Who is the richest Tv host in 2022? Who is the highest-paid Tv personality? Here is a list of the top 20 wealthy Tv Show hosts in history.
Are you considering pursuing all these self-acclaimed “high profiled” professions (doctor, bank manager, a lawyer just to mention a few) although you’ve got the ability to stand and be your full self in front of a camera?
Why don’t you consider being a Tv host? I can feel you’re still doubting yourself whether Tv hosting is your calling or not, right? By reading to the end of this article, I hope you get motivated to pursue whatever dreams you have in mind.
Live television shows are undoubtedly some of the most popular programs in the modern-day entertainment industry. These shows span a wide range of topics, some of the most popular ones being a comedy, political commentary, sports, and lifestyle.
The success of such shows is largely determined by the person at the helm, the TV show host. Successful television hosts have turned their time on the small screen into veritable fortunes. When Judy Sheindlin — aka Judge Judy — retired in March after 25 seasons on the air, she was making a whopping $47 million a year, Forbes reported. And she’s not the only TV host who’s incredibly rich.
Typically, a talk show host carries their audience through a series of discussions and sets the theme and tone of the conversation. This makes the host an essential part of the entire talk show.
Who is the highest-paid talk show host in 2022, and how much do they earn? Here is a look at the 20 highest-paid television show hosts worldwide, their annual salaries, and current net worth.
The Top 20 Richest TV-Hosts in the World
#20. Chelsea Handler
- Net worth: $35 million
- Age: 46 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: February 25, 1975
- Annual salary: $10 million
Chelsea is an American author, actress, comedian, and talk show host best known for her hosting role in Chelsea Lately. Besides TV hosting, Chelsea has also appeared on various Netflix television shows. In 2012, she was named as one of the 100 most influential people by Time Magazine.
The television host reportedly earns $10 million per year as salary for her role on Chelsea Lately.
#19. Wendy Williams
- Net worth: $40 million
- Age: 57 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: July 18, 1964
- Annual salary: $10 million
Wendy was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey. She is a media personality, television host, and businesswoman best known for hosting the syndicated TV talk show, The Wendy Williams Show, since 2008.
Before joining television, Wendy was a popular radio DJ in New York. Her current salary is estimated to be $10 million annually.
#18. Anderson Cooper
- Net worth: $50 million
- Age: 54 years
- Birthday: June 3, 1967
- Annual salary: $12 million
Anderson Cooper is an American author, journalist, and television show host best known for hosting CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360°. Cooper reportedly earns an annual salary of $12 million on the show. The TV host was born into a prominent New York family.
His mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, was the heiress of a wealthy man, while his father, Wyatt Emory, was a prominent writer. Cooper’s television career began when he landed a role as a fact-checker for Channel One News, a program that used to be broadcast in numerous American high and middle schools.
#17. Jimmy Kimmel
- Net worth: $50 million
- Age: 54 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: November 13, 1967
- Annual Salary: $15 million
James Christian Kimmel is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer.
As the host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Kimmel brings in an annual salary of $15 million, Variety reported in 2017.
#16. Jimmy Fallon
- Net worth: $60 million
- Age: 54 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: November 13, 1967
- Annual salary: $15 million
Jimmy Fallon got his start on “Saturday Night Live” and then landed his own late-night talk show, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” His earnings got a boost when he took over “The Tonight Show” for Jay Leno in 2014, Forbes reported.
#15. James Corden
- Net worth: $70 million
- Age: 43 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: August 22 1978
- Annual salary: $9 million
James Kimberley Corden is a British TV personality, writer, actor, and comedian renowned for his self-deprecating humor and general likeability.
After gaining recognition, success, and a massive fanbase in the United Kingdom, Corden landed a role as the host of The Late Late Show with James Corden. The show is currently in its seventh season. Corden reportedly earns about $9 million per year from the show.
#14. Stephen Colbert
- Net worth: $75 million
- Age: 57 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: May 13, 1964
- Annual salary: $15 million
Stephen was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and was the youngest of 11 children. He is an American author, writer, comedian, actor, and television host.
He is best known for hosting the Comedy Central Show between 2005 and 2014 and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert from 2015 to date. His current annual salary at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is reportedly about $15 million.
