What is Matt James's net worth? Here's the mind-boggling paycheck the first Black lead on 'The Bachelor' draws

Matt James is new to television but is being paid very handsomely for his first TV gig, a privilege not many can boast about. Here are the details
Matt James from 'The Bachelor' (ABC)
Matt James from 'The Bachelor' (ABC)

Matt James is currently the lead of the historical season of 'The Bachelor'. He's the first Black man that the extremely popular franchise cast as its lead after facing a lot of push back from Bachelor Nation fandom who took to social media to slam the lack of diversity on the show even after airing for 18 years. This was in June last year, around the same time where Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay too had pointed fingers at the ABC show and its spinoffs for not casting enough people from all races. After this fracas, the network announced Matt as the new Bachelor and everything was good in Bachelorverse once again.

So far, the audiences love whatever they've seen Matt do on the show. But it's just been two episodes and it's too soon to judge. He did face some criticism before the season started airing because the trailer saw him admitting that he's never been in love and fans could only perceive this as a red flag about the 29-year-old.

There's still time for Bachelor Nation to find out if his love story is a success at the end of his season. This is his first time on television but he's already a big success, off the cameras in his real life. Prior to dabbling in reality television, Matt has already built a successful career for himself in real estate and finance, according to a Cheat Sheet report. James also has an impressive education. He graduated from Wake Forest University in 2015 and has a Bachelor's degree in economics. He played varsity football and featured on the student-athlete advisory committee. While still a student, he had already worked with a lot of companies offering financial services including Davenport & Company LLC, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Verger Capital Management LLC.

Matt James's job

Matt James attends the relaunch of The Delta SkyMiles® American Express Cards at Helen Mills Event Space on February 06, 2020, in New York City (Getty Images)

After graduation, he played professional football with Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints but unfortunately couldn't make it to the NFL. He then went back to his corporate career and worked as a banking analyst for PNC in Pittsburgh. His next move? New York City where he worked as a media planner for Mic. James left that job to establish his nonprofit organization called ABC Food Tours along with best friend and 'Bachelor' alum Tyler Cameron. They offer guided tours to underprivileged kids to the best restaurants in the Big Apple, as well as teach them about nutrition and fitness. Additionally, James also works with commercial real estate company CBRE Group a position he's held since 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile.

What is Matt James's net worth?

James's net worth is estimated at $250,000 according to Stylecaster and Famous Birth Deaths website. His stint on 'The Bachelor' is sure to win him more modeling and brand endorsement deals courtesy his fit physique, as well as likeability among audiences. 

How much is Matt James getting paid to be 'The Bachelor'?

Matt James from 'The Bachelor' (ABC)

'The Bachelor' franchise has never really revealed how much they pay their leads however Reality Steve has shed light on this and once revealed that the average salary of the leads is $100,000. The highest reported salary to date is of Bachelorette Emily Maynard who received $250,000 in 2012 because of her crazy negotiation skills.  “The producers have completely changed the format this season in order to meet Emily’s demands,” a source told In Touch at the time, according to Stylecaster. Matt is new to Bachelorverse and just based on that information it's safe to assume that he takes home $100,000 for his Bachelor gig. 

'The Bachelor' airs Mondays at 8 pm ET on ABC. 

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