Captain Lee Grew His Net Worth on Bravo's 'Below Deck' Reality Series
Lee Rosbach's first career choice didn't always include a yacht and crew but he has built his net worth as Captain on Bravo's 'Below Deck' reality show.
Dec. 12 2022, Updated 1:57 p.m. ET
Fans of the Bravo reality show, Below Deck, were happy to see beloved Captain Lee Rosbach, the “Stud of the Seas,” aboard the yacht St. Lucia when Season 10 premiered on Nov. 21, 2022.
If you haven't seen Below Deck, it’s sort of like Love Boat meets reality TV. The show follows the lives and adventures of the crew on a superyacht. The show first aired on Bravo in 2013, and although some cast members have come and gone, Captain Lee has been ever present to lead the crew.
However, last season (Season 9), Captain Lee took to the sidelines and handed the reins of the ship to Captain Sean Meagher due to a health condition.
What is Captain Lee’s net worth?
According to The Cinemaholic, Captain Lee’s net worth is about $1.5 million. Commanding a yacht and its crew wasn’t his first career choice. Before he headed out on the open seas, Rosbach was in the restaurant business. He owned and managed restaurants in Indiana, Georgia, Florida, and Turks and Caicos, reports The Cinemaholic.
Captain Lee Rosbach
Below Deck Reality Show Personality
Net worth: $1.5 Million
Captain Lee Rosbach lead the crew on a superyacht on Bravo's reality show, 'Below Deck.' Rosbach has been on the show since it premiered in 2013. Last season, he had to pass the reins of command off to someone else due to a medical condition. Fans were happy to see his return in Season 10.
Age: 71
Wife: Mary Anne
Then a friend offered him the opportunity to earn extra money as a crew member on a sailboat. Although he got seasick the first time he was on a boat, that didn’t deter Rosbach from continuing to work on yachts and eventually getting his captain’s license.
How much does Captain Lee earn per episode?
The 71-year-old has been a yacht captain for over 35 years. There isn’t information on how much Captain Lee earns per episode of Below Deck, but ScreenRant reports his annual salary is between $95,000 and $130,000.
He also receives a share of the tips collected from wealthy passengers after each charter. As Captain, Rosbach gathers all the tips and divides them among the crew members.
“On any yacht I have command of, we have a policy that I inform all crew from the date they start concerning tips. We all share equally. Everyone gets the same amount,” Rosbach commented on a thread on the Dockwalk website, reports Showbiz CheatSheet.
Captain Lee Also Has Some Side Gigs
Captain Lee has other income streams that contribute to his net worth besides his yacht gig. He has his own line of merchandise that includes t-shirts, mugs, and coasters with his quotes like “You really screwed the pooch with that one!” reports Heavy.com.
If you want a behind-the-scenes look at yachting, you can read Rosbach’s 2018 book, Running Against the Tide: True Tales from the Stud of the Sea. The book is available on Amazon.
Need a pep talk? Captain Lee offers his friendly advice on the video clip website Cameo. A personalized video from him will cost you $250.
Captain Lee Offers Words of Encouragement to Christina Applegate
Actress Christina Applegate teared up while hearing a Captain Lee pep talk for her, played on a recent episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. Applegate has been public about her Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis.
“I want to encourage you to stay strong and remember, a good sailor never learned a damn thing in calm seas. So I know you’re going to navigate these waters just fine,” Captain Lee told Applegate.