As one of the most talked-about figures, Walter Mercado has built a significant fortune. Our team analyzed the latest data to provide a clear picture of their income.

What was Walter Mercado's Net Worth?

Walter died on November 2, 2019, at the age of 87.

(Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images)

Walter Mercado Salinas was born on March 9, 1932 in Ponce, Puerto Rico to Spanish mother Aída and Puerto Rican father José. Growing up, he believed he had special spiritual capabilities. For his higher education, Mercado attended the University of Puerto Rico, where he studied psychology, pharmacy, and pedagogy.

Mercado's popularity grew throughout the 1980s as his show was seen on channels in both Latin America and the United States. In 1986, he was named "Mr. Televisión" by the Association of Latin Entertainment Critics of New York. Mercado extended his presence by doing astrological predictions for radio, newspapers, and magazines, and later for websites. For a while, he was a syndicated writer with the Miami Herald. In the mid-1990s, Mercado's show began airing on Univision, where it stayed until 2010. Meanwhile, Mercado made numerous appearances on the Univision tabloid newsmagazine program "Primer Impacto." After leaving Univision, he changed his name to Shanti Ananda and created a personal website and app offering daily horoscopes.

Mercado began his career as a dancer and actor. Having studied classical and modern ballet, he became one of the most prolific dancers in Puerto Rico. Mercado was well-known as the dancing partner of comedian Velda González. As an actor, he appeared in various Puerto Rican telenovelas in the 1960s and '70s, including "Un adiós en el recuerdo," "Larga distancia," "Historia de mi vida," and "Entre el puñal y la cruz." He also acted on stage in Spanish-language productions of such plays as "The Lady of the Camellias," "Androcles and the Lion," and "Look Back in Anger."

Walter Mercado was a Puerto Rican television personality, actor, dancer, and writer who had a net worth of $1 million at the time of his death in 2019. Walter Mercado was best known for his astrology television shows and segments. As an astrologer, he became a phenomenon in the Hispanic community, with his shows seen throughout Latin America and the United States. Earlier in his career, Mercado acted in telenovelas and theatrical productions.

Unfortunately Walter also became embroiled in a lawsuit over the rights to his own name and likeness. In 2012 he lost a lawsuit against Bart Enterprises International over a contract signed in 1995 that gave all international intellectual property rights to a former manager. Walter severed ties with Bart Enterprises in 2006 after family members alerted him to the particulars of the contract.

Mercado first did astrology on television when he was invited to perform on the show of Puerto Rican comedian and producer Elín Ortíz. Filling in for a guest artist who never showed up, Mercado donned colorful, flamboyant robes while making astrological predictions. He was a success, resulting in a regular astrology segment on Ortíz's show. In 1970, Mercado began a regular astrology segment on the midday variety program "El Show de las 12," where he enhanced his predictions by implementing tarot and other occult disciplines. He soon began hosting a weekly astrology show on the same network, WKAQ-TV. Mercado later moved his show to WRIK-TV, hosting it there for several years before migrating to WKBM-TV.

In summary, the total wealth of Walter Mercado reflects strategic moves.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.