Net Worth Ranker
What Is RuPaul Andre Charles Net Worth’ Net Worth?
RuPaul Andre Charles, widely recognized as RuPaul, has amassed a substantial net worth of $60 million. This fortune is a result of his diverse career encompassing acting, drag artistry, modeling, authorship, and recording artistry.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born on November 17, 1960, in San Diego, California, RuPaul’s journey began with his birth name RuPaul Andre Charles. He has three sisters and spent his formative years with them and their mother, Ernestine “Tony” Charles, following his parents’ divorce in 1967.
At the age of fifteen, RuPaul relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, with his sister Renettea to pursue studies in performing arts. During the 1980s, RuPaul navigated the challenges of being a struggling filmmaker and musician, while also holding a job at the Plaza Theatre. During this time, he performed locally, appearing at venues like the Celebrity Club and worked as a backup singer for Glen Meadmore. His first break came in 1989 when he was cast as an extra, dancing in the music video “Love Shack” by The B-52s.
Musical Career and Rise to Fame
RuPaul’s musical career took off in 1993 with the release of the album “Supermodel of the World” on Tommy Boy, a rap label. The single “Supermodel (You Better Work)” became a significant hit, propelled by its music video’s success on MTV channels. It reached #45 on the “Billboard” Hot 100 and #2 on the “Billboard” Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The success was followed by the singles “Back to My Roots” and “A Shade Shady (Now Prance),” both of which achieved the #1 position on the “Billboard” Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
Following the release of “Supermodel of the World”, RuPaul continued his music career, releasing a wide collection of albums. This collection includes “Foxy Lady” (1996), “Ho Ho Ho” a Christmas album (1997), “Red Hot” (2004), “Champion” (2009), “Glamazon” (2011), “Born Naked” (2014), “Realness” (2015), “Slay Belles” a holiday album (2015), “Butch Queen” (2016), “Remember Me: Essential, Vol. 1” (2017), “American” (2017), and “Essential, Vol. 2” (2017).
Television Career and “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
RuPaul’s television career gained momentum after his music success, leading to a modeling contract with MAC Cosmetics, a first for a drag queen. In 1996, he launched his own talk show on VH1, “The RuPaul Show,” which featured guests such as Diana Ross, Nirvana, Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Mary J. Blige, Cyndi Lauper, Olivia Newton-John, and the Backstreet Boys. The show, co-hosted by Michelle Visage, ran for two seasons, from 1996 to 1998.
In February 2009, RuPaul premiered “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” a reality competition show initially broadcast on Logo. The show’s premise involves drag queens competing for the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar.” Michelle Visage, a frequent collaborator of RuPaul, is a member of the judging panel. The show became Logo TV’s highest-rated program and has been broadcast internationally. The ninth season of the show moved to VH1, where it remained until moving to MTV in 2023.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” has spawned several spin-offs, including “RuPaul’s Drag U,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK,” and “RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race.” In addition to “Drag Race,” RuPaul hosted the plastic surgery-themed talk show “Good Work” on E! in 2015 with Dr. Terry Dubrow and Sandra Vergara, which aired for six episodes. From April 2016 to July 2017, he hosted “Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul” on the Logo cable network. His daytime talk show, “RuPaul,” premiered on June 10, 2019, on selected Fox TV stations but was not picked up after its three-week test run.
RuPaul has won fourteen Primetime Emmy Awards for “RuPaul’s Drag Race”.
Acting Roles and Filmography
RuPaul has appeared in films such as “Crooklyn” (1994), “The Brady Bunch Movie” (1995), “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar” (1995), “But I’m a Cheerleader” (1999), and “Hurricane Bianca” (2016). He has also appeared in television series like Comedy Central’s “Broad City” (2017), Netflix’s “Girlboss” (2017), “Grace and Frankie” (2019), and “AJ and the Queen” (2020). RuPaul has also hosted “Saturday Night Live,” a sketch comedy show.
Other Ventures and Collaborations
In 2013, RuPaul partnered with Colorevolution to launch his debut make-up line and beauty collection. The line included the unisex perfume “Glamazon.”
Since 2014, RuPaul and Michelle Visage have hosted a podcast together called “RuPaul: What’s the Tee? with Michelle Visage.”
Real Estate Holdings
RuPaul has invested in several real estate properties. In October 2019, he purchased a 10,300-square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills for $13.7 million. He had previously bought a home in 2011 for $2.5 million, which he listed in 2018 for $5 million but did not find a buyer. RuPaul has owned an apartment in New York City for over 25 years, which he purchased for $350,000. In 2007, he spent $600,000 on a condo in West Hollywood, California.
Personal Life and Relationships
RuPaul has been with his husband, Georges LeBar, since 1994. They met at the Limelight nightclub in New York City and married in January 2017. LeBar is a painter and runs a ranch in Wyoming.