#13. Bill O’Reilly
- Net worth: $85 million
- Age: 72 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: September 10, 1949
- Annual salary: $25 million
Bill’s full name is William James O’Reilly. He was born in New York, USA, and is a radio personality, political commentator, and television host.
He is best known for his stint at the FNC television show The O’Reilly Factor. Before then, he used to co-anchor a syndicated news program known as The Inside Edition.
#12. Tyra Banks
- Net worth: $90 million
- Age: 49 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: December 4, 1973
- Annual salary: $14.55 million
Tyra is best known for her hosting role on the reality television series America’s Next Top Model. Born Tyra Lynne Banks in Inglewood, California, the television host has also appeared as the face of CoverGirl and Victoria’s Secret.
From 2005 to 2010, banks hosted The Tyra Banks Show. Her current net worth is about $90 million, making her one of the 20 richest TV show hosts today.
#11. Jon Stewart
- Net worth: $120 million
- Age: 59 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: November 28, 1962
- Annual salary: $25 million
Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz is an American director, writer, comedian, and television host renowned for his role as host on The Daily Show from 1999 to 2015. Before he departed from the show, he used to earn an annual salary of $25 million.
#10. Conan O’Brien
- Net worth: $150 million
- Age: 58 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: April 18, 1963
- Annual salary: $12 million
Conan Christopher O’Brien is a comedian and late-night talk show host. He is best known for his roles on The Tonight Show (2010-current) and Late Night with Conan O’Brien (1993–2009). He currently hosts the show Conan on TBS, where he reportedly earns $12 million annually in salaries.
#9. Steve Harvey
- Net worth: $200 million
- Age: 64 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: January 17, 1957
- Annual salary: $45 million
Steve Harvey’s namesake talk show was canceled in 2019, but he still makes big bucks from hosting “Family Feud”, “Celebrity Family Feud” and “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” — three of television’s most highly rated game shows, according to Forbes. In 2019, Harvey made $45 million between his game show gigs and his nationally syndicated radio show.
Steve Harvey is an American businessman, comedian, and award-winning television show host. Harvey was born in Welch, West Virginia. Besides his hugely popular television shows, Harvey is also renowned by his fans for his well-thought pieces of advice, especially about romantic relationships.
#8. Sean Hannity
- Net worth: $250 million
- Age: 60 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: December 30, 1961
- Annual salary: $45 million
Sean Hannity is an American author, conservative political commentator, and television host. He is best known for hosting the Fox News Channel show Hannity and the radio show The Sean Hannity Show. Sean used to co-host the Hannity & Colmes show from 1996 to 2009.
The TV host reportedly earns a whopping $45 million yearly salary.
#7. David Letterman
- Net worth: $400 million
- Age: 74 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: April 12, 1947
- Annual salary: $50 Million
Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is renowned for hosting The Late Show with David Letterman. Besides television show hosting, David is also an accomplished comedian and producer. In past years, the TV host was said to earn about $50 million per year in syndication and license fees.
After 33 years as a late-night talk show host, David Letterman retired in 2015. Letterman was the longest-running late-night host of all time, surpassing Johnny Carson’s 30-year run, Forbes reported. Letterman came out of retirement just two years later, signing a deal with Netflix for a new talk show that would pay him $2 million an episode, Yahoo Finance reported.
#6. Judy Sheindlin
- Net worth: $445 million, according to Forbes
- Age: 79 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: October 21, 1942
- Annual salary: $47 million
Judy Sheindlin’s daytime courtroom show has made her one of America’s richest self-made women. In addition to the seven-figure salary she earned in the later years of her 25-year run on TV, Sheindlin brought in an estimated $100 million when she sold the rights to her extensive library of “Judge Judy” episodes in 2017, Forbes reported. Sheindlin is also a producer of the show “Hot Bench.”
Sheindlin was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is renowned as the American jurist and court judge on the show Judge Judy which has been airing since 1996. Judy has been nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award 14 times. The renowned television host reportedly makes $47 million per year from the show. Her current net worth is estimated to be about $445 million.
