The Net Worth Of The Most Popular Television Hosts
Whether it's their ability to make us laugh or cry, these personalities helped shape the landscape of daytime and nighttime television and made a pretty penny while doing it. Find out the net worth of your favorite television hosts!
Craig Ferguson - $8.5 Million
Craig Ferguson made his late-night debut as the host of The Late Late Show in 2005. What followed was a decade of laughter as Ferguson's buoyant personality and endless charm earned him legions of fans.
In 2014, Ferguson left the show, handing over hosting duties to James Corden. Since then Ferguson has stayed mostly behind the scenes, lending his voice to major animated films including the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy from Dreamworks Animation.
Anderson Cooper - $11 Million
The son of Gloria Vanderbilt, Anderson Cooper is known best today as the host of Anderson Cooper 360 and as the face of CNN. He started his signature show in 2003 and has followed this philosophy ever since:
"I think you have to be yourself, and you have to be real and you have to admit what you don't know, and talk about what you do know, and talk about what you don't know as long as you say you don't know it. I tend to relate more to people on television who are just themselves, for good or for bad, than I do to someone who I believe is putting on some sort of persona."
James Corden - $12 Million
After Craig Ferguson left The Late Late Show, James Corden took his place behind the desk. Already a critically acclaimed performer, Corden was an instant success as a late-night host.
One of Corden's most popular sketches is "Carpool Karaoke." The segment sees him driving around Los Angeles with a celebrity guest while they sing songs together. It became so popular that fans were saddened to learn that Corden isn't actually driving the car when the sketch is being filmed.
Jimmy Kimmel - $35 Million
Jimmy Kimmel has been the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC since 2003. One of the longest-tenured late-night talk show hosts, Kimmel got his start in the '90s with Win Ben Stein's Money and The Man Show.
The steady work, along with his other endeavors, has led to a net worth of $35 million for the charming Mr. Kimmel. One of Kimmel's biggest influences is David Letterman, whose show he said, "was just so weird and different, I'd never seen anything like it. I didn't know anyone who had a sense of humor like that."
Chelsea Handler - $40 Million
Chelsea Handler was the host of her own show, Chelsea Lately, from 2007 until 2014. During that time she established herself as the kind of comedienne and late-night host who refused to hold back.
Her brash personality earned her millions of fans. When the show ended, she continued finding other hosting opportunities, turning herself in a brand. Today, Handler's net worth is valued at $40 million. Not bad for someone who got her start on the reality television show Girls Behaving Badly.
Stephen Colbert - $45 Million
Stephen Colbert has been working as a television talk show host since The Colbert Report premiered in 2005. The half-hour program was a spinoff of The Daily Show, which Colbert was a performer on.
In 2014, Colbert ended his Comedy Central show and moved networks to CBS to become the host of The Late Show. His first episode aired in 2015 and he still hosts the iconic late-night program today. Colbert's massive popularity has earned him a net worth estimated at $45 million
Wendy Williams - $60 Million
Wendy Williams has been hosting The Wendy Williams Show since 2008. Before that, she gained fame as a "shock jockette" as a radio DJ in New York where she regularly got into verbal fights.
Along with her highly-rated talk show, Williams is also a New York Times best-selling author and businesswoman. It is estimated that she is worth $60 million, with that value rising every year as she grows her empire.
Jon Stewart - $80 Million
Jon Stewart got his first hosting gig in 1993 on MTV. The Jon Stewart Show was a huge hit for the network and turned Stewart into a known commodity. It wasn't until he became the host of The Daily Show in 1999 that he became a superstar.
Since leaving The Daily Show, Stewart has begun directing movies. His directorial debut came out in 2014 and was called Rosewater. He currently has a comedy starring Steve Carell in development.
Bill O'Reilly - $85 Million
Bill O'Reilly was given his first break on national television in 1982 as a CBS News correspondent. In 1986 he jumped networks to ABC before returning to CBS in 1989 as an anchor on Inside Edition.
In 1996, The O'Reilly Factor debuted and ran for two decades before being canceled in 2017. Thanks to the sustained success of his show, as well as a few best selling books, O'Reilly is worth an estimated $85 million today.
Conan O'Brien - $85 Million
Conan O'Brien began his career as a writer on Saturday Night Live in 1987. In 1991, he was offered a writing job on The Simpsons and is credited as the mind behind some of the show's most popular episodes.
