Ashley Flowers Net Worth: How Crime Junkie Built a $250 Million Podcast Company
Ashley Flowers has built one of the most successful independent podcast companies in America. As creator and host of Crime Junkie, she transformed a bedroom recording project into Audiochuck, a media company valued at $250 million after receiving $40 million in funding from The Chernin Group in February 2025.
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Her personal net worth sits between $7 million and $10 million, earned through podcast advertising, book sales, live events, and merchandise. What separates Flowers from most podcasters is that she owns the majority of her production company rather than licensing content to larger platforms.
Ashley Flowers Net Worth Breakdown
| Category | Estimated Value/Income |
|---|---|
| Total Net Worth | $7-10 million |
| Company Valuation (Audiochuck) | $250 million |
| Annual Podcast Advertising Revenue | $8-12 million |
| Book Advance (First Novel) | $1+ million |
| Annual Merchandise Sales | $1-2 million |
| Live Tour Revenue (per 20-city tour) | $1+ million |
| SiriusXM Deal (2021-2025) | $100+ million |
| Tubi Media Group Deal (2025) | $150 million |
| Fan Club Membership Revenue | Undisclosed |
| Ownership Stake in Audiochuck | Majority shareholder |
Background and Early Career
Born December 19, 1989, in South Bend, Indiana, Flowers earned a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from Arizona State University. She worked in biomedical research and technology sales before turning to podcasting.
Her interest in true crime began through volunteer work with Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana, where she eventually joined the board. When asked how Crime Stoppers could reach younger audiences, she created Murder Monday, a 20-minute radio show focusing on individual cases. After hosting Murder Monday for a year, she launched Crime Junkie with childhood friend Brit Prawat in December 2017.
Career Timeline
- 2013 – Graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in biological sciences
- 2014-2016 – Worked in biotech and marketing technology at Emarsys
- 2016 – Joined Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana board; created Murder Monday radio show
- December 2017 – Launched Crime Junkie podcast from bedroom closet with $13,000 personal investment
- 2018 – Founded Audiochuck; quit corporate job to focus on podcasting full-time
- 2019 – Faced plagiarism allegations; removed five episodes and implemented new citation policies
- 2020 – Signed development deal with SunnyMarch and Viacom CBS for television adaptations
- 2021 – Secured multiyear partnership with SiriusXM valued at over $100 million
- August 2022 – Published debut novel All Good People Here, became a New York Times bestseller
- 2022-2023 – Crime Junkie ranked as Apple Podcasts’ number one show for two consecutive years
- May 2025 – Published second novel, The Missing Half
- February 2025 – Audiochuck received $40 million in funding from The Chernin Group, valuing the company at $250 million
- November 2025 – Exited SiriusXM deal; signed new agreement with Fox Corp’s Tubi Media Group valued at approximately $150 million
Crime Junkie Performance
Crime Junkie maintains the top position among podcasts by audio reach with approximately 8 million monthly listeners. The show has accumulated over 2 billion downloads since launch and ranked as Apple Podcasts’ number one show for 2022 and 2023.
The podcast follows a straightforward format where Flowers researches and narrates cases while Prawat provides reactions and questions. Episodes cover both well-known crimes and lesser-known cases, with Flowers spending 20 to 30 hours researching each episode. The show releases new content every Monday.
Notable episodes include coverage of the Elisa Lam case, the Powell family murders, and profiles of serial killers like Israel Keyes. The show’s audience skews heavily female, with a median age of 34.
Building Audiochuck
Flowers founded Audiochuck in 2017, naming it after her dog Charlie. She invested $13,000 of personal savings to start the company, initially funding operations through Patreon memberships and advertising revenue.
The company now produces over 20 podcasts beyond Crime Junkie:
- The Deck – Examines cold cases featured on playing cards distributed in prisons
- The Deck Investigates – Multi-part deep investigations into specific unsolved cases
- Anatomy of Murder – Analysis of murder cases
- Park Predators – Crimes occurring in national parks
- CounterClock – Re-examinations of cold cases
- Full Body Chills – Seasonal fictional horror content
Audiochuck grew from Flowers working alone to employing 65 full-time staff members by 2025. The company operates from Indianapolis rather than traditional media centers.
