The Richest Teen Mom Star Might Surprise You

The ladies of "Teen Mom" have come a long, long way. We first met many of them back in 2009, when "16 and Pregnant" was first released (per IMDb). Later that year, MTV introduced "Teen Mom," which followed the ladies of "16 and Pregnant" as they explored motherhood and went through the ups and downs of their ever-changing lives.

With over a decade on TV, it's easy to assume that the "Teen Mom" stars have made some good money from reality TV. Juggling fame with other responsibilities hasn't proven to be easy for many of these women. Nearly every mom in the franchise has struggled financially at one point or another, but many of them have learned from their mistakes. "They weren't taught how to handle their money properly," Farrah Abraham's mom, Debra Danielsen, who has a MBA, told Heavy. She noted, "When they set up businesses nobody tells them how to take care of their taxes and stuff," adding, "I think the cold, hard fact of the matter is they don't have good counsel from a business perspective."

The "Teen Mom" stars are getting more financially savvy and taking advantage of the many opportunities available to them. Ultimately, they're looking to build wealth for their children and take care of their extended families, while trying to figure out their own passions. Still, one "Teen Mom" star has made the most.

Amber Portwood is a "Teen Mom" star through and through. She was part of the cast of "16 and Pregnant" and continued to be featured in "Teen Mom," now known as "Teen Mom OG" (per IMDb). 

Of all the "Teen Mom" stars, Portwood has arguably struggled the hardest. She has found herself in trouble with the law many times due to domestic violence charges (per CNN) and possession charges (via TMZ). Despite these struggles, she is working on mending her relationship with daughter, Leah (per People).

Portwood is working on stabilizing herself financially. She has a line of merch called Portwood AF. She's also dabbled in the book business. In 2014, she released the book "Never Too Late," and she's also set to release a memoir called "So, You're Crazy Too?" in February 2022 (per Page Six). Celebrity Net Worth estimates Portwood's current net worth to be $10,000.

Maci Bookout, also known as Maci Bookout McKinney, is another "16 and Pregnant" star who continued on with "Teen Mom" (per IMDb). The franchise has followed Bookout from her days as a shy high schooler with big dreams to her life as a mom of three (per In Touch Weekly). 

Outside of her reality TV life, Bookout is a businesswoman through and through. She runs a social media marketing company she's very proud of that's completely separate from her television persona. "I don't brand it as me from MTV or on TV, if people don't watch the show then they would never know that I'm on TV. I don't bring it up," Bookout told International Business Times. "I never use my personal accounts to help promote. I keep it very separate. Part of the reason why I like it that way is because I never know when it's going to help me or hurt me." Bookout also helps husband Taylor McKinney with their clothing line, Things That Matter. 

Bookout's hard work paid off in a big way in June 2021, when she dropped $339,000 for a home on 48 acres of land in Cleveland, Tennessee (per The U.S. Sun). Despite her nice home, or perhaps because of it, her current net worth is estimated at $10,000 (per Celebrity Net Worth).

Catelynn Baltierra has taken "Teen Mom" fans through so many of the ups and downs of her life. She has been on "16 and Pregnant," notably choosing adoption on the series (per MTV News). She continued on with the "Teen Mom" franchise (per IMDb), documenting her life with husband Tyler Baltierra and their three daughters, Novalee, Vaeda, and Rya (per E! News).

Baltierra has struggled to figure out what she's looking to do with her life outside of motherhood and reality TV. It's led to tough times for her and Tyler, who owed over $800,000 in federal taxes as of 2020, according to People. Recently, the reality TV star decided to study microblading and has made a business out of it (per PopCulture). She also published the book "Conquering Chaos" with her husband in 2015.

As of January 2021, Baltierra's estimated net worth is $20,000 (per Celebrity Net Worth).

Kailyn Lowry got her start on Season 2 of "16 and Pregnant" and later transitioned to "Teen Mom 2" (per IMDb). The busy mom of four is working on her financial savvy, especially after filming less for "Teen Mom 2" after they hired ex Chris Lopez, the father of her youngest two children (per The U.S. Sun). 

Outside of reality TV, Lowry has hit her stride in the podcasting world. She's the host of two podcasts, "Coffee Convos" and "Baby Mama: No Drama," as noted on her website. In addition to media-related endeavors, Lowry also started a line of CBD-oil infused hair care products, Pothead. She's also an author. In addition to an adult coloring book, she has released "Pride Over Pity," "Hustle and Heart," and "A Letter of Love," books that are part-memoir, part inspirational. Additionally, she's released a children's book, "Love Is Bubblegum."

