What was Anna Shay's Net Worth?
Anna Shay was an American heiress and reality television personality who had a net worth of $600 million. Anna Shay gained widespread recognition in 2021 for starring on the hit Netflix reality show "Bling Empire." Focused on the lives of wealthy Asian-Americans in Los Angeles, the show also starred Cherie Chan, Kane Lim, Christine Chiu, Gabriel Chiu, and Kim Lee, among others. Beyond "Bling Empire," Shay was involved in philanthropy through her late parents' Shay Foundation.
Unfortunately Anna Shay died on June 5, 2023 after suffering from a stroke at the age of 62.
Family Wealth
Anna Shay inherited her fortune from her late father, billionaire Edward Shay. Edward earned billions as the founder of Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE). Founded in 1955, today the private defense contractor is a major supplier of services to governments like United States and the United Kingdom and organizations like the Central Intelligence Agency. In its early days, Pacfic Architects and Engineers helped re-develop Japan following World War II.
In 1974 Edward sold a 40% stake in his company to an employee stock ownership program. He re-acquired those shares in 1988. Edward died in 1995, at which point his son Allen, Anna's younger brother, took over as Chairman and CEO.
In 2006 PAE was acquired by Lockheed Martin in a $1.2 billion cash deal. In 2011 Lockheed sold the company to Lindsay Goldberg for $700 million who then sold the company to private equity firm Platinum Equity in 2016 for an undisclosed amount.
The sale of PAE gave Anna and her brother and their mother an enormous cash windfall.
Early Life
Anna Shay was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1960 to Ai Oizumi, who descended from Russian nobility, and Edward Shay, an American industrialist who founded the defense and government services contracting firm Pacific Architects and Engineers. She has a brother named Allen. As a child, Shay moved with her parents to Los Angeles, California. Due to her family's half-a-billion-dollar fortune, mostly accrued through Pacific Architects and Engineers, she spent much of her youth traveling around the world for state dinners and other lofty affairs.
Bling Empire
Shay became known to television audiences in 2021 when she began starring on the Netflix reality television series "Bling Empire." She got on the show after being prodded by producer Jeff Jenkins, a longtime friend known for his work on another reality series, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." Running through 2022, "Bling Empire" focused on the lives of affluent Asian-American socialites in Los Angeles. On the show, Shay established a reputation for being witty, no-nonsense, and often exuberantly foul-mouthed. Other cast members included Kane Lim, Christine Chiu and her husband Gabriel Chiu, Kelly Mi Li, Kim Lee, Cherie Chan, and Kevin Taejin Kreider. "Bling Empire" was a substantial hit for Netflix, giving Shay her biggest platform to date.
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Personal Life
Anna was married four times and had one child, a son named Kenny Kemp. A marijuana aficionado, in 2015 Kenny told BuzzFeed that he kept a $500,000 collection of bongs at his mother's mansion in an area that was originally intended to be a wine cellar.
Real Estate
In 2011, Anna paid $9.35 million for a mansion in Beverly Hills. She listed the home for sale in April 2020 for $16 million. It sold for $13.85 million in June 2021. Built in 1926, Shirley Temple lived in the house in 1936 when she was eight years old. In the 1940s and 1950s the home was owned by reputed Italian mafia boss Tony Milano. Here's a video tour of Anna's former home:
In March 2020 Anna paid $5.75 million for a home that was originally bought by Dr. Phil but was technically occupied by Phil's son Jordan McGraw at the time of the sale.
Philanthropy
As a wealthy heiress, Shay was involved in philanthropic work. She spent time on the board of the George Lopez Foundation, which raises awareness around organ donation and kidney disease, and is involved with her late parents' Shay Foundation, which supports music, education, and the performing arts. Elsewhere, Shay gave away thousands of dollars worth of groceries to people in need.
Death
Unfortunately Anna Shay died on June 5, 2023 at the age of 62 after reportedly suffering form a stroke.
