How Much Is Betty Broderick Worth?
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Ever since Season 2 of "Dirty John" hit Netflix in May after its initial run on USA Network, the show has seen somewhat of a resurgence in popularity. While this might generally bode well for the streaming service and the show's possible future bid for a Season 3, it's also resulted in something else entirely: a renewed interest in the case of Betty Broderick, who was convicted for the 1989 murder of her ex-husband, Daniel Broderick III, and his second wife, Linda Broderick.
While the "Dirty John" adaptation might have taken some creative liberties with the overall story of the case, it mostly stuck to the facts — especially with regards to Betty's motives. As many might be well aware, among the biggest factors for pushing Betty to the edge was the issue of her finances following her divorce from Dan in 1985. A large part of Betty's animosity towards Dan (aside from later dissections of the case, which indicated that he may have routinely gaslighted her during and after their marriage) stemmed from his refusal to allow her a larger share of his wealth, which she relied upon as a stay-at-home mother to their four children. Considering how large of a role money played in the story of Betty Broderick, it's hard not to wonder what the convicted killer is worth today.
So what's her net worth? Keep on reading to find out.
Betty Broderick's net worth is literally non-existent
Considering Betty Broderick was sentenced in 1991 for the murder of her ex-husband Daniel Broderick III and his second wife, Linda, it's probably no surprise that the convicted killer doesn't have much by way of a nest egg — especially considering that in the U.S., prisoners generally earn very little while incarcerated. But even though Distractify noted that Betty's current net worth is approximately at zero USD, all of it has to do with what Dan's accumulated wealth was at the time of his death — and Betty's lack of money due to her position as a stay-at-home mother.
As Oxygen noted, Dan essentially convinced the San Diego, Calif. divorce court that Betty, who had no income of her own, should essentially be allotted much less than she had asked — a $25,000 per month spousal support payment for 10 years in addition to a $1 million dollar settlement — because of family debts a la the construct of Epstein credits. Betty did not have a salary whereas Dan brought in over $1 million a year, per the Los Angeles Times – meaning it would have been impossible for her to contribute. Though Betty argued that she had greatly supported Dan as the breadwinner through medical school and law school, Betty walked away from divorce proceedings with a settlement total of $28,000, and much less per month in spousal support in what she had asked for.
Betty Broderick's children ended up with her murdered husband's money -- but only some of them
While Betty Broderick predictably received none of Dan Broderick III's money after she murdered him and his wife Linda Kolkena Broderick, his estate, along with his net worth at the time of his death, had to go somewhere. Though Distractify noted his estimated wealth is hard to pin down all these decades later, with estimates ranging from $60,000 to approximately $1.6 million, the money was ultimately split amongst his children — but only three of them out of four.
Dan wrote his daughter Lee out of his will shortly before his death. According to a 1989 report by the Los Angeles Times, he informed his second-oldest daughter of his decision less than a year before her mother ultimately murdered him, though it is not clear as to why. "He had told me before that he was going to write me out, but I didn't think he would," Lee herself told the LA Times in an interview. "But he did." Suffice it to say, Betty never saw a cent of it either — and most likely, she never will.