Lowry also worked hard to make a big investment. In May 2021, she revealed she was building a home for her and her family in Delaware (per In Touch Weekly). There's no word on what Lowry spent to make the almost-complete house happen, but her estimated net worth as of January 2022 is $25,000 (per Celebrity Net Worth).

The world first met Jenelle Evans as part of the cast of Season 2 of "16 and Pregnant" (per IMDb). Evans went on to star in "Teen Mom 2," which followed the mom of three through the ups and downs of her life.

Evans has since parted way with the franchise, in large part due to the views of husband David Eason, as noted by Us Weekly. Evans has expressed that while she misses the show, she's looking for her road forward. In doing so, she's been focused on creating content for her Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube accounts. Evans also has a podcast that was launched in 2021.

There's also a bit of debt Evans is working to deal with. As of November 2021, Evans reportedly owes $46,406.70 in back state taxes from 2017, according to The U.S. Sun. Still, her net worth is estimated to be $30,000 (per Celebrity Net Worth).

Leah Messer was just a cheerleader when she learned she was pregnant with twins on the second season of "16 and Pregnant" (per IMDb). From there, the mom moved on to the cast of "Teen Mom 2," where they followed the mom of three as she dealt with what life threw at her. She's also appeared on "Teen Mom: Family Reunion."

Like many of her co-stars, Messer has branched out from reality TV. She penned a book, "Hope, Grace, and Faith," released in 2020 (per Amazon). She is also in the process of launching a health coaching company under the name Go Higher With Purpose (per PopCulture). Messer has some debt to deal with as well. The U.S. Sun reported she has an unpaid federal tax lien from 2019 for $123,841.

Messer is doing relatively well for herself in spite of setbacks, with an estimated net worth of $50,000 (per Celebrity Net Worth).

Chelsea DeBoer, also known as Chelsea Houska, made her way out of an abusive relationship and forged a path for her and her kids. Though she started as a mom of one on "16 and Pregnant," and later "Teen Mom 2," she has since become a mom of four (per Us Weekly).

In May 2021, DeBoer revealed she'd be leaving "Teen Mom 2" after the 10th season in order to allow her daughter, Aubree, to live a more private life (per E! News). "There were conversations that Aubree and I were having from time to time, and there came a point where I was just worried because I don't want her to ever be like, she can't tell me things because it's going to be aired to millions of people or whatever," she shared.

DeBoer is now focused on her home decor brand, Aubree Says, and her Lightroom preset business, Belle & Rae Co. That said, there have been financial troubles along the way. DeBoer and her husband are currently in the midst of a $3 million lawsuit over Instagram promotions with Envy, a consulting company (per The U.S. Sun). The legal battle is ongoing.

As of January 2022, DeBoer's estimated net worth is $60,000, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

You might think Bristol Palin has a leg up on the "Teen Mom" competition because of her background. Palin is the daughter of former Alaskan governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin (per The Washington Post). She lived a fairly high-profile life before even joining the MTV series. She appeared on a number of talk shows with her famous family, was on "Dancing With the Stars" twice, appeared on her mom's reality show "Sarah Palin's Alaska," and even had her own show for a year, "Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp" (per IMDb).

Palin joined "Teen Mom OG" from 2018 to 2019 (per CNN). She left the show because it allegedly "took away [her] peace," as she shared on Instagram. Notably, the same year she began working on the show, she also began her career in real estate, as noted by the Daily Mail. Today, she heads her own real estate team with Austin Home Seekers. Celebrity Net Worth estimates her net worth at $500,000.

Farrah Abraham is one of the most unforgettable figures in "16 and Pregnant" and "Teen Mom" history (per IMDb), and Abraham has arguably done more work outside of the franchise than any other Teen Mom. She's appeared on other reality series and has had a few small acting roles.

Then there's Abraham's work in the adult entertainment industry (per TooFab). While she did some films, today she sells adult content through an exclusive membership. She also earns money by recording personalized video messages and giving life advice online. Her next career move, however, might just be law school. "I'm just so pumped because I have all these choices for law school," she told TMZ after dropping out of an online program at Harvard.

Abraham's decisions thus far have paid out. She has the highest net worth of any Teen Mom, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Her net worth is estimated at $1 million.