How Much is Bea Arthur Worth? Bea Arthur in Net Worth 2026: Career Earnings & Assets

Many fans are curious about Bea Arthur's financial success in April 2026. In this article, we dive deep into the assets and career highlights.

What was Bea Arthur's net worth?

Born Bernice Frankle on May 13, 1922, in Brooklyn, NY, to Rebecca and Philip Frankel, Arthur was the middle child of three girls.

Arthur was known for playing strong, independent thinking women whose thirst for knowledge superseded their interest in beautifying themselves. Arthur began her career as a stage actress and soon captured the attention of Hollywood producers. She went on to play two iconic characters in two of the small screen's most highly-rated, critically acclaimed, and controversial series. She won multiple awards for her work on stage and screen in her long career. She had the third-most Primetime Emmy nominations of any actress in history. She also hosted Hollywood tributes and award shows. Arthur was a twice-divorced mother of two. She was an activist for LGBTQ issues as well as feminist issues. She died in 2009 of lung cancer.

Arthur was among the first women to serve in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. She enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve in 1943 and served her full two years. After basic training, she worked as a truck driver and dispatcher in Cherry Point, North Carolina.

When she was 11-years-old, the family moved to Cambridge, MD, where her parents would eventually open a clothing store. She suffered from Coagulopathy as a child which is a condition in which the blood will not clot properly.

She graduated from an all-girls high school in the Amish community of Lititz, PA. She attended college for a year at Braxton College in Virginia.

Bea Arthur was an American actress, comedienne, and singer, who had a net worth of $25 million at the time of her death in 2009. Bea Arthur had a lengthy film and television career but she is probably best-known for starring on the sitcom "The Golden Girls".  Bea Arthur starred in a total of 177 episodes of "The Golden Girls" TV series, which aired from 1985 to 1992. She played the character of Dorothy Zbornak, one of the four main characters in the show, alongsideBetty White,Rue McClanahan, andEstelle Getty.

In 1966 Arthur's husband Gene Saks was gearing up to direct the Broadway production of "Mame." She decided to audition for the titular role. Instead, Broadway veteranAngela Lansburyplayed the part, and Arthur landed the role of Vera Charles, Mame's boozy bosom buddy.

In 1947 she attended acting classes at New York City's famed New School where she met Robert Alan Aurthur a fellow marine. He would go on to be Ms. Arthur's first husband and a successful screenwriter and director. They were married from 1947 to 1950 she adjusted the spelling of her last name and kept it for the remainder of her career. She would later marry the theater director Gene Saks.

Like so many of her generation, Arthur began her career in live theater. She joined the Cherry Lane Theater which was an Off-Broadway repertory company. She played primarily small roles when she was at the company.

In summary, the total wealth of Bea Arthur reflects strategic moves.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.