The "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" held out on their contracts after season four of the Bravo hit series, and now season 5 has the wives pulling in bigger bucks than ever!

Via RadarOnline:

"Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards, Yolanda Hadid and Brandi Glanville are each earning the most at $500,000," says a production insider.

"Kim Richards and newcomer Lisa Rinna will be making $450,000." It's gotta be rough for seasoned RHOBH star Kim to be making less than her sister and only as much as Lisa Rinna, who just joined the cast last week.

Bravo execs are known to be fiercely protective of the lucrative Housewives franchise and is willing to shell out top dollars for top stars and will ruthlessly axe ladies who don't bring the drama.

Another source told Radar:

“Bravo loves the nucleus of these four women, even when they’re fighting with each other! They always bring drama and glamor to the show. The network has resolved that it wants to bring them all back.”

The source says that part of what prompted producers to offer huge raises to the show's core four (which the ladies had previously pulled in just $125,000-$250,000 per season) is due to the fact that Brandi and company are "always fighting."