The Alaskan Bush People is one of the top-rated shows on Discovery Channel. It’s been around since 2014 and recently ended its 12th season. The reality TV show follows the story of the Brown family who lives in Alaska’s wilderness.
Reports said that the Brown family’s net worth stands at $60 million. Each member of the Alaskan Bush People family receives up to $60,000 in show revenue except for Billy Brown, who earns $500,000 per episode from Discovery Channel. Rain Brown reportedly earns between $8,000 and $15,000 per episode, Snowbird and Noah Brown earn about $60,000 and $65,000 per year, respectively.
The Browns are composed of Amy and Billy, the matriarch and patriarch of the family. They live with their seven children. They have five sons, namely, Matt, Bam Bam, Bear, Gabe, and Noah, and two daughters, Bird and Rain.
The family is left heartbroken after the recent passing of Billy Brown on February 7, 2021, at the age of 68, after suffering a seizure. The show has 12 seasons and Season 12 ended in October 2020. It’s still unsure if the Alaskan Bush People will return for Season 13, but Bear Brown teased in his Instagram account that a new season is coming up. Even so, it’s still unconfirmed if they’ve finished filming the show, when it will be aired, and if Billy Brown will appear in the upcoming season.
The show was a hit because of their unique way of living and fans loved them even more as they went through lots of hoops to survive. However, many fans are divided over claims that the Browns aren’t really living in the woods. Given their high net worth, they can afford to buy a mansion that’s worth millions of dollars.
Fans who’ve watched the show since it first aired saw the family live off the land. It may seem like they only depend on hunting and fishing to survive. But the Browns seem to earn more than what you think.
According to the source quoted in the link, Ami Brown’s net worth is $500,000 while Matt has $100,000 worth of disposable income thanks to the show. Bam Bam is now $300,000 richer since the Alaskan Bush People started while Bear’s net worth has reached $160,000 already.
Gabe and Noah’s net worth is $150,000 and $90,000, respectively, while Bird and Rain’s wealth amounts to $100,000 and $200,000, respectively.
What Are Their Sources of Income?
The Browns don’t just depend on the show when it comes to their source of income. Reports said their money comes from these:
1. Hauling Business
The family started a small hauling business back in season 3. They most likely earned a lot from it since they were able to afford a 435-acre home located in the North Cascade Mountains.
2. Billy Brown Writes Books
For those who didn’t know, Billy Brown also makes money by writing books. He’s a self-published writer who started writing children’s books and then sold them on CDs. He also published “Teacher of the Old Code” and “One Wave at a Time.”
3. Permanent Dividend Check
If you live in Alaska, you may be qualified for a permanent dividend check, amounting from $1,000 to $2,000 per year. Bill and Bam Bam used this to their advantage by applying for it even when their family wasn’t living in Alaska for a certain period. The two managed to get a few checks in before the government uncovered their scheme and they were both sent to prison for fraud and theft. The court ordered Billy and Bam Bam to return $7,956 and $1,174, respectively, in illegally obtained dividends. They were also asked to pay a total fine of $12,000.
4. Fan’s Generosity
The show depicts the Browns as a family that’s struggling financially. Their plight has touched the hearts of their loyal fans and many have reportedly sent checks to them.
5. Billy Brown Came From A Rich Family
Billy Brown isn’t originally from Alaska. He came from a rich family and his parents ran a Texas limo company. He had everything from clothes, money, cars, and boats until his parents died in a plane crash in 1969. After the incident, Billy said he had to do odd jobs to survive.
How Much Does The Alaskan Bush People Mansion Cost?
If you’re an avid follower of the TV series, you know that the Browns moved to California so that Ami can get her cancer treatments. They were earning more than enough because they reportedly didn’t mind paying a whopping $2.7 million for a mansion in Beverly Hills.
Is The Alaskan Bush People Fake?
There’s been a lot of controversies about this reality TV show ever since it aired, including the rumors that it’s scripted and staged. The speculation resurfaced again after Raiven Adam, Bear’s fiancé, confirmed suspicions.
