Nicole Richie net worth is estimated to be around $40 million as of 2024. Nicole Richie is an American TV personality, fashion designer, and actress born on September 21, 1981. She first gained fame on the reality show “The Simple Life” from 2003 to 2007 where she starred with her friend Paris Hilton. Her personal life was widely covered by the media during and after the show.
After “The Simple Life,” Richie continued on TV as a judge on “Fashion Star” from 2012 to 2013. She then hosted “Candidly Nicole” from 2014 to 2015 which was a comedic reality show. From 2017 to 2018, she played Portia Scott-Griffith on the sitcom “Great News.” In 2020, she joined the judging panel of “Making the Cut.” Besides TV, Richie founded the lifestyle brand House of Harlow and has written two novels.
Nicole Richie in Brief
Full Name | Nicole Camille Richie |
Date of Birth | September 21, 1981 |
Place of Birth | Berkeley, California, USA |
Occupation | Television Personality, Fashion Designer, Actress |
Height | 5 feet 1 inch (155 cm) |
Spouse | Joel Madden (married 2010) |
Children | Harlow Winter Kate Madden, Sparrow James Madden |
Net Worth | $40 million |
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What is Nicole Richie Net Worth in 2024?
Nicole Richie is an American TV personality, fashion designer, and actress with a net worth of $40 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Nicole Richie’s net worth comes from her work as a television personality, fashion designer, and actress. She gained fame through her role on the reality TV show “The Simple Life,” which she starred in with her friend Paris Hilton.
Beyond TV, Nicole has earned money from her fashion line, House of Harlow 1960, which sells jewelry and clothing. She’s also written books and made appearances in various media, contributing to her overall wealth.
Nicole Richie’s Early Life and Education
Nicole Camille Escovedo was born in Berkeley California and has a diverse heritage including English, Mexican, and Creole African-American roots. Her biological father Peter Michael Escovedo is Sheila E.’s brother and Alejandro Escovedo’s nephew while her mother is Karen Moss. At age three, Nicole was placed in the care of Lionel Richie and his first wife Brenda Harvey Richie because her parents couldn’t support her.
Lionel and Brenda became her legal guardians and later adopted her when she was nine. During their public split, they were very lenient with Nicole allowing her almost anything which she later felt was too much freedom. After the divorce, Lionel remarried and had two children Miles and Sofia Richie. Nicole’s godmother is Nancy Davis and she had close interactions with famous musicians like Michael Jackson, Prince, and Kenny Rogers. Quincy Jones described Nicole as “very smart” in a People magazine interview.
Nicole Richie graduated from Montclair College Preparatory School in 1999 and attended the University of Arizona with Kourtney Kardashian and Luke Walton. She studied Arts and Media but dropped out after two years and returned to California.
Nicole Richie’s Career
Television
In 2003, Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton starred in the reality show “The Simple Life” where they lived with a rural family in Altus Arkansas for a month. The show premiered on Fox on December 2, 2003, attracting 13 million viewers and boosting Fox’s ratings among adults aged 18–49. The show ran for three seasons before Fox canceled it due to a dispute between Hilton and Richie.
E! Entertainment picked it up for a fourth season which drew nearly one million viewers. However, production issues and legal troubles for both stars led to a less successful fifth season. Despite discussions about a sixth season, the show ended after five seasons.
In 2005, Nicole Richie made her acting debut in the comedy film “Kids in America.” She has since appeared in various TV series like “Eve,” “Six Feet Under,” and “Chuck” and served as a guest judge on “Project Runway” and “Fashion Star.” From 2014 to 2015, she starred in the unscripted comedy series “Candidly Nicole” which was based on her Twitter posts.
In 2016, Nicole Richie landed her first regular TV role as Portia Scott-Griffith a news anchor in the sitcom “Great News.” The show created by Tracey Wigfield and produced by Tina Fey premiered on NBC in April 2017. Critics praised Richie’s comedic skills but the series ended in 2018 after two seasons.
In 2020, Richie created executive produced and starred in the Quibi series “Nikki Fre$h” which follows her rapper alter ego. She also appeared as a judge on “Making the Cut” that same year.
Writing
Nicole Richie wrote a semi-autobiographical novel called “The Truth About Diamonds” released in 2005. It tells the story of a famous singer’s adopted daughter who struggles with drug addiction. The book reached No. 32 on The New York Times Best-Seller List. Her second novel “Priceless” came out in 2010 and follows a girl who learns about what truly matters after losing everything.
