Judge Judy Cashes in as One of Brooklyn’s Highest Paid Residents, From $47 Million per Year to New Amazon Show

Judy Sheindlin or "Judge Judy" as we've got to know her as, over the years, is one of the richest television stars in history.

Judge Judy Season 2 set to air November 07th, 2023Photo byCourtesy of Amazon Freevee

At the height of her 25 season run on the syndicated CBS television show, Judy made a monumental $47 million per year, as reported by Forbes.com. And, after some heated negotiations, the now 80-year-old continues to shatter glass ceilings.

After winning a court case against her previous television partners, Judy is now starring in a reboot of Judge Judy, re-branded as Judy Justice.

Dating back to 1996, when the family-court prosecutor turned television superstar made her daytime television debut, Judy has always been a cutthroat negotiator. During a 2016 deposition amidst contract negotiations with CBS, Judy recounts how she would renegotiate her contract every 3 years:

“We sit across the table, and I hand him [the president of CBS] the envelope and I say, 'Don't read it now, let's have a nice dinner. Call me tomorrow. You want it, fine. Otherwise, I'll produce it myself.' That's the negotiation,” Sheindlin said

With millions in the bank, Judy's negotiations are mored aptly described as a list of demands, knowing all too well CBS would be hard-pressed to replace her.

And when CBS did try to dock her pay, Judy took them to court, winning a lawsuit resulting in restitution of her final $47 million annual pay check. Shortly after, Judy parted ways with CBS, to start her new show, Judy Justice, with Amazon streaming services.

As the first season only launched in 2021, Judy is yet to engage in one of her patented 3-year negotiations with Amazon, but it is reported in her first year, she raked in a smooth $25 million from the global streaming platform.

As of 2023, Judy is estimated to be worth a whopping $470 million, making her not only one of the highest-paid television stars of all time -- but Brooklyn's highest-paid female entrepreneur.

Hey, I'm Hudson! I write about social media, marketing, and modern entrepreneurship. Hit follow for more stories like this one.