Tinsley Mortimer's Ex-Husband Comes From Old Money

Just as the recession hit in 2008, there was ironically a swell in the popularity of New York City socialite culture. Gossip Girl's TV adaptation kicked off in 2007, The Real Housewives of New York premiered in 2008, Bravo aired a short-lived reality show chronicling the lives of New York City prep school kids in 2009, and newly minted Real Housewife Tinsley Mortimer had her own reality show on The CW in 2010 called High Society. In fact, she was the epicenter of the socialite scene during the late-aughts, which might have fans wondering: what is Tinsley Mortimer's ex-husband's net worth? Since Topper Mortimer comes from very, very old money, that figure is unsurprisingly under wraps.

Tinsley and Topper met at an elite New Jersey boarding school called Lawrenceville Prep when she was a senior and he was a junior. They began dating in school and, since she was set to graduate and attend the University of North Carolina a year ahead of him, they decided to elope in Florida when they were just 18 to cement their commitment to each other until they could be reunited. (Their parents later forced them to have the marriage annulled and have a "real" ceremony when they were 26.) Tinsley was a descendent of Thomas Jefferson on her mom's side and was related to James Madison and Patrick Henry on her dad's side. Her father was a wealthy real-estate investor, but because Tinsley grew up in Virginia, she lacked the New York City gravitas her husband's family possessed.

Topper's great grandfather was Henry Morgan Tilford, a president of Standard Oil of California, and he's a descendant of John Jay, the first chief justice of the United States. He grew up on the Upper East Side of New York and, because of his lineage, he didn't exactly have to work for social recognition the same way Tinsley did when she moved to the city. (She eventually transferred to Columbia University to finish her art history degree when Topper was accepted at New York University.) Much of their marital conflict stemmed from Topper and his family's discomfort with Tinsley's "socialite" status, which, in fairness, she did cunningly use to launch a successful fashion brand.

In addition to being heir to his family's fortune, Topper also works for a hedge fund. Tinsley Mortimer's net worth is reportedly around $35 million, but considering her ex-husband comes from a very well-established old money family, it seems unlikely he would ever disclose his net worth.