Mark Burnett: Reality TV's $500 Million Winner

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Mark Burnett is a British producer who became successful by delivering tons of successful productions over the years. He comes from a religious family as his mother was a Presbyterian while his father was a Roman Catholic. Known to have enlisted in the British Army before starting his career as a TV producer, the renowned producer had also done odd jobs as a chauffeur and a nanny.

Mark Burnett's Initial Creation- Eco-Challenge

The career of Burnett began when he joined the army. However, in 1982, Mark immigrated to California in America, where he started working as a nanny, salesman, and chauffeur.

RELATED: Mark Burnett Net Worth

1991 was a life turner for Mark when he became a contestant in a French adventure competition known as Raid Gauloises. Little did he know that entering this realm would change his life forever.

However, Burnett was a man filled with ambition, but at the same time, he was also very calculative. After earning the rights to Raid Gauloises, he ran three competitions, as stated by Sunsigns.org. The competitions earned him enough profits to launch his show called Eco-challenge British Columbia, Morocco, Australia, and Argentina.

Survivor - The Next Big Triumph in 2000

Eco-Challenge was a successful venture, but the real triumph was with the launching of the TV show called Survivor. This 2000 show was exceptionally well-received amongst the audience, with very high ratings. Burnett seemed to have bought the American rights to this show in 1998, as stated by Britannica.

The idea of Survivor had occurred because of the producer's experience in the army. He had prior experience of being involved in the Falkland Wars. This reality show was about surviving in brutal and exotic settings to win massive cash prizes.

The contestants were divided as a part of two tribes that constantly competed against each other. The requirement was to survive in harsh, sequestered places and live life on minimalist terms. It became one of the most-watched shows on American Television.

Success with The Apprentice in 2004

After the immediate success of Survivor, Mark struggled with some shows like The Restaurant in 2003 and 2004. Nevertheless, his next big hit was The Apprentice, and the primary reason for this show's success was the presence of Donald Trump.

Trump was portrayed as a real estate tycoon with billions of dollars; the contestants were expected to compete to land a full-time job under Trump. Trump's famous catchphrase, 'You're fired' became an instant hit.

This show gained so much popularity that Burnett created The Celebrity Apprentice in 2008. The production featured well-known comedians and performers on the big screen, such as journalist Piers Morgan and comedian Joan Rivers.

Producing Several Favorite Shows

Burnett has produced numerous international shows that are favorites among the international crowd. One of the most remarkable is a music competition, The Voice. It has had several legendary singers as judges, including Christina Aguilera and Shakira, to name a few.

The fantastic producer is also known to have created History Channel's miniseries called "The Bible." It had extensive viewers of about 13 million. In an interview with Risen Magazine, Burnett says that The Bible is one of his favorite productions so far. It is also special to him because he teamed up with his wife, Roma Downey, to create this miniseries. In 2015, they made its sequel called The Bible Continues and the second one in 2020 called Messiah.

Burnett has been one of the most successful TV producers and the executive producer of famous shows like The People's Choice Awards, Shark Tank, Vikings, Teen Wolf, and The Handmaid's Tale. He has also been the executive producer of the famous movie Son of God along with his wife, Roma Downey.

Besides significant profits, Mark has also been given several awards. He has won about 5 Producers Guild-American awards, 10 Emmy awards, and seven Critics Choice Television Awards. In 1999, a Sports Emmy was awarded for the reality show, Eco-Challenge as Best Program Achievement, and in 2010 Mark won the Producers Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award in Television. Besides, in 2013 Burnett won TV Guide Magazine's Producer of the Year, and the same year he received an acclamation for Son of God, to name a few.

According to Forbes, he currently resides in his lavish Malibu home and has a fantastic net worth of about $550 million in 2021.

Source: Forbes, Risen Magazine, Sunsigns.org, Britannica