Jimmy Kimmel, the legendary late-night talk show host, has been a fixture in the entertainment industry for decades. Kimmel’s journey has been nothing short of inspiring, from his humble beginnings in comedy clubs to his emergence as a household name on late-night television. As fans and curious minds ponder the financial success Jimmy Kimmel has achieved over the course of his career, we delve deeper into the details of his net worth.
Jimmy Kimmel Net Worth
The host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! earns a substantial salary for his duties. His annual salary is said to be around $15 million and his net worth is around $50 million.
With over fifteen years on the air and a large fan base that continues to grow each year, Jimmy Kimmel Live! shows no symptoms of disappearing in the near future. Regarding himself, Kimmel divides his time equally between his program and his family.
Early years
James Christian (“Jimmy”) Kimmel was born on November 13, 1967 in Brooklyn, New York. The eldest of three children, he resided in the Mill Basin neighborhood until his family moved to Las Vegas when he was nine. He attended Ed W. Clark High School, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for one year, and Arizona State University for two years before receiving an honorary degree from UNLV.
Radio career
Kimmel began working at a radio station while still in high school, influenced by David Letterman’s early days in radio. While in college, he got his first paid job in radio as morning co-host of The Me and Him Show on Seattle’s KZOK-FM.
He and co-host Kent Voss were fired in 1990, primarily due to their expensive on-air stunts. Kimmel decided to start his own talk show in Palm Springs, California, and recruited Carson Daly, a childhood acquaintance, as an intern. Jimmy was employed for five years as “Jimmy the Sports Guy” on the Kevin and Bean morning show on KROQ-FM in Los Angeles.
Comedy Central
Initially, Kimmel had no desire to get into television. He was recruited to do his own on-air promotions after he began writing promotional materials for Fox advertisers. Kimmel was then offered a spot on Win Ben Stein’s Money on Comedy Central in 1997 as Ben Stein’s “everybody’s funny” counterpart.
The duo won the Emmy for Best Game Show Host. While still working on Win Ben Stein’s Money in 1999, Kimmel co-hosted and co-produced The Man Show with Adam Carolla. The success of the program allowed Kimmel and Carolla to create the Comedy Central show Crank Yankers, with Kimmel voicing several of the characters.
TV host
Jimmy left The Man for good in 2003 and began hosting his own show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” which gradually gained popularity and success. Despite its nickname, the program is not broadcast live. Jimmy is well known for his eccentric and “weird” personality and interview technique. Like most talk show hosts, he has been involved in controversies and disputes. David Letterman and Howard Stern are his two biggest hosting influences.
Jimmy has also appeared on “Larry King Live” and “Live with Regis and Kelly” as a guest moderator. For the latter, he commuted daily between New York and Los Angeles for five consecutive days, surpassing the Guinness World Record for the greatest distance traveled in a single work week. In 2017, it hosted the Academy Awards, and in 2012 and 2016, it hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards. It has hosted the American Music Awards for five consecutive years. In 2013, Kimmel received a plaque on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6840 Hollywood Boulevard.
Privacy
On Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel’s relative Frank Potenza and cousin Sal Iacono appear frequently. Kimmel and Gina Maddy were married from 1988 to 2002. Their children are Katherine and Kevin. From 2002 to 2009, he was in a relationship with Sarah Silverman. In July 2013, he married Molly McNearney and the couple have two children, Jane and William John. Three days after his birth, their son, born with a rare congenital heart defect, underwent successful surgery. Upon his return to the program, Kimmel shared the terrifying incident with the public.
Kimmel is a practicing Catholic and a supporter of the Democratic Party. He publicly revealed that he suffered from narcolepsy.