Highlights
- The Duggars' financial situation has been a topic of interest since their reality shows were canceled. They have been accused of accepting unnecessary freebies and it was later revealed that Jim Bob was the only one benefiting financially from their TV success.
- Jill Dillard disclosed that her family was not compensated well for their time on the reality series, receiving between $500 and $1,000 per episode. She had to take legal action to recover some of the money owed to her.
- Jim Bob Duggar allegedly offered his kids $10 an hour and a lump sum, but they had to sign another deal with his company. Despite earning millions from the show, the kids received very little, while Jim Bob continued to benefit financially. They may still be receiving royalties from DVD sales today.
It has been a while since the Duggar family was in the spotlight on TLC, but the family hasn't ceased to be a topic of conversation ever since their reality shows were shuttered. As the Duggar kids grew up—some moving away from their home state—fans had more and more questions about the kids' upbringing and the family's lifestyle.
One point of interest was the family's finances, especially as they had previously claimed to be raising their 19 kids without using welfare or government support. But a lot has changed since the Duggars premiered on TLC; they were later accused of accepting freebies they didn't necessarily need. It also turned out that Jim Bob alone was reaping the financial benefits of the family's reality TV windfall. Ultimately, he only offered to give his kids any money after being confronted by Jill and her husband Derick. How much money did Jim Bob Duggar give his kids? Not much.
Did Jim Bob Duggar Pay His Kids For 19 Kids And Counting?
It's long been alleged that Jim Bob Duggar did not pay his kids, even after they became adults, for their time on 19 Kids and Counting (including its predecessors) and Counting On. Some details emerged thanks to Jill Dillard speaking out against her dad in court.
According to Jill and her husband Derick, they were not compensated well for their time on the family's reality series, making somewhere between $500 and $1,000 per episode.
Jill was only able to recover some of the money she was owed by taking legal action.
Later, Jill also spilled some more beans about her dad's approach to the family business when she appeared in the Duggar-critical documentary Shiny Happy People. Not only that but Jim Bob Duggar himself revealed some very telling ideas about the family business in a written statement.
In an email, as reported by the LA Times, Jim Bob wrote of his children's involvement in reality TV, "The appeal of the show is its observational approach to our daily routine, which is the same with or without the cameras."
This was apparently in response to being asked about his children performing labor as reality TV personalities, to which Jim Bob alleged they weren't 'working.'
Perhaps that was why Jim Bob didn't think his kids deserved any of the proceeds from the family's reality series, even though, thanks to other business endeavors, the family didn't necessarily need the extra income.
Jim Bob Reportedly Offered His Kids $10 An Hour
In an article discussing the hot mess that was the Duggars' reality TV run (given that some of Josh Duggar's crimes occurred before the series ever aired), Friday Things reported that Jill Dillard stated that her parents continued to sign contracts on her behalf after she became an adult.
Jill also alleged that once she had autonomy over the contracts, she was still coerced into signing, resulting in the filming of her first child's birth (something she didn't want) and other scheduling conflicts.
Jill also detailed her arguments over money with her dad, which might have led to some revelations by Jim Bob. According to Jill, her dad eventually offered to pay his kids $10 an hour, and ultimately decided to give some of the older kids a 'lump sum.'
But that lump sum didn't come without a price, either. Jill maintained that her dad required the kids to "sign another deal" with Jim Bob's company (apparently called Mad Family Inc.). But even the lump sum was equivalent to less than minimum wage, per Jill Dillard, leaving her dad benefiting financially while everyone else got pennies.
According to the LA Times, Jim Bob would have made at least $25 to $40 thousand per episode up-front, with "millions more" from speaking engagements, brand sponsorships, book sales, and even DVDs.
The DVD section is what is of most interest to fans at this point; since most other cashflow sources have dried up for the Duggars, continued DVD sales could be putting money in their pockets even though their shows have been canceled.
The Duggars Might Still Receive Royalties From DVD Sales Today
Given how much money they earned from their time on TLC, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar seem like they're more or less set financially. But it has long been assumed that the Duggars, after being cut off by TLC, were also cut off from any continued profit.
The Duggars' shows 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On weren't re-aired on TLC, but many streaming services offer the shows for a per-episode (or per-season) price. That might suggest the Duggars receive some amount of royalties, but any agreements with Discovery (TLC's parent network) have not been disclosed.
What is apparently known is that the family could continue to receive payouts thanks to DVD copies of their shows. Various websites, including Amazon, still sell DVDs of the Duggar shows, though it's unclear whether there are any original copies of DVDs being sold by retailers.
It could be that the only DVDs sold today are pre-owned copies, which people are now selling to try and turn a profit.
But the fact that the Duggars' media is still out there today, without any of the kids having been paid properly for it, seems to prove that Jim Bob Duggar is the only one with any power—or a paycheck.
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