'I Have Everything I Want'

The mom, mogul and TikTok master talks to Us about hitting the pinnacle of success at 54. 'It's so strange,' she says. 'Could this not have happened seven years ago?!'

- by CHRISTINA GARIBALDI & CARLA SOSENKO

It's hard to believe now, but when we met Bethenny Frankel on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart in 2005 and got to know her better on The Real Housewives of New York City in 2008, she had very little money.

Actually, it's hard to remember a time before Frankel, period — that's how ingrained in the culture she's become: first on TV, then in business and now on social media and in our collective consciousness.

For almost two decades, Frankel, 54, has shared her no-nonsense, warp speed takes on everything from the best chicken salad in the Hamptons to why it's important for everyday citizens to chip in when communities are suffering. Through it all, she's been working her tush off and making bank — and headlines. She sold off the Skinnygirl Cocktails arm of her corporation in 2011 for a reported $100 million, and to date, Skinnygirl's other categories (including shapewear, popcorn, salad dressings and coffee) have generated $1 billion in retail sales. She has 3.3 million followers on TikTok and 4 million on Instagram. She walked the L'Oréal runway in Paris in 2024 and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit show in May. Life is very, very good.

Us Weekly's Entrepreneur of the Year — who recently left Connecticut for Florida with her 15-year-old daughter, Bryn, and their dogs — caught up with Us about finding her greatest success in her 50s, her dating status and what she really thinks about having so much cold, hard cash.

Let's go back to the beginning. Where do you credit your motivation?

I went to 13 schools. I was always the new kid. I wasn't really a child, I was more like an adult as a child, being at the racetrack [with my dad] for my summers, living in Vegas for several weeks. I didn't have a lot of parental involvement, so I was kind of raising myself. I grew up in a very gritty lifestyle, so I think sometimes I miss a sensitivity chip. I don't get really tired, and pros play hurt. That's my life mantra.