They were the four mismatched roommates who redefined retirement life in Miami, but in reality, the stars of The Golden Girls were making serious bank.
During the 1985 debut season of the series, Betty White, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty were reportedly paid $US30,000 ($A46,000) for each episode.
According to Collider, White earned $US3 million ($A4.6 million) per year from re-runs since the show ended in 1992.
The actresses translated their sitcom success into multimillion-dollar real estate portfolios.
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The Golden Girls ran from 1985 to 1992. Picture: ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images
Here’s a look at the fortunes and homes owned and sold by the iconic cast.
Betty White
Known for her role as the naive and kind-hearted simpleton Rose Nylund, White was the wealthiest of the four actresses.
As the final surviving member of the main cast, the Hot in Cleveland star built an impressive financial empire across her near century in showbiz.
At the time of her death in 2021, White left a staggering fortune of $US75 million ($A115 million).
The Mary Tyler Moore show alum’s property portfolio included a Brentwood, Los Angeles mansion and a residence in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Both homes were sold after her passing.
White and her third husband Allen Ludden bought the Brentwood abode in 1968.
Her estate listed the five-bedroom property for sale in April 2022 for $US10.5 million ($A16.2 million). It sold one month later for $US10.6 million ($A16.3 million).
In 2023, the home was demolished to make way for a new massive mansion.
White (second left) was the wealthiest of the four actresses.
In 2023, the Brentwood, Los Angeles home was demolished to make way for a new massive mansion. Picture: Barcelo Photography for Sotheby’s International Realtyvia Realtor
In 1978, Whit and Ludden paid $US170,000 ($A261,000) for the undeveloped property in Carmel-by-the-Sea. They built a four-bedroom custom home, which was completed in 1981.
Unfortunately, Ludden died before the couple could enjoy the property together. White held on to the coastal retreat for the rest of her life.
In March 2022, the property hit the market for a little under $US8 million ($A12.3 million).
A month later, after a small bidding war, the home was sold for $US10.7 million ($A16.4 million).
White’s left most of her estate to a trust that benefits animal welfare charities.
While the comedy icon did not have any biological children, she did become a stepmother to Ludden’s three children.
According to reports, White’s stepchildren were not named in her will, though she remained close to them.
White’s Carmel-by-the-Sea home. Picture: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com
The property was sold in 2022 for $US10.7 million. Picture: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com
Bea Arthur
The actress behind the sarcastic and witty Dorothy Zbornak had an impressive net worth of $US25 million ($A38 million) at the time of her death in 2009.
The Maude star owned a mansion in LA’s Brentwood neighbourhood, which she purchased in 1980 for $US550,000 ($A846,000).
In the years after her death, the home was rented for $US30,000-60,000 ($A46,000-92,000) per month.
In 2015, the property hit the market with a $US16 million ($A24 million) price tag.
A few months later, film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall snapped up the estate for $US15 million ($A23 million).
Arthur’s estate was inherited by her adopted sons, Matthew and Daniel Saks. She also left a generous $US300,000 ($A460,000) to the Ali Forney Center, which opened the Bea Arthur Residence for homeless LGBTQ+ youth in 2017.
Bea Arthur (right) had an impressive net worth of $US25 million.
The Maude star owned a mansion in LA’s Brentwood neighbourhood, which she purchased in 1980 for $US550,000. Picture: Supplied
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan, who played the highly-promiscuous southern belle Blanche Devereaux, had a substantial fortune of $US5 million ($A7.5 million) at the time of her death in 2010.
During the height of The Golden Girls’ fame, the actress bought an estate in Encino, California in 1988 for $US1.35 million ($A2.07 million).
McClanahan sold it to a private couple seven years later for $US1.6 million ($A2.4 million).
Rue McClanahan had a substantial fortune of $US5 million. Picture: ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images
During the height of The Golden Girls’ fame, the actress bought an estate in Encino, California in 1988 for $US1.35 million. Picture: Supplied
The Emmy-winner also had a three-bedroom New York apartment listed for $US2.25 million ($A3.4 million) after her death.
The pad was snapped up in 2012 for $US1.75 million ($A2.6 million).
McClanahan’s estate was inherited by her son, Mark Bish. She also auctioned personal belongings for charity, including costumes and memorabilia from The Golden Girls.
The Emmy-winner also had a three-bedroom New York apartment listed for $US2.25 million after her death. Picture: Supplied
Estelle Getty
Estelle Getty, who played the wisecracking Sophia Petrillo, had an estimated net worth of $US8 million ($A12 million), largely from her work on The Golden Girls and its spin-off, The Golden Palace.
The Golden Globe winner’s real estate included a Los Angeles estate, which she purchased in 1994 for an undisclosed sum.
The Empty Nest alum sold the five-bedroom house in 2001 for just under $US1.5 million ($A2.3 million).
Estelle Getty had an estimated net worth of $US8 million. Picture: Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank
The Empty Nest alum sold the Encino, California house in 2001 for just under $US1.5 million ($A2.3 million). Picture: Simon Berlyn via NY Post
The actress also lived in a Hollywood Boulevard apartment in her final years, where she passed away in 2008.
Getty’s money was inherited by her sons, Carl and Barry Gettleman, though they reportedly had disagreements on how to divide her belongings.
According to Carl, their mother’s will was a “living trust” but did not “delineate the division of property,” which led to auctioning off her belongings and awards.
Notable items included Getty’s Emmy award for The Golden Girls, which sold for $US7,320 ($A11,231) to an anonymous buyer in 2009.
Two months later, the Emmy award popped up on eBay, with an opening bid of $US15,000 ($A23,000).
The actress also lived in a Hollywood Boulevard apartment in her final years, where she passed away in 2008. Picture: Supplied
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