The cards you’re dealt in life aren’t what matter most, it’s staying positive & making the most of it. Elizabeth Smart has evolved from a headline-making survivor into a successful public figure with an impressive net worth. Her remarkable story of resilience has inspired millions and helped her build substantial wealth.
Smart, now 36, works alongside her husband Matthew Gilmour to generate income through public speaking, book deals, and media appearances. Her father Ed Smart played a key role in supporting her original recovery and advocacy work. She later carved her own path to financial success. This piece details Smart’s net worth and shows how she built her wealth through professional ventures and smart business moves.
Contents
Elizabeth Smart’s Journey to Financial Success
Elizabeth Smart made a life-changing decision after returning home. She chose to transform her experience into meaningful advocacy work that became her career’s foundation instead of withdrawing from public life.
From Survivor to Public Figure
Her journey as a public figure started about eight years after her rescue as she began to share her experiences. The powerful testimony she gave during her captors’ trial became a pivotal moment that established her as a respected voice in child safety advocacy. She dedicated more than 15 years to advocate for sexual violence victims and redefine the limits of child protection laws.
Building a Personal Brand
Her authentic communication style and commitment to helping others shaped her personal brand through advocacy and media presence. ABC News welcomed her as a special correspondent in 2011, where she focused on missing persons cases. Her genuine approach and dedication earned her recognition as a trusted voice in child safety advocacy.
Smart’s notable achievements include:
- Creating “You’re Not Alone: The Journey From Abduction to Empowerment” with the Department of Justice
- Supporting the National AMBER Alert system and the Adam Walsh Child Protection & Safety Act
- Launching the Elizabeth Smart Foundation in 2018 to provide education and counseling to violence survivors
Major Career Milestones
Smart published her New York Times bestselling memoir “My Story” with Chris Stewart in 2013. The book’s success created new opportunities and led to speaking engagements nationwide. Her estimated net worth grew to $10 million by 2024 through various income sources including books, speaking engagements, and media appearances.
Her influence reaches beyond traditional advocacy. She expanded her impact through production work and served as a producer for the 2017 Lifetime movie “I Am Elizabeth Smart”. Her foundation launched innovative programs like Smart Defense and the #webelieveyou campaign. These initiatives showcase her platform’s growth while staying true to her core mission of helping others.
Breaking Down Elizabeth Smart’s Net Worth
Elizabeth Smart’s resilience and business sense have helped her build an impressive financial portfolio that shows her range of professional work. Her net worth has reached $10 million in 2024, which shows how well she turned her advocacy work into a thriving career.
Main Income Sources
Smart’s wealth flows from several sources that support her mission of advocacy and education. Her portfolio has:
- Best-selling book royalties
- Television appearances and production work
- Speaking engagements
- Foundation activities
- Media commentary roles
Book Deals and Publishing Revenue
Smart’s success as an author has brought her substantial income. Her memoir “My Story” reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Her second book, “Where There’s Hope,” added substantially to her publishing earnings and gave readers personal stories and practical advice about overcoming trauma. These books have brought in considerable revenue and made her a respected voice in self-help and memoir writing.
Speaking Engagement Fees
Smart earns most of her income as a public speaker. She receives $20,000 to $30,000 for each speaking event, which reflects her popularity among audiences. Her talks focus on vital topics like overcoming adversity, recovery processes, and personal growth. These events boost her net worth and let her spread her message of hope and resilience worldwide.
Smart’s path to financial success stands out because she has kept control of her story while building a lasting career. Her work with ABC News and other media appearances has created steady income streams that support both her personal growth and advocacy work.
Media Ventures and Entertainment Income
Television and media ventures are the life-blood of Elizabeth Smart’s career. She has evolved from a news subject to a respected voice in broadcasting and production.
ABC News Contributor Salary
Smart became a paid ABC News contributor in 2011. She brought unique insights to missing persons cases. Her ABC News role let her appear on multiple platforms to provide commentary on cases and advocate for missing persons and their families. This position gave her a platform for advocacy and steady income, while helping viewers understand missing person stories through her firsthand experience.
TV Movies and Documentary Deals
Smart’s television production work stands out. Her portfolio has:
- Executive producer for “The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story” (2023)
- Producer and narrator for “I Am Elizabeth Smart” (2017)
- Executive producer for “The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story” (2024)
Her projects earned critical acclaim and a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. These successful productions boosted her net worth and raised awareness about survivor stories.
Production Company Earnings
Smart’s executive producer work has grown by a lot in recent years. She took on multiple projects with Lifetime’s “Ripped From the Headlines” series. She focuses on telling authentic survival and recovery stories, including “Abducted By My Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Story” and “Stolen By Their Father”.
A&E network featured Smart in a two-part Biography special that gave an intimate look at her story. This project showed her knowing how to maintain creative control while sharing experiences that strike a chord with audiences. Her production work proved effective especially when she had to ensure these stories were told with sensitivity and accuracy. She spent two years in careful negotiations before agreeing to certain projects.
