Vicki Gunvalson Net Worth Reveal

Vicki Gunvalson was one of the main housewives in Bravo TV's The Real Housewives of Orange County since it debuted 14 years ago in 2006. She's the only one to have stuck it out with the show for all these years, but the recent demotion to just a 'friend' has affected her wealth in so many ways. With the next season also about to roll in this summer, there's no telling where she'll end up. Braunwyn Windham-Burke, who (kind of) replaced her as a main housewife, might have something to talk about — the recent alleged homophobic backlash.

Born on March 27, 1962 [age 58], in Chicago as Victoria Steinmetz, she grew up in the suburb of Mount Prospect before moving to Palatine. In a tight-knit family of her three sisters (two adopted) and one brother, the father, William J. Steinmetz, was the owner of their own Steinmetz Acoustical Construction Company.

Vicki Gunvalson is the earliest member of the RHOC family.
Photo Source: Bravo TV

Gunvalson is not only a TV personality, but she is also a businessman as the founder of Coto Insurance & Financial Services, an insurance company. So yeah, she earns prettier than most housewives of OC. Her salary in RHOC increased over the years, but with the controversy tangling between her and Kelly Dodd, her paycheck's been cut to more than half of what she used to be paid. Nonetheless, her net worth is still impressive.

Vicki Gunvalson's Net Worth of $7.3 Million Comes from Business and TV Paycut — Salary, Sources and Comparison

As of 2020, Vicki Gunvalson accumulated a net worth of $7.3 million from her changing salary at RHOC, profits from her financial firm, and her best-seller books. There might be some more coming (or going) from lawsuits as well. Her salary reportedly was $60,000 per episode when she was the main housewife of the cast, which totals her earnings to $1.26 million per season. But the recent demotion means she would be earning only $20,000 per episode, making a total of $420,000 for all 21 episodes this season, less than half of her earlier season earnings.

Vicki's net worth is really pretty despite her recent demotion.
Photo by: Bravo TV/Getty Images

On the verge of changing her last name to Lodge because of a pending marriage to fiance Steve Lodge, Vicki was demoted after she accused Dodd of using cocaine and Dodd refused to come back for the show. When Kelly was invited back to the show in December 2018 for the 2019 season, Gunvalson was not in the promos that Bravo released. It was later reported she would be a guest for the 14th season. She did get to stay though.

In comparison, to-be-Lodge's net worth is higher than Tamra Judge's $3 million, who is the second longest-running housewife after joining in Season 3, and that of newcomer Windham-Burke's $3.3 million.  Meanwhile, her fortune still remains behind Shannon Beador's $10 million and the same net worth of Dodd. The other two newer members also have lower net worth values, Gina Kirschenheiter: $1 million and Emily Simpson: $900,000.

Vicki Was First Married to Michael Wolfsmith and Already Is a Grandma to Two Kids

The 58-year-old was 21 when she married Michael J. Wolfsmith. They had two kids together, Briana Culberson (née Wolfsmith) and Michael Wolfsmith Jr., before divorcing when she was 29. After the divorce, she started working in her father's company until he met with an unfortunate passing in 1991 due to Alzheimer's.

Gunvalson during her visit to daughter Briana, son-in-law Ryan, and their two sons.
Source: Briana Wolfsmith-Culberson

While son Michael works with her at Coto Financial, which she founded after her father died, Briana graduated from a nursing school and is currently married to Ryan Culberson. Vicki is one of the first grandmas of RHOC after Briana welcomed her first son, Troy Culberson, in 2012. Then her second grandson, Owen Culberson, was born in July 2014.