Kathleen Joan Toelle Reichs was born on 7 July 1948, in Chicago, Illinois USA, and is a crime writer, forensic anthropologist and academic, probably best known as the writer of the series of novels portraying the life and career of the character Temperance ‘Tempe’ Brennan, which have been the inspiration for the popular television series “Bones”.
So just how wealthy is Kathy Reich now? Sources state that Reich has acquired a fortune of over $10 million, as of early 2017. Her net worth has been earned through her involvement in forensic anthropology as well as through her writing career.
Kathy Reichs Net Worth $10 million
Reichs grew up in Chicago, along with her three sisters, raised by a housewife mother who hosted her own book-club radio show, and a father who worked as a meatpacking company manager. She attended American University in Washington, D.C., majoring in anthropology. Upon her graduation in 1971, she enrolled at Northwestern University, obtaining her Master of Arts degree in physical anthropology in 1972 and her Ph.D. in skeletal biology and archaeology in 1975.
She eventually began working as a professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. As an academic, Reichs has also taught at Northern Illinois University and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as at Concordia University and McGill University in Montreal, Canada. While in Montreal, she also worked as a forensic anthropologist for the police at the local Laboratoire de Sciences Judiciaires et de Medecine Legale, and later did the same job at the State of North Carolina Office of the Medical Examiner. In addition, Reichs also taught classes for FBI agents at Quantico, Virginia, the Central Identification Lab in Hawaii and Canadian Police College in Ottawa, Canada. She is certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology – one of only fifty – and is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. She has published a number of academic papers and two academic books. Reichs’ academic career has enabled her to establish a great reputation and to collect a considerable net worth.
In the mid-’90s, she began to write novels. After her manuscript ended up at Scribner, the publisher signed her to an initial two-book deal worth $1.7 million, boosting her fortune. In 1997 her debut novel, “Deja Dead”, came out, being the first book of the series featuring the character Temperance ‘Tempe’ Brennan. The character is based on Reich herself, and covers experience from her own career. The book achieved great success, being translated in to 22 languages, and was a best seller in the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom, selling more than one million copies and winning the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. The triumph of its success greatly contributed to Reich’s reputation and to her wealth as well, and she went on to write 18 more novels in the series.
In addition, Reich has also written the series entitled “Virals”, which portrays the life of Tempe’s great-niece Tory Brennan, and a number of novellas as well. Her writing career has been another source of Reichs’ fortune.
Aside from making her famous, Reichs novels became the inspiration for the popular FOX dramatic television series “Bones”, which debuted in 2005, based on her novels and her real-life work as a forensic anthropologist. Serving as the show’s consultant has also added to Reich’s net worth.
The acclaimed author and anthropologist has held numerous speeches around the world and has been a frequent expert witness in criminal trials. Her career as a forensic anthropologist on one hand, writer on the other hand, as well as her job as a professor, have established her as a true star, and have enabled her to amass a sizable wealth.
When it comes to her private life, Reich has been married to attorney and captain in the Marine Corps Paul Reichs since 1967. The couple has three children together.
