Tom Sandoval finally found the fame he was seeking in 2023... but not in the way he thought. The reality TV personality made headlines—and went from being Bravo famous to famous famous—when he cheated on Ariana Madix with their Vanderpump Rules costar Rachel “Raquel” Leviss.
If you don’t watch Vanderpump Rules, YOU DO NOW, and perhaps you’re also wondering how much everyone makes for the show. Specifically, Tom Sandoval. We dug into Tom’s net worth and VPR earnings, and things are... complicated? But, before we get into that, I feel compelled to share *this* image of Tom circa 2006:
Aaron Rapoport//Getty Images
^ If I had to see this... you do, too. Onward!
How Much Does Tom Sandoval Make for Vanderpump Rules?
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the core cast of Vanderpump Rules was “barely netting $10,000 for their participation in the entire first season” but went through a round of contract negotiations in 2017 and 2018 to the tune of $25,000 per episode. Quick example: Season 7 in 2018 was 24 episodes, which means the cast reportedly made $600,000 each.
Tom also told THR about opportunities that have come his way amid his fame (aside from his investment in TomTom and Schwartz & Sandy’s, he has a mixology guidebook with Ariana), saying, “It starts as club appearances, and suddenly you’re paid to post on social. A lot changes.”
He Has More Than $2 Million Tied Up in Real Estate...Sorta
Tom and Ariana purchased a home in 2019 and paid a pretty sizable $2 million for it. Awkwardly, they owned said house together—or at least they did as of March 2023, when Tom’s rep told People, “They own the house together, and what happens next with the property will take time to sort out. This isn’t something that’s going to be decided in a weekend.”
To make matters more complicated, VPR viewers may remember that Tom discussed taking out an equity loan against his and Ariana’s home to fund Schwartz & Sandy’s, which Lisa Vanderpump raised concerns about after Ariana said it wouldn’t impact her half.
“I’m not sure that Ariana quite understands the concept of putting your house up as collateral,” Lisa said in an interview. “If they default on their loan, then the bank never goes and takes half the house back. It’s like, ‘Ariana, you stay in bed. We only want Tom’s half.’ It doesn’t work like that.”
Lisa was asked if Ariana took her advice during a post-Scandoval episode of WWHL, and said, “Oh god, I really don’t know about that.”
According to Page Six, Ariana moved out of the Valley Village house in March 2024 and filed a lawsuit to sell the home in January. Per the court docs, Ariana noted that there was a “discord” between her and Tom that had “a negative effect on the ownership” of the house. She also stated that she didn't want “a division in kind,” which means they would remain owners of the property with one selling their interest in the home. She argued that they “cannot legally be accomplished under the facts and circumstances present in this action.” Well then!
Tom’s a Super Successful Business Owner
Aside from being a casual reality star and, like, cover band singer, Tom has stakes in two restaurants: TomTom and Schwartz & Sandy’s. And while there was backlash against the businesses after Scandoval, Tom Schwartz recently told Andy Cohen that things are going great.
“I got to say, every time I go in, it’s kind of thriving,” he said on Watch What Happens Live. “And people are coming in—you guys, if you want to talk about this, all day, I’m happy to talk about this. But it’s been great.”
Tom put a lot of money into Schwartz & Sandy’s, saying on the season 10 premiere, “At this point, we invested a million dollars into this project. It’s like the national debt: It’s just numbers flying.”
He also admitted his mom and stepdad “invested a quarter of a million dollars into this business venture,” and he’s keen to give them a return. Guess we’ll...see what happens!
Catch Up on 'Vanderpump Rules' Tea Riiight Here
Not to Mention... He Works on Some Other Projects
Yep. Tom has surprisingly stayed booked and busy after the Scandoval of it all. Case in point: he's appeared on other reality shows like The Masked Singer and Special Forces. According to Distractify, Masked Singer participants' salary depends on their reach and how far they make it through the competition. As they progress through each stage, the singers get paid along with a signing bonus.
Now, for Special Forces, Tom's salary was never disclosed—but he got real about the potential of reality stars unionizing. “I have mixed feelings. Look, I think there should be a reality TV union. There’s a lot of like, ‘If you won’t do it, someone else will,'” he told The Hollywood Reporter at the time.
“There’s no eight-hour, 12-hour shoot days,” he continued. “When they re-show an episode of me on Vanderpump Rules, that’s not a good look and it brings up all these old feelings and old hatred of shitty things that I’ve maybe done or somebody has done in their past. So in a sense, people should be getting residuals for that because actually, if anything, reality people go through a lot worse than what actors do when they show episodes again.”
He also became a Man Who Podcasts™️ in September 2023, when he launched his show Everybody Loves Tom. While the exact amount he makes from the pod is unknown... it's not nothing!
Tea on Tom ☕️
So, What Is Tom Sandoval’s Total Net Worth in 2024?
As of 2024, Tom Sandoval's total net worth is $4 million, at least according to Celebrity Net Worth. The database notes this dude has been working at SUR for more than a decade and is an original cast member on Vanderpump Rules—meaning he’s been around for any/all salary negotiations.
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