10 Richest Late-Night Talk Show Hosts Of All Time

Richest Late Night-Talk Show Hosts

The format which has been a staple on television for decades now is the late-night shows. The format was first popularised by Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon with "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" on NBC in 1962 and since then, the world has seen many of these shows.  After years of being in the business, it's pretty clear that it's the hosts who attract the audiences. Naturally, they are wooed with mammoth salaries. Let's take a look at the richest late-night talk show hosts. 

1. Jay Leno: $450 million

Jay Leno was the host of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" which ran from 1992 to 2009. He is to date the longest-running host in the history of television and is now worth a whopping $450 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. Before he embarked on the journey of being a host, he was already an established comedian. He is known for his vast vehicle collection which includes close to 300 vehicles. He is extremely fond of collecting antique cars and his collection is valued at $50 million, per The Richest.

2. David Letterman: $400 million 

David Letterman showcased his knack for comedy on the OG late talk show, "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" when he started appearing on the show as a guest star. NBC hired him in 1982 for "Late Night with David Letterman." Letterman shaped the modern format of the show with his unique and unconventional approach to hosting. The show and his style turned out to be a success. Letterman was a host for more than 3 decades and therefore, it comes as no shocker that he is worth $400 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. 

3. Conan O’Brien: $200 million

Conan O'Brien has been at the helm of many shows over the years. He was the host of the show called "Conan" which was on air for a few years. He is known for being very upfront and for his awkward and self-deprecating sense of humor. Conan has been in the hosting business for over 20 years now. According to Celebrity Net Worth, O'Brien was earning an annual salary of $12 million during his time at the TBS and is now worth $200 million. 

4. Jon Stewart: $120 million

Stewart's first television job was in 1989 when he was hired as a writer for Caroline's "Comedy Hour." He then went on to be a co-host for Comedy Central's "Short Attention Span Theater" along with Patty Rosborough in 1990. He achieved fame when he started hosting "The Daily Show" which was a satirical news program that appeared on Comedy Central. Jon Stewart has won 22 Emmy awards throughout his career, which is the most won Emmy awards by a male. He is worth $120 million as of August 2023, per Celebrity Net Worth. 

5. Trevor Noah: $100 million

The famous South African comedian rose to fame when he replaced Jon Stewart as the host for Comedy Central's "The Daily Show." He started with a salary of $5 to $8 million but was soon getting close to $14 million. He left the show in September 2022. Trevor Noah was already pretty successful in South Africa before coming to America and he said, "And I’m proud of South Africa because that’s where I made my fortune,” per South China Morning Post. “I had my homes and my cars and my nice things, and my country gave that to me. So I wasn’t escaping anything. I’m here because I want to be here." He is worth $100 million as of August 2023, per Celebrity Net Worth. 

6.  Stephen Colbert: $75 million

The American comedian, host, writer, actor, and author has an impressive net worth of $75 million, per Wealthy Gorilla. He is popular for hosting "The Colbert Report" which ran from 2005 to 2014. Colbert has also hosted the CBS talk program "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" which he took over from David Letterman in 2015. Outside of TV, he is involved in many other pursuits. He was featured in the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner and has also co-written a satirical novel "Wigfield: The Can-Do Town That Just May Not."

7. Jimmy Fallon: $60 million

Jimmy Fallon rose to prominence with a few years of stand-up and improv and soon got his big break as a regular cast member of "Saturday Night Live" at the age of 23. He used his fame as a talk show host to shape a career in showbiz and built a stellar reputation as a host. The American comedian, actor, writer, host, and producer is worth $60 Million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Jimmy Fallon reportedly earns an annual salary of $16 million hosting "The Tonight Show."

8. Jimmy Kimmel: $50 million

The American television host and comedian is best known for his show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" for which he reportedly earns an annual salary of $15 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Before establishing himself as a TV host he worked in Radio and also starred in Comedy Central shows like "Win Ben Stein’s Money" and "The Man Show." He left the show in 2003 and went on to host the all-new talk show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" which has gathered a very loyal audience base.

9. Craig Ferguson: $30 million

The Scottish-American comedian, writer, actor, director and producer is best known for hosting the "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" which is an Emmy-nominated CBS show. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ferguson was earning close to $8.5 million as an annual salary for hosting the show. He became a U.S. citizen in the year 2008 but has since returned to Scotland and lived in Glasgow's leafy West End.

10. Seth Meyers: 26 million

The American comedian, actor, and television host has a net worth of $26 million as of 2023, as per Celebrity Net Worth. He is best known for being the head writer and also the occasional performer on the popular show "Saturday Night Live." He joined the cast back in 2001 and became the co-head with Tina Fey and Andrew Steele. Seth Meyers reportedly earned close to $5 million for hosting.