Polygamists with the most wives

Polygamists with the most wives. The practice of polygamy has become reality TV fodder and has inspired a best-selling novel as well as a critically acclaimed cable drama. Now, with the criminal trial of a polygamist sect leader making front-page news, we take a look at men whose wives numbered in the double digits.

Warren Jeffs more than 50 wives
A second trial is under way for Jeffs, a religious sect leader who's facing criminal charges in Texas.

Rulon Jeffs estimated 75 wives
The late father of Warren Jeffs was revered as a religious prophet until his death in 2002.

Saleh al-Sayeri 58 wives
This Saudi shepherd and tribal leader made international headlines when word spread of his multiple marriages.

Ancentus Akuku more than 100 women
Known by a feisty nickname, Kenya's Akuku reportedly had fathered more than 200 children by the time of his death in October 2010

Brigham Young 55 wives
The influential Mormon leader publicly announced that "plural marriage" was a basic tenet of the church.

Joseph Smith Jr. at least 33 wives
There's still debate over whether the founder of the Mormon Church practiced polygamy in the 1800s. But reports of his plural marriages persist.