NEWSMartha Stewart Reveals Shocking $65 Million Annual Royalties From 'First Big Money' Deal in Candid Confession About Her 'Very Lucrative' Projects
Martha Stewart sat down with MasterClass founder David Rogier.
Oct. 6 2026, Published 12:14 p.m. ET
Martha Stewart is opening up about her decades-long career.
The lifestyle icon appeared in the first episode of "Other People's Business," a new MasterClass weekly podcast that highlights untold business stories.
In the wide-ranging episode, hosted by MasterClass founder and CEO David Rogier, the entrepreneur reflects on her 40-year career, highlighting her focus on authenticity and quality goods.
'One of the Best Deals Ever Made'
Martha Stewart spoke about her deal with Kmart.
The pair began by talking about Stewart's deal with Kmart, which she referred to as her "first big money" moment, sharing she once raked in $65 million a year in royalties alone.
"We were selling close to $2 billion worth of merchandise," she told Rogier. "That’s a lot of money. That was funding the whole development of my magazine, the whole business. That was an amazing thing."
The confession shocked Rogier, whose jaw dropped before he replied, Holy s---," after calling Stewart the "original influencer" and "original tradwife."
The 85-year-old signed the deal in the '80s, before she parted ways with the company in 2009. Rogier called it "one of the best deals ever made."
'The Strength of My Business'
Martha Stewart has remained authentic to herself throughout her four-decade-long career.
Stewart then discussed how she believes she has stayed afloat in this business for so long.
"To be long-lived, I've been living the business for over 40 years," she began. "That's a long time in this world."
"I didn't start writing books until I was over 40. You know, that's crazy," she continued.
Stewart went on, "But that I have and that I continue to protect and to use that information, that I have accumulated for the public use and the public domain, is, I think, the strength of my business."
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'It Can Be Millions of Dollars'
Martha Stewart discussed the importance of commercials.
Later on in the interview, Stewart admitted that her later projects were "very lucrative."
"It can be millions of dollars," she shared. "And I still do commercials."
"I do Super Bowl commercials, and I do, you know, any others. I mean, those commercials are shown everywhere. They're not only shown on social media, but they're also shown online and they're also shown on TV," the cookbook author noted.
'Commercials Are Very Lucrative'
Martha Stewart added there is 'a lot of money' in commercials.
"So I do commercials still," she doubled down. "Commercials are very lucrative because of cash up front...But that's the dream of every influencer is to get those jobs. Look at Alix Earle, for example. She's making a lot of money. And so are all the Trad wives. They're making a lot of money."
