Top 5 late-night TV hosts and their net worth: How much do David Letterman, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel earn?
Late-night talk shows have always managed to bring in the ratings for networks. It's a very competitive genre of television with almost all networks airing them around the same time and trying to best each other. From the biggest Hollywood stars dropping into the studio for interviews to major music acts being summoned to perform live, late-night TV shows never seem to disappoint the audiences. Apart from watching their favorite acts on these shows, the audiences also tune in for the hosts who ensure viewership with their distinct humor, charm, and intelligence. Being a TV show host is not an easy feat and networks shell out big dollars to reward them.
Here's a list of some of the biggest late-night TV shows and their net worths ranked highest to lowest.
David Letterman
David Letterman's new season of 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman' is making huge waves. He's the ultimate king of late-night TV shows, having hosted his show ' Late Night with David Letterman' for 33 years, having hosted over six thousand episodes in total. His net worth is estimated to be a whopping $400 million dollars, having earned $50 million dollars per year in the past in licensing and syndication fees, a number that has reduced slightly in the recent past, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.
Over the years, Letterman has made substantial real estate investments. He spent $10 million for 108 acres of land in Westchester County, N.Y., just north of New York City, he owns properties in Martha’s Vineyard and St. Barts, and a ranch in Montana, according to BounceMojo. He's also owned some of the most expensive cars over the years, their value is estimated at around $50 million dollars, according to the outlet.
Jay Leno
Trailing behind Letterman is Jay Leno and just like his counterpart, Leno has been a late-night TV staple for a very long time. 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' ran from 1992-2009 and 'The Jay Leno Show' aired from 2009-2014 on NBC. His career spanning 22 years as a late-night TV host was validated upon his retirement in 2014 as he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. His net worth is estimated at $350 million. He was reportedly paid $30 million per year by NBC for hosting the show. According to Motor Biscuit, Leno has collected 286 vehicles over the years (169 cars and 117 motorcycles).
The value of these assets is estimated at a whopping $50 million, all housed in a custom garage, the expanse of which is 122,000 square feet, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is one of the most-watched talk show from the late-night category. His jokes about Donald Trump might not have many takers, but apart from that his general charm, intellect, and the fatherly vibes that he exudes are loved by many. His net worth is estimated at $45 million dollars. He reportedly makes $4.5 million dollars per year plus a performance-based bonus, hosting the CBS show. This is a significant drop from the $6 million he used to make at Comedy Central while he hosted 'The Colbert Report'. However, this pay cut has not affected his net worth and he continues to be one of the richest talk show hosts.
Jimmy Kimmel
Jimmy Kimmel is one of the most hated and controversial talk show hosts on television currently. His commentary on Donald Trump's presidency and resurfaced clips of him performing in blackface on 'The Man Show' in the late '90s and early '00s resulted in him being torn apart by audiences and his apology was branded as 'lame'. However, he continues hosting his show on ABC, titled 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' that has contributed massively to his estimated net worth of $35 million. According to CelebrityNetWorth, his yearly contract with ABC pays him $15 million dollars. Kimmel has invested a sizeable amount of money in real estate. He purchased a $2.175 million Californian home, one block away from Hermosa Beach. His second purchase too was a Hermosa home worth $2.25 million, later on, he deeded this home to his sister. He shelled out $8.2 million on a third house in the same neighborhood, in 2018. Outside of Hermosa, Jimmy owns a $7.1 million two-parcel home in the Hollywood Hills above the famed Chateau Marmont.
Jimmy Fallon
Like his namesake, Fallon too came under fire for having performed in blackface as he emulated Chris Rock in one of the skits on 'SNL' way back in 2000. These clips resurfaced recently around the same time that George Floyd was murdered and a Black Lives Matter waved gripped the nation. Fallon stopped filming new episodes of his talk show and offered an apology. After spending some time reflecting on his actions, he bounced back with his TV show inviting relevant voices from the Black community as a measure to educate the viewers about the issues that the community has faced over the years.
His estimated net worth is $25 million dollars. NBC pays him around $11-12 million per year, and his contract stands to be renewed in 2021.