By 1993, O'Brien was ready to perform and took the job as the host of Late Night. An unfortunate battle between him and NBC happened in 2009, however, and Conan left the show to join TBS as the host of Conan.
Tyra Banks - $90 Million
Unlike the other television hosts on this list, Tyra Banks didn't start out as a writer, local news anchor, or stand-up comedian. She began her career as a supermodel in 1991, quickly rising to fame and making the cover of several notable magazines.
In 2003, Banks created and began hosting America's Next Top Model. The show aired its most recent season in 2018. She also hosted her own talk show for five years and wrote a book for young adults called Modelland.
Steve Harvey - $160 Million
Steve Harvey has been in show business since 1985, but it wasn't until 2010 that he began hosting Family Feud. The revived game show quickly became one of the most-watched in the United States and is still thriving today.
Two years after becoming the host of Family Feud, Harvey began hosting his own daytime talk show, Steve Harvey. Thanks to his workaholic attitude, Harvey is worth a mind-boggling $160 million today.
Sean Hannity - $220 Million
After working in radio for a number of years, the co-founder of Fox News, Roger Ailes, took a chance on Sean Hannity. His first show on the network was called Hannity & Colmes and featured Hannity discussing news and politics alongside Alan Colmes.
Today, Sean Hannity hosts the show by himself. Colmes left in 2009 and the program was re-branded as Hannity. As well as his television work, the busy personality hosts one of the top-rated radio programs in the country.
Ryan Seacrest - $380 Million
Often described as the busiest man in Hollywood, it's amazing that Ryan Seacrest has any time for a personal life. In 2002, he began hosting American Idol, and as soon as his fame broke, he added more to his plate.
In 2017, Seacrest took over for Michael Strahan next to Kelly Ripa for the morning show Live with Kelly and Ryan. On top of his television roles, Seacrest hosts the radio programs American Top 40 and On Air With Ryan Seacrest.
Jay Leno - $400 Million
Jay Leno spent years performing as a stand-up comic before moving to television and becoming one of the country's most popular late-night talk show hosts. He took over as the host of The Tonight Show in 1992, briefly left in 2009, then officially called it quits in 2014.
Along the way, Leno amassed a massive bank account and an impressive car collection. With more free time on his hands, he even began hosting a show, Jay Leno's Garage, about his vehicular passion.
David Letterman - $400 Million
Like Leno, David Letterman first gained notoriety as a stand-up comic and writer. He moved to Los Angeles in 1975 and was encouraged by his then-wife to pursue a career in comedy. Two years after moving, Letterman was cast on Mary, a variety show of Mary Tyler Moore's.
In 1982, Letterman became the host of Late Night with David Letterman and his career took off from there. By the early '90s, he was the host of The Tonight Show, taking over for the legendary Johnny Carson.
Dr. Phil - $400 Million
Dr. Phil had one of the odder paths to stardom. He lost his license to practice psychology in the late '80s and founded his own consulting company a year later. It was his company that helped Oprah win the Amarillo Texas Beef trial.
Oprah credited McGraw for the win and brought him onto her show. He was so popular he became a regular guest and eventually was given his own program. Today, McGraw is worth an estimated $400 million.
Judge Judy - $420 Million
Judge Judy, hosted by Judge Judy Sheindlin, began airing in syndication in 1996 and has been a staple of daytime television programming ever since. In 2013, Judy won her first Emmy Award for the show. It was her 15th nomination.
In early 2020, it was announced that CBS Television Distribution had extended the host's contract through 2021. It was later announced that when this new extension ended, Judy would end her show as well, leaving at the top of the ratings and monetary game!
Ellen DeGeneres - $450 Million
Another television host who began her career in stand-up comedy, Ellen DeGeneres has been leading The Ellen DeGeneres Show since 2003. The show averages over four million viewers per day and has won over 60 Daytime Emmy Awards.
As for Ellen herself, the empire that she has built thanks to her show has earned her a net worth of $450 million. Along with her daytime show, Ellen hosts her own primetime game show, Ellen's Game of Games, which has been airing since 2017.
Oprah Winfrey - $3.2 Billion
The original queen of daytime television, Oprah Winfrey has built a massive empire that includes her own television network. It is estimated that she is worth over $3 billion, which makes her one of the wealthiest people in the world.
The Oprah Winfrey Show first aired in 1986 and was a milestone achievement in daytime programming. Winfrey ended her hosting run in 2011, focusing her efforts on expanding her empire, which including launching the television network OWN.