Rhimes is an American television producer, screenwriter, and author who is best known for being the creator of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. Shonda Rhimes’ net worth is estimated at $140 million as of 2022.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – FEBRUARY 24: Shonda Rhimes attends the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 24, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Mike Coppola/VF19/Getty Images for VF)
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Shonda Rhimes Net Worth and Career
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How Much Is Shonda Rhimes Worth?
Shonda Rhimes
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Full NameShonda Lynn RhimesBirth Date / AgeJanuary 13, 1970 / 52 Years OldBirth PlaceChicago, Illinois, USASource of WealthTelevision Production / CreationRelationship StatusSingleHeight5 ft. 6 in. / 167.6 cm.Net Worth$140 Million
Shonda Lynn Rhimes was born in January of 1970 in Chicago, Illinois to parents Ilee and Vera (née Cain). Her father worked as a university administrator, while her mother was a professor at a college.
Impressively, her mother earned a Ph.D. in educational administration while raising six children. All the while, her father became chief information officer (CIO) at the University of Southern California. A job he’d hold until 2013.
Rhimes has two older brothers and three older sisters, but their names have not been disclosed. She attended Marian Catholic High School while volunteering at a local hospital.
Moreover, in 1991, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and film studies at Dartmouth College. While there, she joined the Black Underground Theater Association.
Afterward, Rhimes relocated to the west coast where she enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC). She obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Also, Shonda earned the Gary Rosenberg Writing Fellowship for graduating at the top of her class. From there, she began screenwriting in Hollywood.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 19: Shonda Rhimes speaks onstage at the GLSEN Respect Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on October 19, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for GLSEN)
Shonda Rhimes Net Worth and Career
Rhimes’ first breakthrough came in 1999 when New Line Cinemas purchased one of her feature scripts. She then co-wrote the HBO movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge starring Halle Berry.
Two years later, she wrote the Britney Spears starring movie Crossroads, which grossed $60 million worldwide. After a few more small gigs, Rhimes developed the pilot for the smash hit medical drama series Grey’s Anatomy.
In total, Rhimes worked on 11 seasons of the ABC show, consistently writing episodes. On top of that, the episodes she wrote in seasons 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 11 turned out the be the most viewed episodes of those seasons.
It was reported by Forbes that at one time ABC was paying Rhimes $10 million per year after signing a four-year deal around 2010.
In May 2011, ABC ordered Rhimes’ pilot script Scandal to series. The show ran for seven seasons and Shonda is credited as the creator as well as an executive producer.
In 2017, Rhimes signed an outrageous deal with Netflix. The producer inked a five-year contract worth at least $150 million with the streaming service. Actually, she made history as one of the first showrunners to sign an exclusive deal with Netflix.
Notably, Rhimes owns and runs her Shondaland production company. Series that they have produced include Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, Station 19, along with several others.
Personal Life
Despite having never been married or in many serious relationships, Rhimes has three children. She adopted her daughter Harper in June 2002. Then, she adopted her second daughter by the name of Emerson in February 2012, before welcoming her third daughter via gestational surrogacy in September 2013.
As far as social media is concerned, Rhimes currently possesses 2 million Instagram followers. To accompany that, she has 1.9 million followers on her Twitter account.
“I can just stop waiting…and just live”
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) January 26, 2022
Rhimes has been involved in activism throughout the years as well. In April 2017, she joined the national board of Planned Parenthood. Two years later, she joined the organization When We All Vote as a co-chair.
In addition to that, Rhimes delivered a commencement speech. While there, she received an honorary doctorate.
Lastly, the television producer lost a remarkable 117 pounds via exercise and dieting. She continues to practice good health to this day.
How Much Is Shonda Rhimes Worth?
Shonda Rhimes’ net worth figure of $140 million has been amassed through decades of wildly successful work within the television industry. Immensely popular shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal made Rhimes a hot commodity, leading to her deals with networks and of course Netflix.
Shonda Rhimes
The ‘Queen Charlotte’ Prequel Will Have Completely Different Vibes Than ‘Bridgerton’ – Showbiz Cheat Sheet
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Doesn’t Need Meredith Grey to Thrive – Rolling Stone
Every Shonda Rhimes Show Ranked Worst To Best – /Film
Shonda Rhimes joins St John for new Own Your Power campaign – The Mountain Press
EXCLUSIVE: Shonda Rhimes Ushers in New Direction for St. John – WWD
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 06: Shonda Rhimes speaks onstage during Dove’s Launch of “Girl Collective” – The First Ever Dove Self-Esteem Project Mega-Event on October 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Unilever/Dove)