#5. Jay Leno
- Net worth: $450 million
- Age: 71
- Birthday: April 28, 1950
- Annual salary: $15 Million
Jay Leno is a writer, comedian, and television show host best known for hosting The Tonight Show on two separate stints (1992-2009 and 2010-2014). Although Leno reportedly earned $30 million a year to host the show at the height of his career, he banked all of his talk show earnings for retirement and lived off the earnings from his comedy show tours, CNBC reported.
James Douglas Muir Leno, popularly known as Jay Leno, was born in New Rochelle, New York.
After starting out as a standup comedian, Leno landed his first television talk show hosting job in 1992. To date, Leno still performs standup comedy, albeit occasionally. Besides his lengthy television career, some of Leno’s fans know him for his valuable car collection that spans more than 300 vehicles.
#4. Ryan Seacrest
- Net worth: $450 million
- Age: 47 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: December 24, 1974
- Annual salary: $75 million
Ryan Seacrest somehow manages to juggle hosting duties for two ultra-popular television shows: “Live!” and “American Idol.” Seacrest earns over $10 million for each job, Forbes reported. In addition, Seacrest has brought in millions from executive producing shows like “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” He also has a line of menswear with Macy’s and a skincare line.
Between all of his ventures, Seacrest has earned $60 million in 2020, according to Forbes. His current salary is reported to be $75 million.
Ryan John Seacrest is an American producer, radio show host, and TV host who rose to fame when he hosted American Idol. Some of the other notable shows he has hosted include American Top 40 and On Air with Ryan Seacrest.
#3. Dr. Phil McGraw
- Net worth: $460 million
- Age: 71 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: September 1, 1950
- Annual salary: $80 million
As the host of one of the most-watched syndicated talk shows on television, Dr. Phil McGraw landed on Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2020 with earnings of $65.5 million. McGraw owns all of his content and pays CBS to distribute it, Forbes reported. He also earns a percentage of advertising revenue and income from product placement on the show. In addition, McGraw adds to his wealth as the executive producer of “The Bull” and “The Doctors.”
Phillip Calvin McGraw was born in Vinita, Oklahoma. He is a television show host, author, and psychologist who rose to fame following his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show as well as the hugely popular daytime talk show, Dr. Phil. Phil is said to earn about $80 million per year from his television hosting job.
#2. Ellen DeGeneres
- Net worth: $500 million
- Age: 64 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: January 26, 1958
- Annual salary: $75 million
Ellen DeGeneres first made it big when her sitcom “Ellen” debuted from 1994 to 1998. Her star rose even higher when she got her own talk show in 2003. DeGeneres now gets an eight-figure paycheck from hosting her show and rakes in more cash as a producer and through licensing fees, Forbes reported.
As of 2017, DeGeneres was the highest-paid television host with an annual salary of $50 million, Variety reported. Currently, Ellen is said to earn an annual salary of $75 million at her current show.
Ellen Lee DeGeneres was born in Metairie, Louisiana. She is a television show host and comedian, best known for her observational humor and role on the massively popular program, The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
#1. Oprah Winfrey
- Net worth: $2.6 billion, according to Forbes
- Age: 67 years (as of 2021)
- Birthday: January 29, 1954
- Annual salary: $300 million
Oprah Winfrey is the highest-paid talk show host in 2022, as he still carries her clown for being the richest TV personality in 2021.
Oprah Winfrey’s eponymous talk show ran for 25 years, and the media mogul was able to reinvest her profits from the show to build a $2 billion empire, Forbes reported. Winfrey now has her own talk-show network, Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), which she has a 25.5% stake in it. She also signed a multi-year deal with Apple to create content for its streaming network.
According to Forbes, Winfrey’s net worth is about $2.6 billion. In 2015, she purchased a 10% stake in Weight Watchers, a company dealing in personalized weight loss programs. She has since reduced her stake to 7%. She is said to earn about $300 million per year.
Conclusion
Daytime and late-night television talk shows have become increasingly popular. This is underlined by the colossal figures that the highest-paid TV hosts earn each year. With everything from politics, sports, health, and wellness, the talk show industry keeps growing. The above names were the highest-paid Tv hosts in 2022.
