Here's How Much Money Marie Kondo Has Earned From Organizing Homes
Even if you just discovered the KonMari Method during your recent Netflix binge, Marie Kondo (and her genius decluttering approach!) has been sparking joy in homes around the world for more than a decade. Through her unique decluttering approach (based on the idea of filling your house with items that bring joy), the 34-year-old has built an organizational empire with books, TV shows, and storage solutions.
For Kondo, a childhood hobby turned into a profitable business, amassing a net worth worth of $8 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Further proof that getting rid of clutter - and negativity - is beneficial, at least it is for this pro.
She got started early.
Her love affair with decluttering started early: As a kid, she'd regularly toss her siblings unused toys and clothes, and even spent recess reorganizing her classroom's bookshelves. While attending Tokyo Women's Christian University to study sociology, her friends started to pay her to tidy up their rooms. It was then that she realized her passion could be profitable: At 19, Kondo started a consulting business as a side hustle and charged $100 for five hours of work. Within a few years, she racked up a six-month waiting list, leading her to quit her full-time job at a staffing agency to dedicate all of her time to decluttering.
She became a household name.
Regarded as one of the top organizing experts in Japan, Kondo, who moved on to teach consultants her unique approach, wrote a guide on her category-by-category method. Enter The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. The book, which was released in Japan in 2011 inspired a TV movie called Jinsei ga Tokimeku Katazuke no Mahou (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up). While the book was a success in Japan and Europe, it took time to gain traction in the United States. Since she didn't speak a lot of English at the time, it was difficult for her promote her book in the America – but then Penelope Green wrote a review for The New York Times.
Eventually, the book became a New York Times bestseller, selling more than 11 million copies in 40 countries. To piggyback the book's success, she released a journal, illustrated guide, and graphic journal. All of her books currently have at least 4.5 stars on Amazon – and hundreds, if not thousands, of glowing reviews.
She started selling storage solutions.
Because once you master the KonMari Method, you need something cute to store your stuff in. In March 2018, she released a capsule collection with Cuyana. The entire collection was based around one item: A Japanese-inspired jewelry organizer styled like a bento box. "The guiding principle of the KonMari Method is to discover and cherish items that spark joy for you. Cuyana's philosophy of 'fewer, better' which manifests in the carefully designed and selected products made our collaboration a natural one," she said.
She then began selling storage box sets on her website. All four styles, which retail for $89 a set, have been sold out since their launch in August 2018.
And now, of course, she's on Netflix.
It was only natural to turn her best-selling book into a binge-watching miracle: Tidying Up with Marie Kondo was an instant success after being released in January 2019. While Netflix hasn't released numbers just yet, the Internet is now obsessed with Kondo.
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