Rhonda Byrne
Born 1951 · Age 74
Australian television writer and producer, creator of The Secret (documentary and book) and multiple sequels and related products promoting the Law of Attraction.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Melbourne, Australia
Rhonda Izon (later Byrne) born to Ronald and Irene Izon in Melbourne, Australia.
Began career as a radio producer (approx.)
Began career working in radio production before moving into television (year estimated from biographies; precise date not given).
Moved into television production (approx.)
Transitioned from radio to television production and began working for Australian broadcasters (date approximate; sources cite substantial TV career before 1994).
Co-founded Prime Time Productions
Co-founded her own production company, Prime Time Productions, to produce television content in Australia.
Executive producer: The World's Greatest Commercials (start)
Credited as executive producer on The World's Greatest Commercials (series ran 1995–2004).
Executive producer: Oz Encounters: UFO's in Australia
Credited as an executive producer on the documentary Oz Encounters: UFO's in Australia (1997).
Produced Sensing Murder: Easy Street and other programs
Television production credits include Sensing Murder: Easy Street (2003), Loves Me, Loves Me Not (2003).
Father's death; personal crisis
Her father died in 2004; Byrne became deeply depressed and faced financial/production difficulties at this time.
Begins work on The Secret documentary
Following the personal turning point, Byrne embarked on research and production that became The Secret documentary.
Reads Wallace Wattles' The Science of Getting Rich
At her daughter's prompting she read the 1910 book that inspired her to research the 'Law of Attraction' and create The Secret (approx. late 2004).
Completes The Secret documentary on $3M budget
Byrne finished the documentary (often cited as 2005) with a reported production budget of about USD 3,000,000 despite distribution challenges.
Channel 9 drops distribution; online streaming spreads interest
Initial TV distribution deals fell through (Channel 9 dropped out); the film found early audience via internet streaming and word-of-mouth.
Documentary distribution & early internet success
The Secret initially found audience online after TV distribution deals failed; internet word-of-mouth key to early traction.
Releases The Secret documentary (DVD)
The Secret documentary was released in 2006 and reached a global audience; DVD sales would become a major revenue stream.
First-year sales spike: ~4M books & 2M DVDs (reported)
Some sources report around 4 million books and over 2 million DVDs sold within the first year after release (figures vary by source).
Publishes The Secret (book)
Book version of The Secret published (commonly cited November 2006); quickly became a bestseller internationally.
Annual earnings estimate reported by Forbes
Forbes estimated her earnings for the year 2007 at approximately USD 12 million (reported on IMDb trivia citing Forbes).
Appears on The Oprah Winfrey Show
January 2007 appearance on Oprah with four teachers from The Secret film, a major media boost driving sales and visibility.
Major sales milestone: ~19M copies and 2M DVDs (spring 2007)
By spring 2007 Wikipedia cites more than 19 million copies sold in 40+ languages and more than 2 million DVDs sold.
The Secret franchises grossed roughly $300M (reported)
Sources cite combined gross of The Secret film and book at about USD 300 million (approx. 2007 figure).
Appears on other major talk shows (Larry King, Ellen)
Following her success she appeared on Larry King and Ellen DeGeneres, increasing mainstream exposure.
Listed on Forbes' Celebrity 100 (circa 2007)
Shortly after Time recognition, Byrne appeared on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list (exact placement cited in contemporary coverage).
Early critical coverage and skepticism
Scientific American published criticism (Michael Shermer, June 2007) and other outlets debated scientific validity of The Secret's claims.
Public disputes with contributors (Hicks)
Reported dispute with Esther & Jerry Hicks over contractual/financial arrangements; Esther Hicks later removed from film (reported circa 2007).
Becomes widely recognized public figure and 'multi-millionaire'
Contemporary profiles described Byrne as a multi-millionaire following the commercial success of The Secret (press coverage 2007 onward).
Named to Time's TIME 100
Featured in Time magazine's 'TIME 100: The Most Influential People' (May 2007).
New York Times and academic critiques (2010)
In 2010 critics (including a NYT piece on pseudoscience) continued debate around The Secret and its sequels (Sept 2010 coverage referenced).
Academic critique of The Secret's pseudoscience profile
Scholars and journalists published critiques of The Secret and The Power for promoting pseudoscientific claims (2010–2012 coverage cited).
The Power translated into dozens of languages
The Power reported available in ~45–48 languages and selling millions of copies worldwide (publisher figures vary).
Publishes The Power
Released a sequel, The Power, as hardcover and audio CD on 17 August 2010; became a New York Times bestseller.
Publishes The Magic
Released The Magic in 2012; reported to have sold over 1 million copies (publisher/source figures).
Publishes Hero; releases The Secret Daily Teachings edition
Hero published in 2013 (international bestseller); The Secret Daily Teachings edition also released in 2013.
Publishes How The Secret Changed My Life
2016 compilation of reader stories illustrating impact of The Secret; distributed in 30+ languages per sources.
Producer credit: The Secret: Dare to Dream (film)
Served as a producer on the feature film adaptation The Secret: Dare to Dream, released in 2020 starring Katie Holmes.
Releases The Secret Masterclass audiobooks
Collection of three audiobooks (The Secret To Money, Health, Relationships) released in 2020 as part of the Secret Masterclass series.
Aggregate print-run/sales figures cited by official channels
Official Secret channels and biographies cite figures ranging from ~28M to 34M+ copies in print worldwide across all products (dates vary by source).
Publishes The Greatest Secret
Published The Greatest Secret in 2020, expanding into spiritual topics beyond material manifestation.
Publishes The Secret To Love, Health and Money: A Masterclass (book)
Masterclasses released as a compiled book in 2022 expanding The Secret product line.
Launches The Secret Manifestation Cards
Released a deck of 65 manifestation cards based on The Secret teachings (product launch, 2023).
Scheduled release: Countdown to Riches
Announced new book Countdown to Riches (21-day wealth practices), slated for release in November 2025 (pre-order live on official site).
Key Achievement Ages
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