Being best friends with Kim Kardashian certainly has its perks - just ask socialite and TV personality Jonathan Cheban. The 46-year-old, who has been pals with the Kardashian family for well over a decade, has not only cozied up to the clan at celebrity events but he’s also a regular on their popular reality show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
And while many people seem to think that Kardashian helped Cheban get his start in Hollywood, the social media star was already pulling in a lot of money before bonding with the Armenian bombshell, having even helmed his own E! reality series in 2010, titled The Spin Crowd.
While his association with the family would have undoubtedly helped boost his stardom, Cheban has worked hard to amass his $9 million net worth, but how exactly did he make his growing fortune?
Jonathan Cheban’s Earnings
Let’s start with his many appearances on reality TV shows. He’s probably most known for being on KUWTK, and while it’s unclear whether he makes a cut for showing up now and then to film scenes with the family, it’s unlikely that he hasn’t made a penny from his partake.
Cheban has also starred in some of the spin-offs that the Kardashians have offered over the years, including Kourtney & Kim Take Miami and Kourtney & Kim Take New York, when he supported the KKW founder with her upcoming wedding to Kris Humphries at the time.
He was also considered her rock when the relationship between Kardashian and her ex-husband came crashing down just 72 days after tying the knot.
In 2010, Cheban co-starred on the E! Reality series The Spin Crowd alongside his former business partner Simon Huck, which consisted of only eight episodes, but that didn’t stop him from continuing to pursue a career in reality TV.
In 2016, the self-proclaimed FoodGod took home an estimated $400,000 to appear on the UK’s version of Celebrity Big Brother, which was an impressive sum for Cheban, who only lasted six episodes before being voted out by the public.
Producers had hoped that paying Cheban the big bucks would see him spill the beans on his close friendship with the Kardashians.
Before entering the house, Cheban sat down for an exclusive interview with OK! magazine, telling the publication that he wasn’t going to tolerate any slander concerning his best friend and her famous family during his time in the house.
"I love people, but not crazy ones who get completely drunk and crazy because I'm not like that. I don't really drink,” he shared.
"If someone talks s*** about Kim then I'll borrow a shoe from the drag queen and hit them with the heel.”
While his time on Big Brother came to an abrupt end after being booted out, Cheban continued to land several TV show appearances in the UK, including Celebs Go Dating, where the entrepreneur took part in the search to find his ideal woman.
As mentioned above, Cheban is quite business-savvy, and while he’s sure to have made a lot of money by simply being himself on TV, he’s also launched a handful of businesses ranging from selling protective covers for smartphones, as well as HD mirrors.
He then put together his own news site called The Dishh, which was initially targeted to those who loved all things celebrity gossip and news, while also providing food recipes, info on all the best exotics trips, and the hottest cooking trends.
In recent years, however, Cheban has moved his attention to building his biggest project to date - Foodgod. It’s a brand centered around the most insane dishes and deserts in the world, having already amassed an impressive 3.5 million followers so far.
And to make some money from his popular company, Cheban released his very own Foodgod Truffle Ketchup - but it doesn’t come cheap. One 9 oz bottle costs an eye-watering $19.95, which is rather expensive if you were to compare that price with those at your local supermarket.
But the truffle ketchup has proven to be rather popular with fans, who he has tagged using the product on some of their own dishes.
Needless to say, Cheban is making a lot of money from his Foodgod business venture, and launching his truffle ketchup only seems to be the beginning of the range of items he plans to release soon.
So, it’s fair to say that while Cheban attained most of his fame through his association with Kardashian, he’s managed to branch out and work on other projects that have helped him grow a fortune he can proudly say was made through his business-savvy ways.