Sue Aikens is a popular TV personality with an estimated net worth of $500,000, most of which she made for her appearance as the lead cast on the National Geographic Channel show, Life Below Zero.
Call her a daredevil and you would be spot on, Sue Aikens is one of those people who absolutely enjoy living life on the edge, in her case, it is the wild snows of Alaska in the midst of wolves and grizzly bears. Thankfully, she has not only become popular for this but has been able to make money off her adventures in the arctic.
She is one of the cast members of the documentary television series, Life Below Zero, which chronicles the life of Sue and other cast members as they survive in remote areas of Alaska, living 500 miles from the nearest city and about 80 miles from the nearest road. All of her endeavors have brought her a net worth estimated at $500,000.
Sue Aikens’ Net Worth of $500,000 Primarily Comes From Living In The Wild
Thanks to civilization, Sue Aikens’ net worth is $500 thousand is largely contributed by her living and activities in the wild. Her journey to life in the wild began when she was just a young girl aged about 12 years old. It was in 1976, a time when her parents were divorcing, according to Looper.
Her mom wanted to go as far away as possible from her father so she thought Alaska was the perfect place. She moved with Sue to the 49th state of the US and instead of grumbling about her new location as it was a far cry from the bustling city life in Chicago where she had grown up until the time, Sue was intrigued with her new environment. It was almost as if it was meant to be as she had always thought that city life was not for her. Aiken’s mother soon left her and things got really difficult for young Sue who was left alone to fend for herself and survive in an environment where a wild animal could crawl up on her at any time.
Sue Aikens began to learn survival skills after an old Alaskan man who was an acquaintance handed her a riffle with some bullets. A fast learner, Sue Aikens quickly figured out how to use the rifle, a necessary skill to stay alive in her new environment. Years went by, she married twice, had kids, and lived in other places, but would ultimately return to make Alaska her base, sharpening her survival skills as the year went by and putting them to use at Kavik River Camp near the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a location she began calling home around the early 2000s. She managed the camp for years before purchasing it from her managers years later.
Sarah Palin’s Alaska
Though best known for Life Below Zero, the first time that Sue Aikens appeared on TV was in a 2010 episode of Sarah Palin’s Alaska. The show was hosted by Palin, the then immediate outgoing governor of Alaska who resigned from office in 2009. The show featured Palin with her family, including her brother with whom she would go hunting for gold. Aikens at the time had begun living in her secluded park and would be featured on one of the episodes. It is not clear how much she was paid for her appearance.
Flying Wild Alaska
Sue Aiken’s next show was Flying Wild Alaska. The show followed the unconventional Tweto family as they operated their family-run airline, Era Alaska. They fly through extreme weather conditions in Alaska to transport essential necessities like medicine for the sick to people living and working in the remote rural areas of the Bering Sea coastline. As one of the residents of rural Alaska, Sue Aikens was featured in four episodes from 2011 to 2012. The show was successful, receiving rave reviews from viewers and critics alike. It was rated an 8 out of 10 on IMDb. It is not known how much Aikens earned per episode of the show or whether or not she was even paid at all.
Sue Aikens Salary Earns Her $4,500 Per Episode On Life Below Zero
Sue Aikens might not have made money from her first two TV appearances but it did give her the visibility she needed to qualify for a major part in Life Below Zero. The show’s creators approached her and asked if she would be interested in sharing her life in the wild with the public to which she obliged, despite being a lifelong loner and one who values privacy. The only reason she agreed to do the show was that it would be tastefully done, which in her definition means as real as possible, without scripts or attempts to alter possible outcomes.
For the most part, Aikens was able to be her real self on the show. However, in 2017 she filed a lawsuit against the show’s producers, BBC Worldwide, claiming that she was forced to film dangerous scenes that threatened her safety. In the lawsuit, she referred to an instance in 2015 where she was made to ride the snowing machine without any protective gear and when she crashed it, the crew hesitated to get her help as they were interested in filming her struggle with her wounds.
Her fans had called for her to leave the show but Aikens seemed to have reached a favorable settlement with the BBC Worldwide as she stayed on. Sue Aikens is well paid for her troubles. According to Briefly, she makes $4,500 per episode of the show. Her net worth is also said to be to the tune of $500,000, making her the richest cast member of the show, per Distractify.
Life Below Zero has been very successful, receiving at least 14 Emmy nominations, winning no less than 5, mostly for Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program.
Sue Aikens is perceived by many fans of the show as one of the most resilient. Her star power has seen her appear on a number of talk shows to discuss her experience living in the wild. She has been featured on Ellen Degeneres Show, The Joe Rogan Experience, Today, Access Daily, Fox and Friends, as well as, Home & Family.
What Show Is Sue Aikens On Now?
Since its premiere on May 19, 2013, Life Below Zero has aired on the National Geographic channel for 16 seasons. The show continues to air with Sue Aikens a part of it. Additionally, Aikens has branched out into movie production. She is the executive producer of Panama, an action thriller starring Mel Gibson and slated for release in 2021.
Aikens also makes money from lodging her camp to visitors who stop by to experience life in the wild. Lodging goes for $350 per night. The adventure lover continues to live her life in the wild of Alaska.
