Roy, Gossip Girl’s Chuck Bass, and Maya Rudolph (on her show Loot, that is).
Read on to learn about the richest fictional characters on TV, ranked by their estimated net worths.
Twyla Sands, Schitt’s Creek: $46 Million
One of Schitt’s Creek’s most unexpected plot twists came in the final season, when Cafe Tropical server Twyla confessed that she was secretly rich after giving Alexis a large check. Twyla won a $92 million lottery but had to split with another winner, meaning she’s worth an impressive $46 million. And other than Alexis, nobody else knows.
Carrie Bradshaw, And Just Like That: $50 Million
After years of declined credit cards and buying shoes over paying off debt on Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw finally racked up her own wealth on And Just Like That..., thanks to her successful books and inheritance from her late husband. Her estimated net worth is around $50 million, allowing her to buy a Gramercy Park townhouse and donate $100,000 to charity at the drop of a hat.
Logan Huntzberger, Gilmore Girls: $200 Million
While Rory Gilmore’s grandparents were rich, the Huntzberger family was wealthy. Rory’s Yale love interest Logan was raised to be the heir of his father’s newspaper empire, inspired by the Sulzberger family, who owned the New York Times and were worth around $200 million in the mid-2000s. With that kind of cash, how did Rory turn down Logan’s marriage proposal?
Caleb Nichol, The O.C.: $200-500 Million
No one on this list suffered a financial setback quite like Caleb Nichol on The O.C., who lost most of his wealth before his death. But when he was running his real estate & development company, the Newport Group, there was nobody more rich or powerful in all of Orange County, with Kirsten’s dad earning an estimated range of $200-500 million in his heyday.
Rebecca Welton, Ted Lasso: $300-400 Million
On Ted Lasso, Rebecca Welton owns a 51% share of the AFC Richmond football team (likely from her divorce agreement, though this is never confirmed). The club is partially inspired by the real-life Crystal Palace team, which is worth just over $800 million, meaning that Welton has a sizable net worth even at half of that value.
Tanya McQuoid, The White Lotus: $500 Million
As explained by her assistant Portia, the White Lotus resorts’ most devoted guest, Tanya McQuoid, had “like half a billion dollars.” She inherited her wealth from her father, who was a shipping magnate and real estate investor before dying by suicide.
Cookie & Lucious Lyon, Empire: $600 Million
After getting out of prison, Cookie Lyon wanted her fortune back — and she got it. Together, she and her musician husband Lucious built a true empire with a massive record label, champagne brand, shoe line, and of course, a top-notch nightclub, putting the couple in Jay-Z and Beyoncé territory when it comes to wealth.
Mr. Burns, The Simpsons: $1-2 Billion
Yes, an animated character is richer than most of us will ever be. Homer Simpson’s longtime evil boss on The Simpsons, Montgomery Burns, built the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, which made him a billionaire. Forbes estimated his net worth to be in the $1 billion range, which was apparently enough to buy his way out of jail.
Chuck Bass, Gossip Girl: $2-3 Billion
When his father Bart fell from the top of a skyscraper, Chuck Bass became one of the richest men in New York. He quickly took over Bart’s multi-billion dollar real estate magnate Bass Industries — for the second time. Previously, Bart had faked his own death when his son originally took over. But by the series finale, it was only Chuck’s empire.
Tywin Lannister, Game of Thrones: $2-3 Billion
It pays to be a villain on Game of Thrones. Tywin Lannister was able to bankroll failed monarchies and full-blown wars on the long-running HBO series, thanks to a net worth that’s estimated to be in the ballpark of $2-3 billion, easily making him the richest man (nay, Lord) in Westeros.
Logan Roy, Succession: $18 Billion
If I were one of Logan Roy’s children, I’d fight all of my scheming siblings to take over the family business as well. Forbes calculated that the Roy patriarch was worth an eye-watering $18 billion, thanks mostly to his 36% stake in the $46 billion entertainment company Waystar, as well as a $345 million real estate portfolio. And that doesn’t even include his yacht.
Molly Novak, Loot: $87 Billion
Yes, there is someone in the TV world who’s richer than the entire Roy family. Maya Rudolph’s Loot character, Molly Wells, lands an astounding $87 billion settlement from her divorce, making her the third wealthiest woman in the world. She uses the money to run the charitable foundation she forgot she founded. Typical rich people problems.
