4. PBS Didn’t Pay Him a Cent
PBS indeed scored a great deal with Bob Ross. Whether through the cleverness of his manager, Annette Kowalski or their own thrift, PBS somehow landed Bob Ross without having to pay him a cent. Literally. Bob Ross did not get paid one cent by PBS for the 403 episodes of The Joy of Painting that aired on the network. Instead, he entirely earned his money from the associated Bob Ross linen of art supplies and art classes that became popularized through the show.