Initially inspired by the TV WASPs of Desperate Housewives and CW's The OC, the Real Housewives franchise first launched on the Bravo network in 2006. Its many spinoffs have followed the lives of the rich and fabulous in nearly every time zone since – from Beverly Hills to Dallas to Atlanta (and even abroad). Hundreds of women have made their mark in reality television as a result, but who among them is the most successful star to date? Well, according to a new report, the frontrunner is a certain someone on the East Coast – and I'm a little surprised.
The new report from WeThrift and its data analysis team concluded that Porsha Williams has the highest success rate out of the franchise's alums. The company took the many notorious Real Housewives stars and ranked them against several factors: net worth, books published, IMDb credits, monthly Spotify listeners, Instagram and TikTok followers, sponsored post earnings, Google search volume, YouTube search volume, and verified Wikipedia pages. And when all was said and done, Williams was the cream of the crop.
Porsha Williams, who headlined the Real Housewives of Atlanta as a main castmate for 10 seasons, also headlined the new report by receiving the highest overall rating, with a 88.5 score out of 100. It noted her $5 million net worth, having one of the highest fan followings in 6.7 million on Instagram and 370,000 on TikTok, as well as her sponsored post earnings coming in at a whopping $17,000.
Outside of these factors, Porsha Williams has indeed seen an astronomical rise over the years, both on and off the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Not only has she been a radio personality on the notorious Dish Nation since 2013, but she was one of the first reality stars to forge ground with her own podcast. More recently, too, the Bravo star has taken the Don’t Be Tardy route with her own spinoff series, Porsha’s Family Matters, now in its first season.
I'm not gonna lie, though. Porsha Williams taking home the most successful housewife award is kind of surprising considering her competition. For instance, her Real Housewives of Atlanta co-stars Kandi Burruss and NeNe Leakes outranked her by miles in the net worth, monthly Spotify listeners and YouTube search volume categories. Meanwhile, Beverly Hills’ Erika Jayne scored highest for the most Google search volume (656,000), and Bethenny Frankel has the most published works out of everyone at 12. (Frankel also just happens to have the most well-known outside company with Skinnygirl.) Officially, the report’s top five most successful housewives include:
- Porsha Williams
- Kandi Burruss
- Bethenny Frankel
- Erika Jayne
- Kyle Richards
Most successful notwithstanding, Bravo fans have always had their personal favorites. And Porsha Williams was, without a doubt, one of the favorite leads of the Atlanta spinoff before her untimely exit from the franchise last year. I've said it before, in fact, and I'll say it again: Williams was practically carrying the entirety of the drama on her back in Season 13. It's not like there's an actual prize invovled here, but she deserves one.
So it’s truly a bummer that Real Housewives of Atlanta has since replaced Porsha Williams in the upcoming season. Both new and old faces will take up the mantle in her stead – but will they hold their own in the absence of the apparently most successful franchise star? Filming is underway, so stay tuned for more info on when Season 14 will debut.