Fashion
In the fashion world, Richie has been featured in many magazines and modeled for various brands. She launched her jewelry line “House of Harlow” in 2008 and it has since expanded into a lifestyle brand. Richie also created a maternity clothing line and a women’s fashion line called Winter Kate. Her brands have seen significant success with House of Harlow 1960 and Winter Kate reaching estimated sales of $55 million in 2012.
In 2017, Nicole Richie became the brand ambassador for Urban Decay’s “Troublemaker” mascara and collaborated on a limited-edition collection with them in 2018.
Music
Richie made her music debut in 2005 and appeared on the charity single “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” in 2010. She later made a cameo in Christina Aguilera’s music video for “Let There Be Love.” In April 2020, she announced a comedy rap album under the name Nikki Fre$h with the album Unearthed released in August 2020.
Nicole Richie’s Personal Life
Relationship
In April 2005 it was reported that Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton had stopped talking. Hilton publicly acknowledged the split saying “It’s no secret Nicole and I aren’t friends anymore. Nicole knows why and I won’t discuss it further.” Neither Richie nor Hilton explained the reason for their fallout. They later patched things up in October 2006.
Richie was briefly engaged to DJ Adam Goldstein with whom she was in a relationship from 2004 to 2006.
In December 2006, Nicole Richie started dating Joel Madden the lead singer of the band Good Charlotte. They have two children: a daughter born in January 2008 and a son born in September 2009. Photos of their daughter were sold to People magazine for $1 million in February 2008. Richie and Madden announced their engagement in February 2010 and got married on December 11, 2010. They live in Los Angeles.
Health
Health-wise Richie was noticeably thinner in early 2006 compared to her earlier appearances on “The Simple Life.” In May, she admitted to Vanity Fair that she was too thin and didn’t want to be seen as a role model for young girls. She began seeing a nutritionist and a doctor and also sought help from a psychiatrist and a personal trainer.
In September 2006, Nicole Richie stated that she was not suffering from anorexia or bulimia. By October 27, 2006, it was reported that she was seeking treatment for difficulty gaining weight but not for an eating disorder.
In March 2007, Richie was hospitalized for dehydration. Her representatives later revealed that she had hypoglycemia.
Nicole Richie’s Philanthropy
In November 2007, Nicole Richie and her husband Joel Madden founded The Richie Madden Children’s Foundation to help young mothers and children in need. They support various causes including the Red Cross, UNICEF, Elton John AIDS Foundation, and Baby2Baby where Richie serves on the board.
Nicole Richie and Madden donated 100 baby gifts to the Los Angeles Free Clinic in 2007. In May 2008, they appeared in a UNICEF PSA to raise funds for Myanmar which was hit by a cyclone. They also blogged on the UNICEF site to encourage support for children in need. In March 2009, they organized a fundraiser with UNICEF to sell water pumps raising $100000 to provide clean water to villages.
Esprit contributed 10% of sales from their new store on April 2, 2009, to The Richie-Madden Children’s Foundation. In February 2010, the Foundation created a “Cup with a Cause” for 7-Eleven’s charity coffee campaign. They also collaborated with Beyond Shelter in 2010 to aid homeless families in Los Angeles.
Richie has been a board member of the Environmental Media Association and participated in their awareness program in May 2009. She also took part in a charity auction on handmedowns.com with proceeds benefiting her foundation.
In November 2011, Richie hosted a Baby2Baby charity event to support families during the holidays. She also spoke at WE Day California in 2018.
Nicole Richie’s Legal Issues
In October 2002, Nicole Richie was arrested after a fight at a New York City nightclub but the charges were later dropped. In February 2003, she checked into rehab after being arrested in Malibu for driving with a revoked license and having heroin. By August she was given three years of probation.
On December 11, 2006, Nicole Richie was arrested by the California Highway Patrol for failing a sobriety test on State Route 134 in Burbank/Glendale. Drivers had reported her black Mercedes-Benz driving the wrong way on the freeway. Richie admitted to using marijuana and Vicodin before driving.
On July 27, 2007, she was sentenced to four days in jail but served only about 82 minutes before being released due to jail overcrowding. The next month she joined an 18-month program for drivers convicted of alcohol-related offenses.
In June 2010, her probation was extended for a year because she missed a class. However, by December 2010, her probation was ended early after her lawyer proved she had met all the conditions.
Nicole Richie Real Estate
In 2015, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden bought a house in Beverly Crest, Santa Monica Mountains, for $6.7 million. The home is 5,515 square feet, with a two-car garage and a swimming pool. It was built in 1957 and once belonged to actor Jack Nicholson. In June 2021, they sold the house to singer Adele for $10 million.
Later, in September 2021, Nicole and Joel spent $10.2 million on a new house in their old neighborhood.