What is Molly Bloom’s net worth?
Molly Bloom is an American entrepreneur, speaker, and author who has a net worth of $400 thousand. Molly Bloom is best known for running one of the most exclusive high-stakes underground poker games in the world. Her private games attracted A-list celebrities, Wall Street billionaires, and Hollywood moguls, earning her the nickname the “Poker Princess.” At her peak, in a single year, she made $4 million. Her income came not from actually playing poker, but from the tips she received. When she was receiving tips, she wasn’t breaking the law. When she started taking a percentage of the pot, also known as a “rake,” her actions became a federal crime.
The FBI began investigating Molly and illegal poker games in general in 2011. She was indicted in 2013 and, a year later, pleaded guilty. With her guilty plea, she avoided jail time but agreed to forfeit roughly $200,000 in assets, leaving her effectively broke at that point. She was so broke that her mother had to put up the family home to secure her bail. In 2019, she gave an interview in which she said:
“I made this giant financial mess for myself. Getting in trouble is very expensive. The Feds seized my assets in 2011, and the IRS assigned taxes to those assets, to that income, which means I had to pay millions of dollars that I didn’t have because they took it. So that compounded with restitution and legal bills and everything, I’ve been buried for quite some time, but I’m actually starting to be in a place where it’s a real possibility that I could buy property and have a real life.”
Bloom’s operation gained national attention after she was arrested and charged in connection with a broader federal investigation into illegal gambling and money laundering. She later chronicled her rise and fall in the 2014 memoir “Molly’s Game,” which was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin and starring Jessica Chastain. She was paid a $45,000 advance for the book by Harper Collins.
Her story—equal parts glamour, ambition, and scandal—captivated the public and offered a rare glimpse inside the secretive world of underground celebrity gambling. Since the release of her memoir and film, Bloom has reinvented herself as a motivational speaker, podcast host, and advocate for women’s empowerment and second chances.
Early Life and Athletic Career
Molly Bloom was born on April 21, 1978, in Loveland, Colorado, and raised in a highly driven and competitive family. Her father, Larry Bloom, was a clinical psychologist and professor at Colorado State University, while her mother, Char Bloom, ran a successful fly-fishing business. Her brothers also excelled: Jordan Bloom became a Harvard-educated cardiothoracic surgeon, and Jeremy Bloom was a U.S. Olympic skier and NFL football player.
Molly followed in her brother’s footsteps, becoming a world-class skier herself. She joined the U.S. Ski Team and was ranked third in North America in moguls. Her Olympic dreams were cut short, however, when she suffered a severe spinal injury during a qualifying event at age 20. After her athletic career ended, Bloom enrolled at the University of Colorado, where she earned a degree in political science before eventually moving to Los Angeles.
(Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Rise in the Underground Poker World
Molly Bloom’s entry into the high-stakes poker world was serendipitous. After moving to Los Angeles in 2001 fresh out of college, she planned to take a year off before applying to law school. With her parents—particularly her strict academic father—disapproving of the detour, Bloom was financially cut off and soon found herself sleeping on a friend’s couch and working as a cocktail waitress to make ends meet. One night, while serving drinks at a trendy bar, she met a real estate investor who hired her as his assistant. Part of the job included organizing weekly poker games for Hollywood elites at the Viper Room.
At the time, Bloom knew almost nothing about poker. For her first event, she arrived with a cheese plate from Gelson’s and a homemade CD curated from her Googling “what music do poker players like to listen to?” But the moment she saw the caliber of players—Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and other A-listers—she realized she had stumbled upon an extraordinary networking opportunity. “It just occurred to me instantly: this is a massive opportunity to build a network,” she later said.
Bloom quickly proved herself as a capable and charismatic game-runner. She eventually broke away from the Viper Room games and lured players to new locations under her own management. Her version of poker nights swapped dingy basements for opulent hotel suites at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Four Seasons, and the Peninsula. She served Mr. Chow’s takeout, hired attractive women to offer massages, and ran marathon sessions that sometimes lasted three days straight.
In 2009, she moved the operation to New York, where the tone and clientele shifted. Whereas the Los Angeles games were funded by movie stars with millions to burn, the New York scene involved hedge fund managers, financiers, and international businessmen—many of whom were playing with borrowed money. To keep the games alive, Bloom began fronting credit to players and, when she was stiffed on a $250,000 debt, started taking a rake—a percentage of each pot—to cover losses and operating costs. That decision shifted her operation from a legal gray area into outright criminal territory.
Getty
Poker Earnings
Though she never played a hand herself, Molly Bloom made millions running some of the highest-stakes poker games in modern history. Her earnings initially came from generous tips—players would often give her five-figure gratuities after a good night—and the occasional event fee. In her best year, she claims to have earned up to $4 million, with single nights sometimes bringing in more than $100,000 in cash.
Her clientele was a who’s who of power and excess: Hollywood stars in L.A., and in New York, a far more aggressive and dangerous mix of Wall Street sharks, Russian oligarchs, and organized crime figures. The pots could easily climb into the millions. Over time, Bloom began acting as a de facto bank, extending credit to regular players and covering their debts out of pocket—until the debts overwhelmed her.
When players defaulted, Bloom was forced to cover the difference. To recoup her losses and keep the games running, she started taking a rake, which is illegal under U.S. gambling law. That move drew the attention of federal prosecutors, and in 2011, the FBI raided one of her games. In 2013, she was formally indicted as part of a broader investigation into illegal gambling and money laundering tied to Russian organized crime.
Bloom was arrested at her West Hollywood apartment, where 17 FBI agents showed up with automatic weapons. She faced up to 10 years in prison, but ultimately pleaded guilty to reduced charges. In May 2014, a Manhattan federal judge ruled that she had been a minor player in the scheme and sentenced her to:
One year of probation
- 200 hours of community service
- A $200,000 fine
- Forfeiture of $125,000 in earnings connected to the illegal operation
The government seized all of her money, and the IRS pursued her for back taxes on the income she hadn’t reported. Bloom later said she was completely broke at the time of her arrest and had to move back in with her mother in Colorado while writing her memoir to try to repay her debts.
“Molly’s Game” and Reinvention
After her legal troubles, Bloom wrote her memoir, “Molly’s Game,” which detailed her journey from Olympic hopeful to poker game mastermind. The book’s candid look at wealth, power, addiction, and ambition became a bestseller and caught the attention of Aaron Sorkin, who adapted it into a 2017 film.
The movie earned critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Jessica Chastain portrayed Bloom in a performance that brought new depth and empathy to her story. The film’s success revived Bloom’s public image and gave her a platform for reinvention.
Later Ventures and Speaking Career
Following the release of the film, Bloom transitioned into public speaking, where she shares lessons from her rise, fall, and comeback. Her talks focus on resilience, entrepreneurship, and female empowerment. She also launched the podcast “Torched,” which explores the dark side of elite sports and ambition.
Personal Life & Real Estate
In September 2019, Molly married neuroscientist Devin Effinger. Bloom gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Fiona, in February 2022.
Together, Bloom and Effinger co-founded an online community initiative called One World Group during the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to connect people worldwide
All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below.
