Ty Pennington is one of the most recognizable faces in the 21st century world of reality TV. He made his name as a carpenter on the home improvement show Trading Spaces, which aired on TLC between 2000 and 2003. But it is through his stint as host of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that people really came to discover more intimate details of his personal and professional life. He was in that particular job for nine years, before the series originally wrapped up in 2012, after a total of 202 episodes.
Pennington is currently married to a social media manager named Kellee Merrell, who he first met in 2020 before popping the big question midway through last year. Previously, the TV personality had been in a long term relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Andrea Bock, with whom he eventually broke up before he met Merrell.
Pennington has also had to deal with a number of challenges in his life, including an ADHD diagnosis while he was still in elementary school, and a DUI charge that almost saw him spend time in jail in 2007.
For all these, the 57-year-old has also managed to make enough money to last him multiple lifetimes. Here is a look at how he accrued his net worth, and how he spends it.
8 Ty Pennington Is Worth $12 Million
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Pennington is currently estimated to be worth about $12 million. Most of this is attributable to his time as a reality TV star, although he has also ventured into other money-making endeavors.
With most of this work still ongoing, the TV personality is likely to see his wealth continue growing in the coming years.
7 Ty Pennington Earned $75,000 Per Episode Of 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'
The nine years that Pennington spent as the host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition are undoubtedly the most financially productive of his life. He is said to have been earning a handsome $75,000 per episode of the ABC show.
For a total of 202 episodes, he would have earned a gross total of more than $15 million from the show alone, although a significantly less amount of that would have made it to his bank account, after tax and agent fee deductions.
6 Ty Pennington's Design & Carpentry Skills Are Self-Taught
Pennington's interest in home makeover is not a fluke, as he started doing carpentry before he was even a teenager: As a 12-year-old, he brought a few of his childhood friends together and they designed a three-story tree house.
He would pursue knowledge of building and renovation all on his own after this. He is practically an expert now, with knowledge on do's and don'ts of home DIY projects.
5 Ty Pennington Is A Two-Time 'Primetime Emmy' Award Winner
There is no greater honor for a TV personality than to win a Primetime Emmy Award for your work. For three consecutive years between 2005 and 2007, Pennington's Extreme Makeover was nominated for Outstanding Reality Program.
He emerged victorious in the first two of those. Although there is no prize money that comes with an Emmy win, the recognition definitely did more to aid than harm Pennington's reputation and consequently, marketability.
4 Ty Pennington's Commercial Deals With Pepsi And Sears
As well as minting money through his TV shows, Pennington has made a killing via various endorsement deals throughout his career. He has most notably worked with the Sears department store company in this regard, as well as soft drink giant, Pepsi.
The exact value of his deals with these companies is, however, unknown.
3 Ty Pennington Built A $680,000 Home In Flagler County, Florida
Pennington built his own home in the Flagler County of Florida in 2014, saying that after years of making homes for others, it was finally "time to build one for my family." The two-story mansion has six bedrooms and five baths and occupies 3,800 square feet.
Unlike most celebrities who choose to buy obscenely expensive homes, Pennington's mansion cost him a comparatively meager $680,000 to build.
2 Ty Pennington Is A Three-Time Published Author
The other venture that Ty Pennington has undertaken is writing books. His first ever was titled Ty's Tricks: Home Repair Secrets Plus Cheap and Easy Projects to Transform Any Room and was published in 2003. In 2008, his second - Good Design Can Change Your Life: Beautiful Rooms, Inspiring Stories - was published.
He also released a memoir in 2019, with the title Life to the Extreme: How a Chaotic Kid Became America’s Favorite Carpenter.
1 Ty Pennington Currently Co-Hosts HGTV's 'Rock The Block'
Although the biggest show of his career is now long gone, Pennington continues to work on and earn from television. He is currently one of three co-hosts of HGTV network's Rock the Block, alongside Alison Victoria and Mina Starsiak.
The general themes of the show are not too far removed from those of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. IMDb describes it as a series that "spotlights power reno professionals as they infuse houses with their distinctive signature style."