What Is Susan Powter's Net Worth?
Susan Powter is an Australian motivational speaker, dietitian, personal trainer, and author who has a net worth of $2 million. Susan Powter built her net worth as a motivational speaker, nutritionist, personal trainer and author. Powter rose to fame in the 1990s by promoting her health and wellness system known as "Stop the Insanity!" Susan hosted the syndicated talk show "The Susan Powter Show" from 1994 to 1995, and she has published the books "Stop the Insanity!" (1993), "The Pocket Powter" (1994), "Food" (1995), "C'mon America, Let's Eat" (1996), "Sober…and Staying That Way: The Missing Link in the Cure for Alcoholism" (1997), "Hey, Mom! I'm Hungry!: Great-Tasting, Low-Fat, Easy Recipes to Feed Your Family" (1997), and "The Politics of Stupid" (2002).
1995 Bankruptcy Filing
In the 1990s, at the height of her fame, Powter was locked in a legal battle with her former business partners, regarding the rights to her name as well as the "Stop the Insanity" trademark. Susan won the rights to her name but the expensive legal battle caused her to file for personal bankruptcy in January 1995. In the bankruptcy filing she listed $3 million worth of liabilities.
Her lawsuit against the business partners revealed that in the two years prior, Susan was paid $3.5 million via the corporation that they were fighting over and that the corporation overall was earning around $50 million per year at that point. The manager claimed that in 1990, the year before they met and formed a partnership, Susan made just $13,000. In an interview at the time of the filing, Susan said:
"I am broke. I just don't have the money. I may have made a bazillion dollars this year, but the corporation got the money. I have no control of the finances. I have a lot of bills. I have children to feed, school tuitions to pay, and it's very hard."
Early Life
Susan Powter was born in 1957 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Some sources list her date of birth as December 12, 1957, while others list it as December 22nd. At the age of 10, Susan immigrated to the U.S. with her family. She dropped out of school during her freshman year of high school. Powter and her family moved to Dallas, Texas, in 1980.
(Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Career
In 1994, Susan began hosting her own TV show called "The Susan Powter Show," on which (even for only a season) she discussed extensively nutrition and fitness among many other well-being related topics. A loud advocate of an organic, low-fat diet and regular cardiovascular and endurance exercise, Powter also fiercely condemned the diet industry. As a motivational speaker, Susan was recognized not only for her preaching, but her style as well. Having platinum-white flat-top haircut and being barefoot were only "accessories" to her aggressive manner of speaking in public. She may have grown her hair and decorated her body with multiple tattoos since, but the intensity behind her teaching has never lightened. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, Powter sold her studio to move to Seattle Washington, and eventually switched to living in her self-described "earth ship" in New Mexico.
Susan also penned several books, and three of them became "New York Times" best-sellers in the '90s. At the beginning of the new millennium, she returned to writing with the self-published book "The Politics of Stupid," which "illuminat[ed] why millions of women and children are suffering the consequences of being 'overfat, unfit, and living without the strength and energy they deserve.'" In 2006, Powter launched her own radio show as well as a cooking show entitled "Taste My Broth." Furthermore, she has integrated a subscription-based multi-media e-zine, "The Monthly Flow," on her website. In November 2007, Susan re-launched her much-visited fitness and wellness blog.
Dave Mustaine Susan Powter in 1994 (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Personal Life
When it comes to Susan Powter's personal life, she has been married twice and now she declares herself as a "radical feminist lesbian woman." A mother of two sons from her first marriage, she adopted another boy right after her second marriage. In 2008, Susan dated stand-up comedian Jessica Kirson.
