Kris Jenner says her divorce from Robert Kardashian Sr. made her realize how little she knew about money.
Speaking on Tuesday’s episode of the “SHE MD” podcast, the “momager” of the Kardashian-Jenner clan spoke about how the end of her first marriage marked a turning point in how she approached money.
“I was married to an attorney who was really smart and very capable, and he wasn’t a control freak by any means, but loved that job of being the caretaker, and paying the bills, and being the man of the house, and making sure we were all taken care of. So, he did,” Jenner said.
Jenner said one conversation after her divorce made her realize how little she understood about managing household expenses.
“And I remember my girlfriend once asked me after I had gotten divorced and I was out on my own, she said, ‘Well, how much is your gardener?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know. What do you mean? Should I know that?'” Jenner said, recalling the exchange.
Looking back, Jenner said she wished she had been more involved in her family’s finances instead of relying solely on her ex-husband.
“You know, I was like so completely disappointed in myself that I did not know what some of these things were,” Jenner said, though she understood “there were budgets” and “it wasn’t just a free-for-all.”
“But I think what it taught me was I really need to be really more aware of what’s going on in my life, and how money is being spent, and how money is being invested, and how money is being allocated,” Jenner said.
Beyond budgeting and bills, Jenner said she had to learn how to navigate single motherhood and independence in an era before Google or online resources existed.
Still, she said the experience ultimately gave her a new sense of confidence and purpose. Jenner said she was excited to return to work and felt like she was beginning a new chapter in her life.
“I didn’t know really what that was going to be, but it was sure fun trying and getting it together,” Jenner said.
The former couple was married from 1978 to 1991, and shared four kids: Kim, Khloé, Kourtney, and Rob Kardashian.
In a 2021 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Jenner said her first divorce left her navigating responsibilities she “hadn’t had the day before.”
“And I felt such an enormous sense of accomplishment to be able to figure it all out and pay my own bills and make my own money and do my own taxes. And there were times when I didn’t have a lot of money, but I was very organized,” Jenner said.
She helped turn her family into global stars after launching “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” in 2007. The reality series ran for 20 seasons before ending in 2021. The family made their reality TV comeback a year later with the Hulu series “The Kardashians.”
Jenner also manages the careers of her famous daughters. In 2022, she told Forbes she takes a 10% cut from everything her kids earn.
