This 'Southern Charm' Star Runs A Very Successful Company

I’ll be the first to admit that for some reality stars, it’s hard to take their business ventures seriously. From sock fashion lines to short-lived restaurant ideas, these nuggets are always interesting and promising at first, but don't necessarily pan out. For J.D. Madison on Southern Charm, however, his career isn't based around a quickly drawn up business plan that relies heavily on his reality TV success. So, what is J.D. Madison’s job away from Southern Charm?

According to his LinkedIn profile, J.D. works with not one but two successful companies in Charleston, South Carolina. He got his start in sales back in 2004 with a pharmaceuticals company, but things really started to pick up in his career when he developed The Madison Element Hospitality Group. The company deals with real estate development, construction, acquisition, and management for hospitality, which includes properties like hotels and restaurants. He’s been with the company since 2007, so it’s likely where a lot of his time goes these days, at least where his professional life is concerned. However, there are a few other businesses that he couldn't pass up on to further his career and stretch his name and talents even further.

In 2013, J.D. developed Gentry Bourbon and went on to create the Gentry Hotel and Gentry Bar and Lounge on top of that. It’s unclear if Gentry Bar and Lounge is the same thing as Gentry Bar & Room, but according to Open Table, the latter is permanently closed, which could just mean that J.D. moved the bar and changed the name a bit to fit with the Gentry Hotel. Either way, J.D.’s other more recent business and real estate developments include Sermet's Downtown, The Society House Luxury Suites, and The Society House II. This further proves his continued success and explains why he has an estimated net worth of $25 million, thanks to his multiple companies and projects.

In fact, J.D. just might be one of the most successful people on Southern Charm at the moment, at least where his career is concerned. Sure, some of the cast members have dabbled in real estate, Whitney Sudler-Smith is an executive producer of the show, and Thomas Ravenel’s new girlfriend, Ashley Jacobs, is a respected nurse, but J.D.’s job outside of Southern Charm has made him into a pretty impressive real estate developer in Charleston.

Though, to be honest, the most interesting thing about J.D. right now probably isn't the bourbon or the real estate, or even the bar. Many fans are curious about the big separation he's currently going through with his wife, Elizabeth Madison. Viewers have already seen part of the aftermath of their separation this season on Southern Charm and the couple do seem to be working on themselves separately while also remaining friends, but it could be that J.D.’s long work hours helped play a part in why the couple slowly grew apart. At least, that's what he seems to think.

"Over the last few years, whether it was from lifestyle differences, demanding work hours, high levels of stress, or the demands of marriage, we had grown apart," J.D. revealed to The Daily Dish recently. And while part of those long and demanding work hours also made it possible for him to become so successful, it's always unfortunate if relationships end up suffering in the process. Hopefully they'll be able to work things out, but if not, at least he has plenty of things to help take his mind off of it.