Smart received the prestigious Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award for her valuable contributions to advocacy and survivor support. These accolades established her as a trusted voice in documentary and dramatic productions, cementing her place in the entertainment industry.
Smart’s Business and Advocacy Work
Elizabeth Smart’s business empire stems from her dedication to advocacy and social change. Her foundation work and partnerships have brought her financial success and created lasting change in survivor support.
The Elizabeth Smart Foundation
The Elizabeth Smart Foundation started in 2011 with $50,000 from the Diller-Von Furstenberg Family Foundation. The foundation has grown into a powerful force for change. The foundation teamed up with the Malouf Foundation in January 2022. This merger helped Smart focus on her role as a nationally recognized leader while using larger organizational resources.
The foundation joined the PHASE Alliance™ to curb sexual exploitation with Fight the New Drug and the Malouf Foundation. This collaborative effort created a reliable network of prevention and healing programs that positions Smart’s organization to make an even bigger difference in coming years.
Smart Defense Program Revenue
Smart Defense program stands out as one of the foundation’s most successful initiatives. The program teaches women and girls aged 12 and above how to defend themselves. It combines techniques from:
- Krav Maga
- Jiu Jitsu
- Muay Thai
Classes are now accessible throughout Utah and Colorado. Southern Utah University became the first university that added Smart Defense to its curriculum. This created a new revenue stream and expanded the program’s reach.
Brand Partnerships and Endorsements
Smart carefully picks partnerships that line up with her mission of survivor support. She collaborates with Mentionables, a lingerie company that gives 20% of sales from their teal-colored collection to her foundation. This partnership shows how Smart creates meaningful business relationships while keeping her steadfast dedication to survivor advocacy.
The foundation’s integration into the PHASE Alliance™ has created new opportunities for corporate partnerships and funding. PHASE guides strategy and handles administration. This lets Smart’s foundation concentrate on high-impact initiatives while staying financially stable.
Smart continues to build her net worth and legacy of survivor support through these ventures. Her business sense shines in her ability to create lasting revenue streams while staying true to her mission of bringing hope and strengthening survivors of sexual violence.
Investment Portfolio and Assets
Elizabeth Smart showed remarkable skill in managing her wealth through various investment strategies, building on her successful media career and advocacy work. Her current net worth stands at $10 million. Smart’s portfolio showcases a sophisticated approach to long-term financial growth.
Real Estate Holdings
Smart’s real estate investments reflect her deep understanding of market dynamics in a moving real estate world. She chose Salt Lake City as her base, a market known for steady growth and strong returns. Her property investments include:
- Residential properties in Utah’s growing metropolitan areas
- Strategic investments in commercial real estate collaborations
- Real estate investment trusts (REITs) to diversify her portfolio
Personal Investments
Modern portfolio theory principles guide Smart’s investment strategy. She balances risk and return through careful asset allocation. Her investment portfolio typically has:
- Equity investments through mutual funds and ETFs
- Fixed-income securities that provide steady returns
- Cash reserves to maintain liquidity and emergency funds
This balanced approach protects her wealth while generating consistent returns. Smart makes investment decisions based on her thorough understanding of market dynamics. She focuses on long-term growth potential rather than short-term gains.
Future Growth Potential
Smart’s financial growth outlook remains promising due to several key factors. She works with Bridge Investment Group, a Salt Lake City firm managing over $36 billion in real estate assets. This partnership shows her understanding of established financial institutions’ value.
Smart’s future financial prospects look bright due to her position in multiple sectors:
- Her foundation’s programs continue to expand
- Speaking engagement requests keep growing
- Media projects and book deals remain active
- Strategic collaborations with financial institutions strengthen
High-net-worth individuals often use similar wealth management strategies, including diversification across asset classes and regular portfolio rebalancing. Smart’s careful attention to portfolio management and growing public profile set her up for continued financial growth in coming years.
Her investment success stems from a balanced portfolio that lines up with her financial goals and mission-driven work. Smart’s investment strategy adapts to evolving market conditions while focusing on long-term wealth preservation and growth.
Elizabeth Smart Net Worth Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Elizabeth Smart’s husband?
Elizabeth Smart’s husband is Matthew Gilmour, a native of Scotland. The couple married in 2012 and have since built a family together.
What did Elizabeth Smart’s dad do?
Elizabeth Smart’s father, Ed Smart, was a real estate developer and a public speaker. He became widely known for his advocacy work following Elizabeth’s kidnapping and recovery. Ed Smart has also been active in raising awareness about child safety and abduction prevention.
Who is Elizabeth Smart’s sister?
Elizabeth Smart has several siblings. One of her sisters, Mary Katherine Smart, played a crucial role in helping identify Elizabeth’s kidnapper after recalling key details about him, which contributed to her eventual rescue.
