Have you ever wondered what the net worth of Ashley Flowers is? Well, the true-crime podcast host, writer, social media influencer, and entrepreneur has risen to prominence in recent years. As a result, Flowers’ popularity and fortune continue to rise.
As of May 2023, Ashley Flowers has a net worth of $5 million. This post will dive into Flowers’ journey and how she acquired her wealth.
Table of Contents
Early Life
Ashley Flowers was born in South Bend, Indiana, on December 19, 1989, to a businessman and a stay-at-home mom. She’s the oldest of three children.
Flowers grew up reading mystery and crime novels like Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew, as well as watching TV shows like Matlock and Columbo.
These interests fueled her fascination with solving cold cases and playing mystery games, which led her to want to become a cold case detective.
However, when she got older, Flowers began a career in biomedical research as a genetics researcher at the University of Notre Dame. Then, she switched to software sales at an Indiana-based software company.
During that time, Flowers was a board member for Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana. She developed and hosted Murder Monday, a 20-minute weekly radio show in which she reported a case while promoting the organization.
True Crime Podcasts
Drawn to the idea of turning her childhood passion into a full-time job, Flowers launched her own podcast, Crime Junkie, along with her childhood friend, Brit Prawat.
Within its first year, Rolling Stone had named Crime Junkie one of the best true crime podcasts of 2018. In 2022, Rolling Stone added the podcast to the list of the best 25 true crime podcasts of all time.
With 10 million weekly listeners and over 950 million downloads, the podcast has now become the crown jewel of podcasting.
Flowers also hosts and co-hosts several other successful podcast shows:
- Something Was Wrong
- The Deck
- Full Body Chill
- Strangeland
- Red Ball
In addition, Flowers works with Parcast to launch and host a number of podcasts on Spotify, including International Infamy and Very Presidential with Ashley Flowers.
Audiochuck Podcast Network
Along with developing and hosting Crime Junkie, Flowers founded Audiochuck, named after her dog Charlie.
The company started with Flowers recording podcasts in her home office, with her brother, David Flowers, helping with editing the episodes.
Now, Audiochuck is an award-winning podcast network that’s known for centering female podcast hosts in the crime space.
In fact, Flowers brokered a multiyear deal with SiriusXM, reportedly worth more than $100 million.
As of May 2023, Audiochuck’s network features 16 podcasts, including Crime Junkie and The Deck, both hosted by Flowers.
Even the podcasts that Ashley doesn’t host have seen enormous success. Podcasts like Anatomy of Murders, Counterclock, and Park Predators have all debuted at the top of the Apple charts.
All Good People Here
Still, in the pursuit of mystery and crime, Flowers published her debut novel, All Good People Here, on August 16, 2022. The fiction crime thriller debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller and spent 9 weeks on the list.
Like Alice Sebold, it’s difficult to calculate Flowers’ earnings from the book since her advance and royalties, as well as the number of books she’s sold, aren’t public knowledge.
What we know is that publishers pay a high advance fee to authors who have a well-established audience and whose work is highly anticipated. This advance can reach up to six figures.
After this, the author usually earns 10 percent royalties on the first 5,000 copies sold, 12.5 percent on the next 5,000, and 15 percent on all subsequent sales.
What’s more, for a book to feature on and remain on the NYT bestseller list, it has to sell at least 5,000 copies each week after its release.
Overall, All Good People Here is a best seller across several digital platforms and in bookstores. So, it’s likely that Flowers has earned a sizable sum from the royalties.
Social Media Platforms
Flowers is active on all of the major social media platforms. She currently has 460K on TikTok, 440K followers on Instagram, 64.5K on Twitter, and 17.5K on Facebook.
Despite the huge following, Flowers often shares little snippets of her life as a parent, pet owner, and wife. Apart from that, she mainly posts about podcasts and events.
The social media accounts for the podcasts, on the other hand, have millions of followers and subscribers. Crime Junkie, for example, has 1.1 million followers on Instagram.
Controversy
In 2019, journalist Cathy Frye accused Flowers and Prawat of plagiarizing her work on a crime she’d covered for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and other works.
In response to the claims and legal action, Flowers took down around five episodes. Still, Crime Junkie received a lot of flak for failing to cite sources. That’s why Crime Junkie is now keener on citing sources.
Since then, the podcast has risen to second place as one of the most listened-to podcasts in the country.
As of May 2023
As of May 2023, Ashley Flowers has a net worth of $5 million. Flowers’ fortune comes from intangible assets, such as podcast sponsorships, brand deals, events, and tours.
In addition, Flowers has a huge following on both her social media platforms as well as those of podcasts. So, she likely receives a profitable income from any brand deals.
Not to mention that she has a New York Times best-selling debut novel that will most likely have a sequel.
Nevertheless, Flowers’ wealth is largely dependent on Audiochuck, where she produces around 16 different podcasts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Old Is Ashley Flowers?
As of May 2023, the podcast host will turn 34 years old.
Is Ashley Flowers’ Book Fiction or Nonfiction?
Ashley Flowers’ novel All Good People Here is a New York Times Bestselling fiction crime thriller.
That said, the novel does have some similarities to a few real-life high-profile cases, particularly the case of JonBenét Ramsey.
Does Ashley Flowers Have a Degree?
Yes, Ashley Flowers earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Services from Arizona State University.
Does Ashley Flowers Have Children?
Yes, As of May 2023.
Ashley revealed her pregnancy on November 14, 2021, in response to a fan question about whether she’ll ever have a baby.
Flowers replied with an ultrasound photo and the words, “She’ll be here in January.”
Key Takeaways
Pursue Your Passion
Flowers’ life was probably set after earning her Biological Research degree and job as a genetics researcher. Not only has she worked hard to reach this position, but this field can be very lucrative.
Still, Flowers found herself more drawn to her childhood fascination. So, when she found the opportunity to pursue her crime and mystery passion, she made a total career shift, launching her own true crime podcast show.
Flowers has since done it all, from hosting other true crime shows to building her own crime-focused podcast production company to writing and publishing a best-selling crime thriller.
That’s why it’s imperative to pursue your passions and dreams, even if they require deviating from the norm. The true definition of success in life is achieving the goals that are most worthwhile to you.
Always Strive For More
Flowers could have settled with just Crime Junkie, which brought her enormous success. However, she went on to establish her own company, which has 16 successful podcast shows. Not to mention her contribution to several other popular crime podcasts.
Flowers turned her passion into a successful, lucrative career by refusing to settle for the first ounce of success.
You shouldn’t settle or get complacent with your success. Instead, you should challenge yourself to accomplish more. Otherwise, you may pass up an opportunity to turn something good into something extraordinary.
Own Up To Your Mistakes
Flowers faced plagiarism accusations at the height of Crime Junkie’s popularity.
She could’ve tried to cover up or dismiss the allegations by claiming that those cases are public knowledge.
However, she took down those episodes and made certain that every future episode cites its sources.
Every journey has its obstacles and hardships, which makes it more likely for mistakes to happen. To move forward, you must admit your mistakes and learn from them.