Vicki Gunvalson Net Worth: How the RHOC Star Built Her Fortune

Vicki Gunvalson is one of the most famous and successful reality TV stars in the world. She is best known as an original cast member of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Orange County (RHOC), featuring in 14 of the 17 seasons since its 2006 premiere. She is also the founder and CEO of Coto Insurance and Financial Services, a company that provides life, health, and retirement planning services to thousands of clients. But how did Vicki Gunvalson achieve such a high net worth? And what are her sources of income? In this article, we will explore Vicki Gunvalson’s biography, career, personal life, and net worth in 2023.

Early Life and Education

Vicki Gunvalson was born as Victoria L. Steinmetz on March 27, 1962, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She grew up in a middle-class family with four siblings. Her father owned a construction company and her mother was a housewife. Vicki learned the value of hard work and financial responsibility from her father, who gave her her first job at Swenson’s Ice Cream Shop when she was 14. She then worked at Wendy’s and Jewel Food Stores while attending Fremd High School in Palatine, Illinois.

Vicki married her first husband Michael J. Wolfsmith when she was 21 and they had two children, Michael and Briana. At the age of 29, they divorced and Vicki became a single mother. She took a part-time job at her father’s construction company as an accountant to make ends meet. Her father passed away from Alzheimer’s disease in 1991, which motivated Vicki to pursue a career in the insurance industry. She got licensed to sell life and health insurance and joined a captive insurance company as an agent. Within a year, she became the top salesperson of the company.

Career and Business

In 1994, Vicki moved from Chicago to Coto de Caza, California, and married Donn Gunvalson. She also founded her own insurance agency, Coto Insurance and Financial Services, with a home-based office. She started from scratch and built a reputation for providing quality service and products to her clients. She expanded her business by hiring other agents, opening new offices, and offering more services such as retirement planning, annuities, long-term care, and estate planning.

In 2005, Vicki was cast as one of the original housewives on the Bravo reality TV show The Real Housewives of Orange County (RHOC). The show follows the lives of affluent women living in Orange County, California. Vicki became one of the most popular and controversial characters on the show, known for her outspoken personality, work ethic, family drama, and love life. She appeared on 14 seasons of the show from 2006 to 2020 and earned a salary of $500 thousand per season, making her the highest-paid housewife on the show.

Vicki also ventured into other business endeavors such as writing books, hosting podcasts, launching a skincare line, and producing vodka. She wrote two books: More Than a Housewife (2009), which is a memoir and self-help book; and Internet Life Insurance Selling Made Easy (2012), which is a guide for insurance agents who want to sell online. She hosted a podcast called Whoop It Up with Vicki (2020), where she interviewed celebrities, experts, and friends about various topics. She launched a skincare line called V by Vicki (2015), which featured products such as moisturizers, serums, cleansers, and masks. She also produced a vodka brand called Vicki’s Vodka (2013), which was later involved in a lawsuit with her former business partner.

Personal Life and Relationships

Vicki has been married twice and divorced twice. She married her first husband Michael J. Wolfsmith in 1982 and they had two children: Michael Wolfsmith (born in 1986) and Briana Culberson (born in 1987). They divorced in 1991 after nine years of marriage. Vicki married her second husband Donn Gunvalson in 1994 and they had no children together. They divorced in 2014 after 20 years of marriage.

Vicki has also dated several men after her divorces. She dated Brooks Ayers from 2012 to 2015, who became infamous for lying about having cancer on RHOC. She dated Steve Chavez Lodge from 2016 to 2021, who is the brother of actor Roger Lodge. They got engaged in April 2019 but broke up in September 2021.

Vicki is very close to her children and grandchildren. Her son Michael works with her at Coto Insurance and her daughter Briana is a nurse and a mother of three boys: Troy, Owen, and Hank. Vicki often spends time with her family and spoils her grandchildren.

Net Worth and Lifestyle

Vicki Gunvalson’s net worth is estimated to be $8 million as of 2023, according to Celebrity Net Worth. She has earned most of her wealth from her insurance business, her reality TV show, and her other ventures. She also owns several properties, including a mansion in Coto de Caza, a condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and a lake house in North Carolina.

Vicki lives a lavish lifestyle and enjoys traveling, shopping, dining, and partying. She loves to go on vacations with her family and friends to exotic destinations such as Greece, Italy, Iceland, and Bali. She also likes to shop for designer clothes, shoes, bags, and jewelry. She is fond of eating out at fine restaurants and drinking wine. She is known for her signature phrase “whoop it up”, which means to have fun and celebrate life.

Vicki Gunvalson is an inspiring example of a woman who has achieved success in both her professional and personal life. She is a self-made millionaire who has built her own empire from the ground up. She is also a loving mother and grandmother who values her family above all. She is a reality TV star who has entertained millions of viewers with her drama and humor. She is Vicki Gunvalson, the OG of the OC.

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