She first came into the spotlight as the bright eyed vocal powerhouse of the '90 R&B girl group Xscape. When the group's debut hit single Just Kickin' It took the world by storm, Kandi Burruss solidified herself as a true staple in the music industry.
While her image may now be synonymous with Bravo's colossally successful reality show Real Housewives of Atlanta - where she was said by Radar Online to have made $2.3 million per episode in 2019 - this Georgia grown peach is anything but your typical tv personality. A running gag of the show is how there's three things in her life that no one should every mess with: her man, her mom, and her money.
When asked who makes the most money of all the Atlanta Housewives in an interview with celebrity gossiper, Wendy Williams, RHOA star Kenya Moore proclaimed that, "Kandi makes the most money, ok? So, If I was coming for anybody’s purse and bag it, would be Kandi’s."
With her stunning net worth being estimated at upwards of $30-35 million, it's clear that Burruss knows exactly how to make her dough. Here are just a few of the ways she affords her beyond lavish lifestyle.
Bedroom Kandi
From the introductory moments of her first season as a housewife in 2009, we got to see the music tycoon's more docile side. Though, it didn't talk long for Burruss to unveil her much more risqué edge, openly discussing her own sexual proclivities on her online-turned-television talk show, Kandi Koated Nights. While some of her cast mates found her bawdry candor to be crossing the line, Burress turned her passion into a gold mine by launching her own line of sex toys called Bedroom Kandi.
Conceived in 2011 with the help of toy manufactures, Brian and Suki Dunham, the brand sells everything from the mild unwinding relaxation creams to the wildest of bedroom essentials. Along with liberating women to dive into their sensual side, Bedroom Kandi also empowers women to join the business force by encouraging loyal customers to become consultants. According to Forbes, Bedroom Kandi employees over 2,500 consultants who help sell the products and attend conferences to up their sales.
Who can forget one of Kandi's biggest boss moments on RHOA when, during a Bedroom Kandi event, she confronted a former assistance about spreading rumors of her running a 'fake' business? Her iconic response was, "Well, let this be the last fake check you get from me."
Old Lady Gang
Unlike most Housewives of the franchise who go for the billionaire hotshots, Kandi serendipitously found true love in Todd Tucker - a then Bravo producer who just so happened to hit it off with Burruss behind the scenes. Now they're happily married with two beautiful children and booming restaurant to tend to.
With the help of their fabulously vivacious family members like RHOA fan favorite Mama Joyce, the couple unveiled their Atlanta-based, southern restaurant in March 2017 - appropriately named Old Lady Gang. Serving southern delights like Aunt Bertha’s fried chicken and Todd’s crispy salmon bites, the business remains strong as the couple opens three more locations. There's even talks of the restaurant having its own spin-off show on Bravo.
Songwriting
Kandi's music career didn't halt after the 20 year, on and off again run of Xscape. No, she continued to make a name for herself as the industry's go-to girl for writing hits. While most casual fans of RHOA can only recall the role she played in costar Kim Zolciak's one hit wonder Don't Be Tardy for the Party, Burruss has gone on to write some of the hugest songs for some of the hugest names in music.
Remember TLC's No Scrubs? Yep! That was Kandi's magic at work, alongside the likes of T-Boz, Debra Killings, Kandu and Tameka “Tiny” Cottle. The songs popularity continues to permeate our culture with Billboard ranking it at #42 on the list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.
"I started freestyling over the track," Burruss explains on Bravo's Daily Dish, "As women, we go through things every day, all day. So I feel like this song put it out there ... and it just made women be a little bit more outspoken."
Burruss' resume of impressive song credits could stretch across the entire city of Atlanta! From Pink's first hit There You Go to Destiny's Child's Bills, Bills, Bills - Kandi has certainly stamped herself on the face of American music.
Xscape
No conversation about this superstar turned entrepreneur would be complete without mentioning how it all got started: her sensational group Xscape, of course! With three consecutive platinum albums underneath their belt, it would be a pure mistake to overlook.
After have three consecutive platinum albums underneath their belt and years of the members leaving and rejoining, the group - which currently consisted of Tameka “Tiny” Cottle LaTocha, Tamika Scott and Burruss - disbanded in 1998, allowing each member to pursue personal projects. Though, after a failed attempted at a comeback attributed to a poorly promoted album, the original four members reunited for a BET Awards performance in 2017.
What followed was a short lived, though highly successful tour. Though fans craved a new Xscape album, Burruss showed little interest. She instead had her eyes set on her 2018 Broadway debut in the musical Chicago, leaving the remaining three members to continue without her.
Though, with Bravo's new reality show Xscape: Still Kickin' It, Burruss continues to rack in the coins from her 25 year journey with the group.
Sources: Bravo, People, Radar Online, Forbes