What Is Mike Fleiss' Net Worth?
Mike Fleiss is an American television producer, writer, and director who has a net worth of $140 million. Mike Fleiss has earned his net worth by creating and producing many popular television shows, including ABC's "The Bachelor" (2002–present) and "The Bachelorette" (2003–present) and The WB's "Superstar U.S.A." (2004) and "High School Reunion" (2003–2010). Mike has been referred to as both the "Reality TV King" and the "Donald Trump of Television." Fleiss has directed the film "The Quest" (2006) and the documentaries "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" (2011) and "The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir" (2014). Mike has also produced the films "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (2003), "Hostel" (2005), "Poseidon" (2006), "The Quest" (2006), "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" (2006), "Hostel: Part II" (2007), "Shark Night" (2011), "Hostel: Part III" (2011), and "Alien Abduction" (2014). In March 2023, Mike left the "Bachelor" franchise.
Early Life
Mike Fleiss was born Michael Lawrence Fleiss on April 14, 1964, in Fullerton, California. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley. Famed Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss is Mike's second cousin.
Career
Fleiss got his start in the television production world in the 1990s when he produced specials like "TV's All Time Favorites" (1995), "Wow! The Most Awesome Acts on Earth" (1996), "Television's Comedy Classics" (1996), "World's Scariest Police Shootouts" (1997), and "Shocking Behavior Caught on Tape" (1998). Capitalizing on the sudden popularity of large scale reality programs, he created the controversial show "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?" in 2000. Mike would later admit that the show nearly killed his entire career and actually forced him to move away from reality programs for a few years. However, in 2002 he created what would become his personal goldmine, ABC's "The Bachelor." A year later, Fleiss followed up with "The Bachelorette," and the franchise later expanded to include several spin-offs, such as "Bachelor Pad"(2010–2012) and "Bachelor in Paradise" (2014–present). In 2008, Mike's production company, Next Entertainment, entered into a deal with Warner Bros. TV. By that point, Next Entertainment was generating $100 million per year in revenue.
In March 2023, it was announced that Fleiss would be leaving the "Bachelor" franchise and that Claire Freeland, Bennett Graebner, and Jason Ehrlich would replace him. Mike told "Variety, "I want to thank WBTV and ABC for 21 extraordinary years. They've found the perfect creative team for me to entrust 'The Bachelor' franchise and keep this lightening in a bottle bold and moving forward. Let the journey continue." Later that month, it was reported that Mike had left after an "investigation into racial discrimination." Fleiss responded to the allegations, stating, "I am proud of the work we've done over the past five years to make the show substantially more diverse, but I do believe I could have done more." Though Mike is best known for his work in reality television, he has also produced several films, including 2003's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and the 2006 Eli Roth-directed horror movie "Hostel." Both films were a hit, with "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" grossing $107.4 million against a $9.5 million budget and "Hostel" bringing in $82 million against a $4.8 million budget.
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Personal Life
Mike was married to Daphne Alexandra Vorbeck from 1987 to 2012. He reportedly paid her a divorce settlement worth $40-$50 million including real estate. Fleiss married former Miss America Laura Kaeppeler on April 6, 2014, and the ceremony was officiated by Chris Harrison, the host of "The Bachelor." Mike and Laura welcomed son Benjamin in May 2015. Fleiss filed for divorce in July 2019 and requested joint custody of Benjamin. Soon after, a pregnant Laura alleged that Mike "demanded she get an abortion" and assaulted her during the weekend of July 4th. Fleiss disputed the allegation, stating, "Laura was the aggressor during the incident and physically attacked me. I tried to get away from her as she was chasing me and hitting me. I have security footage from our home that shows the incident, which the Court can review." Laura dropped the charges two weeks later, and she received a settlement of $10 million in the divorce. In November 2019, Mike tweeted, "Happy to report that @FleissLaura and I have reconciled. I love my wife and am grateful for this opportunity to work on our marriage… Thanks for the support, #BachelorNation!" Laura gave birth to the couple's second child, son George, in 2020.
In November 2014, Mike was charged with harassing his neighbors, married actors David Charvet and Brooke Burke, by "disturbing the peace." TMZ reported, "Charvet and Burke complained Fleiss initiated a campaign of terror and harassment against them, making physical threats and blaring barking dog sounds at all hours from huge speakers pointing at their property." The case was later dismissed.
Awards and Nominations
In 2014, "The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir" won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival. "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" earned a Sound & Vision Award nomination at the 2011 CPH:DOX festival.
Real Estate
Mike owns a number of impressive properties around the globe, primarily in California and Hawaii.
In 2016, he paid $16.2 million for Julia Roberts' home in Kauai, Hawaii. The property is technically two lots with more than 200 feet of sand. In January 2021, Fleiss listed this home for sale for $34.5 million. In 2016, he also bought a one-acre estate in Malibu's Point Dume neighborhood for $13.8 million. In 2018, he put the home on the market for just under $19 million but eventually pulled the listing. In June 2024 he offered this home as a rental for $75,000 per month. Here is a video tour:
