Dr. Phil's Net Worth (Updated September 2022) | Wealthy Gorilla

Net Worth:	$460 Million
Age:	75
Born:	September 1, 1950
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Professional TV Host/Author
Last Updated:	Dec 18, 2025

Table of Contents

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• Introduction
• Earnings History
• Merit Street Media
• Defamation Lawsuit

Introduction

Dr. Phil is an American television personality, author, and psychologist with an estimated net worth of $460 Million.

Earnings History

Year	Earnings
2006	$45,000,000
2008	$40,000,000
2011	$80,000,000
2012	$64,000,000
2013	$72,000,000
2014	$77,000,000
2015	$70,000,000
2016	$88,000,000
2017	$79,000,000
2018	$77,500,000
2019	$95,000,000
2020	$65,500,000
Total	$853,000,000

Since the mid-2000s, Dr. Phil has consistently been one of the highest-paid people in television. Between 2006 and 2020, his estimated annual earnings ranged between $40 million and $95 million. The majority of his income was produced through the syndication of The Dr. Phil Show.

In 2006, Dr. Phil was ranked 22nd on the Forbes Celebrity 100, with estimated earnings of $45 million. Two years later, he reportedly earned $40 million, but by 2011, his income had doubled to $80 million per year. This was one of the more notable years of his career. From 2012 to 2020, Dr. Phil earned an average of $76.4 million per year. This included the two highest-earning years of his career, in 2016 and 2019, when he earned $88 million and $95 million, respectively.

Based on the figures we’ve collected, Dr. Phil earned approximately $853 million between 2006 and 2020. However, we’re missing figures from 2007, 2009, and 2010. After considering those three years, his total earnings could be close to $1 billion.

Merit Street Media

In 2024, Merit Street Media, an American TV network, was founded by Peteski Productions (Dr. Phil’s production company) and Trinity Broadcasting Network. As per the terms of the agreement, TBN received a 70% stake in the venture and would undertake distribution and infrastructure, while Peteski Productions provided the programming. This included shows such as:

• Dr. Phil Primetime
• Dr. Phil True Crime
• Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
• Centuries Collide
• Morning on Merit Street
• Steve (daytime talk show featuring Steve Harvey)
• The News on Merit Street

Bankruptcy Filing

Unfortunately, just a year later, in July 2025, Merit Street Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. According to the documents, when listing the estimated ranges for both assets and liabilities, the company claimed a range of between $100 million and $500 million. This means that Merit Street Media’s current assets could be as low as $100 million, and as high as $500 million, while their liabilities also fall within this range. Since this is a bankruptcy filing, it’s highly probable that the company’s liabilities exceed its current assets.

TBN Lawsuit

Immediately following the bankruptcy filing, Dr. Phil’s company filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Trinity Broadcasting Network, seeking $96 million in damages. The suit alleges that TBN failed to fulfill its distribution duties as per the terms of the partnership, leaving Merit Street Media to bear the costs.

Defamation Lawsuit

In July 2016, Dr. Phil and his wife filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against American Media Inc. in the Florida courts. While the company name may not be familiar to most, AMI, now known as A360media, owns some of the world’s most popular magazines and digital publications. This includes brands like:

• Men’s Fitness
• Muscle & Fitness
• National Enquirer
• Star
• OK!
• Soap Opera Digest

The lawsuit alleged that AMI-owned publications had written and published over 85 articles since 2003 that contained inaccurate and sensational claims regarding Dr. Phil’s relationship with his wife. Later that year, the suit was officially dropped, and it’s unknown whether the couple received a settlement sum outside of court.