Judge Judy has ruled over her courtroom for more than two decades — but for the first time ever, she’s topping Forbes‘ list of the world’s highest-paid TV hosts.
According to the publication, the 76-year-old host raked in $147 million pretax last year — out-earning Ellen DeGeneres ($87.5 million), Dr. Phil McGraw ($77.5 million), Ryan Seacrest ($74 million), Steve Harvey ($44 million), and more.
The candid courtroom host, whose full name is Judy Sheindlin, launched her 23rd season on the air this fall, delivering an average of 10 million viewers in syndication on CBS Television Distribution.
The judge’s $147 million is earned in two parts.
The first $47 million comes from hosting “Judge Judy,” while an additional $100 million was earned after selling the rights to the show’s 5,200-episode library, along with future episodes of the program, for an estimated $100 million.
“Many people, as I did in the beginning, get stuck with a job they don’t really like. … If you’re not doing something that you love to do, find something that you love to do, because it will make your whole life different,” Sheindlin said at the Forbes Women’s Summit in June 2017.
Forbes estimates that Sheindlin has a net worth of $400 million, making her the 48th-richest self-made woman in America.
Talk show Ellen DeGeneres finished second on the list, earning $87.5 million in 2017. DeGeneres saw her earnings jump $20 million for hosting a standalone stand-up special for Netflix.
“Dr. Phil” host Phil McGraw took the third spot with $77.5 million in earnings last year. “Live with Kelly and Ryan” and “American Idol” star Ryan Seacrest was fourth with $74 million.
“Family Feud” host Steve Harvey rounds out the top five with $44 million in earnings.
Forbes compiled the list based on data from Nielsen, Box Office Mojo, the International Movie Database (IMDb) and “interviews with industry insiders.”