What is Cheryl Tiegs' Net Worth?
Cheryl Tiegs is an American model, actress and author who has a net worth of $30 million. Cheryl Tiegs is often credited with being the first American supermodel. Active beginning in the 1970s, she is best known for her many appearances on the covers of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues. Additionally, Tiegs often graced the cover of Time magazine, and appeared on the iconic "Pink Bikini" poster in 1978.
Cheryl Tiegs' career began when she was 17 years old after her bathing suit ad appeared in "Seventeen" magazine. Tiegs left California State University Los Angeles after her sophomore year to further her modeling career. She landed shoots with "Glamour", "Seventeen", "Elle", "Vogue" and "Harper's Bazaar". She went on to cover the "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue" twice, the first model to do so, and appeared on "People" magazine's cover four times. Tiegs was profiled as the "All-American Model" in 1978 on the cover of "TIME".
Not only was she a defining figure in the fashion world, she was also the first model to use her fame to successfully launch a retail empire. Her clothing line, which is sold primarily through Sears, has racked up nearly $1 billion in sales. Today she regularly speaks at health and fitness forums and conventions, and also campaigns for various environmental and social initiatives.
Highest Paid Model
In 1979, Cheryl landed what was then the biggest modeling contracting of all time with Cover Girl. The two-year deal paid her $1.5 million. That's the same as around $6 million today.
She has been named to "People" magazine's 50 most beautiful people in the world list and is part of the "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue" Hall of Fame. She has several TV and film credits with appearances on "Girls Behaving Badly", "Family Guy", "Pathfinders: Exotic Journeys", "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" and "Just Shoot Me". She is the spokeswoman for Deepak Chopra's "Renewal: A Time For You" and is an active supporter of several organizations, including the International Planned Parenthood Foundation and City of Hope.
Real Estate
In May 1996, Cherly paid $2 million to buy a 1.5 acre property in Bel Air, California. Cheryl Tiegs' former house sits on 1.43 acres of land in the very swanky East Bel Air neighborhood. The exterior and interior of the house were designed to feel like the inhabitant was living on in a Balinese oasis, and the main structure is tucked away at the end of a long driveway, and is surrounded by plants. The house has five bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms spread out over 4,770 square feet. The interior, which was designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, features dark hardwood floors, wood columns, and wood-framed sliding glass doors. There is are also multiple fireplaces, a guest house, staff quarters, and an eat-in kitchen with a very large island. Outside there is a garage, a large swimming pool, fountains, and lots and lots of plants.
She tried to sell the house a number of times over the years. She first listed it for $12 million in 2013. She then tried offloading it for $15 million in 2015. In September 2019 she listed the property again for $18 million. She finally found a buyer in August 2020 for $14 million. The buyer ended up being her next-door neighbor, billionaire scion Lachlan Murdoch. The son of Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan made headlines in 2019 when he paid $150 million for a Bel-Air mansion called "Chartwell" that was made famous for being used in the opening credits for the 1960s show "The Beverly Hillbillies".
Early Life
Cheryl Tiegs was born on September 25, 1947 in Breckenridge, Minnesota to Theodore, who worked on an assembly line before becoming a funeral director, and Phyllis. She is of German ancestry. In 1952, Tiegs moved with her family to Alhambra, California. There, she went to Alhambra High School. As a senior, Tiegs posed for a swimsuit advertisement for bathing suit manufacturer Cole of California; the ad ultimately appeared in Seventeen magazine. Tiegs went on to attend California State University, Los Angeles as an English major, but dropped out to pursue her modeling career.
Career Beginnings
At the age of 17, Tiegs had her breakthrough when the editorial staff of Glamour magazine saw her Cole bathing suit advertisement. Subsequently, she was booked on a shoot with Ali MacGraw, and made her first Glamour cover appearance. A little later, Tiegs graced the covers of both Seventeen and Elle; after that, she appeared on the covers of Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and several other fashion magazines. Notably, Tiegs was the first model to twice grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Further Modeling and Fashion Career
Tiegs reached a new level of fame in 1978 when she posed in a fishnet swimsuit. She appeared four times on the cover of People and three times on the cover of Time; for the latter, she led the "All-American Model" cover story. Tiegs boosted her profile even more in 1979, when she signed a two-year, $1.5 million contract with Cover Girl cosmetics, the largest-ever contract at that time.
In 1980, Tiegs was featured on the cover of Outside magazine. Also that year, she launched a signature clothing and accessories line with Sears called the Cheryl Tiegs Collection. The first-ever retail venture by a supermodel, the collection earned close to $1 billion in sales by the end of the 80s. Due to this success, Sears experienced a significant financial turnaround during the decade. Later, in 1995, Tiegs launched Cheryl Tiegs Sportswear, a QVC exclusive. Additionally, she designed a line of wigs and hair accessories for Revlon.
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Television Career
Beyond print media, Tiegs has appeared extensively on television on a wide array of programs. In the late 70s, she appeared as herself on the television documentary "Superstars" and the special "Playboy's Roller Disco & Pajama Party." Along with her second husband, photographer Peter Beard, she was also the subject of an Emmy Award-winning episode of ABC's "The American Sportsman." The episode chronicled the couple's expedition investigating the state of wildlife in Kenya. Later, in 1986, Tiegs made a cameo appearance on the ABC series "Moonlighting."
Tiegs had her first acting role on a series in 1995, when she played the character Lola Valenti in an episode of the sitcom "The John Larroquette Show." However, she has mostly stayed away from acting; her next role came in 2016 in the television film "Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens." Instead, Tiegs has mostly appeared on reality and game shows. In 2002, she participated in six episodes of "Hollywood Squares." Tiegs' most significant reality television show appearance was in 2012, when she competed on "The Celebrity Apprentice 5"; proceeds from her participation went to the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. Among her other television appearances, Tiegs hosted the travel adventures series "Pathfinders: Exotic Journeys" on the Travel Channel, and was a judge on the reality series "True Beauty." She has also appeared frequently on such daytime programs as "The Today Show," "Extra," and "Access Hollywood."
Film Career
Tiegs has a limited filmography, but she did appear in the 2003 experimental drama "The Brown Bunny," playing the character Lilly. Four years after that, she made a cameo in the comedy "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story."
Business and Philanthropy
Tiegs serves as the spokeswoman for Deepak Chopra's program "Renewal: A Time for You." The program provides practical tips for how women in transition can make healthy changes to their lifestyles. Tiegs is also a spokesperson for Cambria, a company that creates quartz surfaces.
On the philanthropic side of things, Tiegs serves on the board of directors of C.O.A.C.H. for Kids and the Earth Conservation Corps. She also serves as a spokesperson for City of Hope, a not-for-profit clinical research center, hospital, and medical school in Duarte, California. In her other philanthropic endeavors, Tiegs is an ambassador for the International Planned Parenthood Foundation, and is a supporter of the Macula Vision Research Foundation and I Am Waters.
Personal Life
Tiegs has been married and divorced multiple times. Her first marriage was in 1970 to Albanian film director Stan Dragoti; they separated in 1979. Next, from 1981 to 1983, Tiegs was wed to photographer Peter Beard. In 1990, she married actor Anthony Peck, son of Gregory Peck; they had a son named Zachary, and eventually divorced in 1995. Three years after that, Tiegs wed yoga and meditation instructor Rod Stryker. While married, the pair had twin boys from surrogacy named Jaden and Theo. Tiegs and Stryker eventually divorced in 2001.
