Beloved TV icon Bob Barker donated most of his $70 million fortune to help animals even after his death

Several legendary faces who were synonymous with American game shows for decades, either stepped away from the spotlight or bid adieu to the world in the past couple of years. Bob Barker, the legendary American TV game show host was also an animal activist and kept making an impact till his death at the age of 99, years after he had left "The Price is Right." Recently, Barker's wealth was made public after it was distributed among numerous charities, to carry on his legacy.

According to a RadarOnline report, Bob Barker's $70 million fortune will be going to charities that work for animal welfare. A longtime friend said that this was not a surprise since he was known for his love for animals throughout his life. These generous donations will be remembered as the last gesture by the late host for animal rights. Over the years, he was known for donating to multiple universities that conducted research on animal welfare. 

He was also the founder of the DJ&T Foundation to fund animal rescue and park facilities and to help pets get spayed and neutered. He also donated more than $2 million to People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Throughout his life, he has also appeared in several PETA public service announcements and even donated $5 million to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. 

According to  Celebrity Net Worth, Barker's fortune topped $70 million at the peak of his career and he reportedly donated at least $30 million to support animal charities and other causes. Throughout his life, he was an advocate for animal rights and ended each episode of "The Price is Right" with a plea for viewers to spay or neuter their pets. 

Bob Barker, had the longest run as the host on "The Price is Right" from 1972 to 2007. Due to his contribution, he even earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He also received the 1995 Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award and was named the Greatest Show Host of all time by Time Magazine. Bob William Barker was born in Darrington Washington on December 12, 1923, and spent most of his time growing up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission, South Dakota and is listed as an official member of the Sioux tribe on the U.S. Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940. Barker later received a basketball scholarship and attended Drury College (now called Drury University) in Missouri. While at college Barker worked at the KTTS-FM radio station and later moved to Florida where he worked as a new editor and announcer at WWPG 1340 AM in Palm Beach (now called WPBR in Lantana). 

In 1971, he started his hosting career with the show "Truth or Consequences" and later was selected to host the pilot of "Simon Says." Then during the revival of "The Price is Right" Barker's name was proposed by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman as the host. The network then selected him and he went on to host the modernized version of "The Price Is Right" in September 1972. For the last decade of his tenure on the show, Barker's reported annual salary was around $10 million.