Ever since Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen graced the small screen on the original series Full House on ABC, fans have been obsessed. And while the Olsen twins made bank on the '90s sitcom, they also went on to star in movies, create clothing lines, and more.
Of course, they managed to drop off fans' radar for many years, even as their sister Elizabeth entered the spotlight. Though the twins are super-private, it's no secret that the duo is worth a staggering $500 million. Here are ten ways the notorious Olsen twins earned their net worth.
18 Early Days On Full House
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When Mary-Kate and Ashley were toddlers, they started out making $2,400 per episode on Full House with ABC, notes Cosmopolitan. Playing Michelle Tanner was a small role at first, but as the girls grew, so did their income, and that relatively low rate didn't last long. Soon, the tots were given a pay raise that brought them to $25K per episode.
Eventually, the adorable twins were raking in $80K per episode on the sitcom, and that doesn't include the cash they were earning from their on-the-side films. Not bad for a TV series that lasted for years.
16 The Olsen Film Franchise
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Nineties kids were thrilled when the Olsen twins started releasing their own movies. Movies like The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley (a video series), Sister, Sister, and New York Minute became fan-favorite '90s picks. Of course, they were also lucrative for the Olsen twins.
In fact, many films were released under the twins' own company, Dualstar, which their parents set up while the girls were still minors. The result was a combined net worth of $100 million by the time the girls reached their 20s.
14 A Walmart Clothing Line (And Other Merch)
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Fans who were tweens in the '90s and early 2000s will remember vividly the Walmart clothing lines from Mary-Kate and Ashley. Of course, the line catered to gals of all ages, starting with preschoolers, and also included a handful of beauty products plastered with the twins' faces.
Knowing what Mary-Kate and Ashley wear now, it's amusing to recall the clothing items found on Walmart racks. Though the Olsen twins are largely boho-chic these days, their clothing line was less mature, though still plenty fun and quirky.
12 Remember The Mary-Kate & Ashley Fan Club?
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Only true nineties kids will remember the existence of the Mary-Kate and Ashley fan club. Technically, it was a "fun club," but the fact remains that the girls had tons of paying customers for their collectibles and photos.
Along with a Mary-Kate and Ashley magazine, subscribers to the club got catalogs and "gifts" from the twins. Unfortunately for die-hard fans, the club ended in 2000, though old ads can still be seen on the VHS movies from the twins circa the 1990s.
10 Mattel Versions Of Mary-Kate And Ashley Likely Earned Bank
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Barbie has remained perpetually popular for decades, so it's not surprising that Mattel wanted to get in on the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen popularity train. Between 2000 and 2005, Mattel produced Mary-Kate and Ashley fashion dolls.
It was around this time (2004, to be precise) when Ashley and Mary-Kate turned 18 and fully took over their company. The two are co-presidents of Dualstar, and by 2007, Forbes was ranking them as the 11th-richest women in the world (they shared the spot). At that point, the twins were worth about $100M.
8 Fronting For Badgley Mischka
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Back in 2006, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were featured in Badgley Mischka's spring campaign. At the time, the twins were 19, and just entering the more grown-up phase of their branding.
Instead of dressing down the way the twins formerly did on red carpets, the pair donned glam dresses, dark lipstick, and smokey eyes for the Badgley Mischka campaign. For fans, at least, the print ads marked a turning point in the girls' careers. After all, by this point, the girls were worth millions.
6 Couture Fashion With The Row
As Cosmopolitan explained, Mary-Kate and Ashley launched their fashion line The Row in 2006. Though the pair was relatively new to the fashion industry at that point, the brand earns between $100 and $200 million per year. It seems the brand is what brought the twins to the forefront as fashion designers.
For a couture brand, that's an impressive contribution to the twins' net worth. And, it's an ongoing amount, unlike the short-term profits from other collabs and product lines the Olsens have sold.
5 Enter: Elizabeth & James, The Clothing Line
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Elizabeth and James is the Olsen twins' less luxe clothing brand. It's not as pricey as The Row, but it is named after the Olsens' lesser-known siblings, actress Elizabeth Olsen and brother James, AKA Trent.
Regardless, the brand is earning big bucks for the Olsen twins year to year. The estimated annual revenue, per Cosmo, is $89 million. If the twins had to live on that alone, they'd still be able to afford the pricey NY townhouses they call home (at least, Mary-Kate did until her split from Olivier Sarkozy.
3 Collabs With JC Penney
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In 2009, Seventeen confirmed that Mary-Kate and Ashley were launching a collab with JC Penney. And at that time, the department store chain was far more happening than it is today. News of the Olsens' line, Olsenboye, excited fans and critics alike.
The name comes from the Norwegian roots of the twins' last name, and it relied heavily on teen fashion trends and affordable wardrobe items. Tees, hoodies, and plaid were just a few of the line's trademarks, but it was clearly worth the investment for the twins.
1 Mary-Kate And Ashley Published A Book, Too
Fangirls of Mary-Kate and Ashley remember the many books the girls published during their tween and teen fame. Titles like Our Story: The Official Biography were big picks at Scholastic book fairs of the early 2000s.
But it was Influence that garnered the Olsen twins more attention in 2008. The book featured interviews with fashion influencers like Diane von Furstenberg, Karl Lagerfield, Lauren Hutton, and more, and it likely added a few more dollars to the Olsen twins' overall net worth.
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