Bear Brown’s Fiance Tells All
You may recall that Raiven appeared on the show’s 11th season when she started dating Bear after meeting him at the wedding of the latter’s brother, Noah Brown, back in 2018. They took their relationship up a notch when they decided to get engaged. Unfortunately, they broke up after two weeks. (Bear shared on his Instagram when they got back together, and they’re getting married soon).
Raiven claimed that she was mentally abused for months during their relationship. She even filed a restraining order against Bear, which she later dropped. The two share a baby boy, River, who was born last March 2020.
She dropped the bombshell in an Instagram Live where she said that only 10% of the show is real. Her rant came on the heels of Bear Brown’s claims that he was set to meet his son for the first time. Raiven broke her silence and decried Bear’s efforts to use her and their son for publicity. She noted that she wasn’t aware of any meeting between River and Bear.
She added that Bear’s statements are all just for publicity, attention, and to get more ratings. Because of that, she decided to tell it all.
They Don’t Live on “The Mountain”
Raiven said the show isn’t real. She confessed that out of all the Brown family members, only Rain and Bird actually live on “the mountain” and they resided on trailers. Meanwhile, her fiancé lived with his parents, Billy and Amy, in a house in Loomis, Washington. Even before Raiven came out with all these revelations, there had been reports that claimed the Brown family lived in a hotel in Hoonah, Alaska, and not the wilderness. Some locals said they saw the family and even the show’s crew at the Icy Strait lodge when they’re not filming.
Raiven added that Bear asked her to fly in so that they could film and get paid. When she was there, they stayed in a hotel and they went to the mountain to film. Unlike what’s being shown on TV, Raiven said the siblings didn’t get along except for Bird and Rain.
Noah’s Date Was An Actress
There are several other reasons some fans think that the show is fake. There was one episode when Noah Brown brought a date named Karynna when he visited the lower 48. Fans found out later on that the girl was an actress named Karynna Kauffman, casting more doubt on the authenticity of the show.
Their Kids Have Tattoo
Some people found something else that doesn’t add up. Many of the Brown kids have tattoos. If they were struggling with their finances, getting a tattoo is definitely not their priority. But that wasn’t the case. Their tattoos looked like they were the work of professional artists, which means they had spare cash to get one.
Their Kids Are Tech-Savvy
The show also depicted a tightly knit family that lived together in the wilderness even if they were financially unstable. If they’ve been living like this in real life, then their kids wouldn’t be as proficient in technology as they are now. It was revealed that the family had a website way before they starred in the TV show. Billy and Amy’s children also had social media accounts where they posted things done in the city, instead of the wilderness. Rain, Snow, Noah, Gabe, and Bam Bam had accounts on YouTube and Instagram well before they moved to Los Angeles for their mom’s cancer treatment.
The Show Was Supposed To Be A Documentary
A 2015 article claimed that Alaskan Bush People was meant to be a documentary instead of a television series. The documentary was about an Alaskan family, reportedly the Browns, who were set to return to the bush to recreate a story depicted in a book. It was supposed to be a 57-day journey that was set to air nationally and internationally back in 2009. The link to the original article where the report was based has been deleted. But those who managed to read it said there’s a big chance that the Alaskan Bush People isn’t a reality TV show after all.
Billy Denies That the Show Is Fake
Billy Brown has denied the allegations that the show is fake. He calls people who are spreading these rumors “bobs in the basement” who have nothing else to do and don’t have a life.
Conclusion
Is the show real or fake? Many fans have been seeking an answer to this question for a long time. Raiven Adam’s revelation resurfaced some fan’s presumption that the Alaskan Bush People isn’t real after all. There are many articles on the internet that discuss the veracity (or lack of) of the show as a reality program.
Whether it’s fake or not, one thing remains true—the cast of the show was making thousands of dollars per episode. According to reports, they have enough cash reserves to be able to afford a Beverly Hills mansion that’s worth $2.7 million. Despite the controversies, the Alaskan Bush People remains as one of the top-rated shows of Discovery Channel
Rest in peace, Billy Brown. You are a true entertainer and many of your true fans will miss you.. The bulk of this article was written before the news came out that the Brown patriarch has passed away and has just been updated to reflect this sad event.