Revenue Streams
Podcast advertising generates the largest portion of Flowers’ income. In 2021, Audiochuck signed a multiyear partnership with SiriusXM, reportedly valued at over $100 million, granting SiriusXM exclusivity over ad sales for all Audiochuck podcasts. In November 2025, Audiochuck exited the SiriusXM agreement to sign a new deal with Fox Corp’s Tubi Media Group valued at approximately $150 million.
Individual episode sponsorships for Crime Junkie command premium rates due to the show’s engaged audience demographics. The podcast features three to four ad spots per episode, with advertisers paying higher rates to reach the show’s predominantly female, college-educated listeners aged 25-44.
Beyond advertising, Audiochuck operates a Fan Club membership program offering bonus episodes and exclusive content at tiered pricing. Live Crime Junkie events sell out venues nationwide, with ticket prices ranging from $30 to $75. A typical 20-city tour generates over $1 million in ticket sales plus merchandise revenue.
Merchandise featuring catchphrases like “Be Weird, Be Rude, Stay Alive” produces estimated annual revenue between $1 million and $2 million through the Audiochuck website.
Book Publishing
Flowers’ debut novel, All Good People Here, was released in August 2022 and became a New York Times bestseller. The book sold over 500,000 copies in its first year. Publishers typically pay substantial advances to authors with established audiences, and industry reports suggest Flowers received a seven-figure advance.
Her second novel, The Missing Half, was published in May 2025. The book follows two women whose sisters have unsolved disappearances.
Television and Film Development
Flowers signed a development deal with SunnyMarch and Viacom CBS in 2020 to adapt podcast stories for television. Following the Chernin Group investment, Audiochuck announced plans to build out a film and TV division.
All Good People Here is under consideration for television adaptation. As streaming platforms compete for content, Flowers’ established stories with built-in audiences represent adaptable intellectual property.
Company Valuation and Funding
In February 2025, Audiochuck received $40 million in funding from The Chernin Group, marking the company’s first outside investment and valuing Audiochuck at approximately $250 million. Flowers retains majority ownership and control of the company.
Audiochuck operates profitably, with annual profits reported at $45 million. The company plans to use the funding to expand operations, grow the team, and develop new content formats, including video podcasting and streaming channels.
The Chernin Group previously invested in media companies, including Barstool Sports, Hello Sunshine, and Crunchyroll.
Philanthropy
Audiochuck has donated over $8.5 million to more than 150 nonprofits worldwide. Flowers founded Season of Justice, a nonprofit organization providing funding to investigative agencies and families to help solve cold cases, committing $11 million to the foundation.
The nonprofit assists with DNA testing costs for cold cases and has supported 152 cases. Six cold cases have been solved with assistance from the Audiochuck community.
Plagiarism Controversy
In 2019, Flowers and Prawat faced plagiarism accusations, with multiple parties claiming Crime Junkie reproduced content from newspaper articles, other podcasts, and television shows. Writer and former reporter Cathy Frye initiated the allegations.
In response, Flowers removed approximately five episodes. The controversy affected the show’s rankings temporarily, though Crime Junkie maintained over 20 million monthly downloads and continued producing content. The production team implemented new citation policies and researcher documentation requirements.
Industry Standing
Among podcasters, Flowers’ net worth of $7-10 million places her in the upper tier, though below hosts who signed major platform deals. Joe Rogan’s net worth exceeds $250 million following his Spotify agreement, while Alex Cooper of Call Her Daddy is estimated at over $20 million.
Within true crime specifically, Flowers compares to Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark of My Favorite Murder, who each have estimated net worths of $7-10 million. Her ownership of Audiochuck rather than hosting under contract gives her a larger share of overall profits and control over intellectual property.
Flowers’ business model differs from that of podcasters who signed exclusive platform deals. By maintaining independence and building infrastructure, she accepted slower initial growth in exchange for long-term ownership and revenue retention.
