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Every weekday millions of Americans tune in to see Brian Kilmeade talk politics with his co-anchors on the set of the Fox News morning show Fox & Friends, but Kilmeade is more than a talking head, he’s an author and radio host who has managed to turn his listeners into millions of dollars.
The 57-year-old is one of the few people who can say they are on the air for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, but that is exactly what Brian Kilmeade has been doing since 2006. Be it on television, the radio, or in a book, people continue to tune into the host. And, despite his many controversies he’s managed to keep churning out cash from his listeners.
Where Does Kilmeade Get The Money From?
Before joining Fox News Kilmeade had various correspondent gigs around the country. He co-hosted The Jim Brown Show on KLSD, an all-sports radio network. In 1993, Kilmeade joined Jim Brown as part of the announcing team for the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship event, conducting post-fight interviews. He moved into the play-by-play role for UFC 2 and UFC 3 in 1994.
But the real opportunity for Kilmeade to thrive happened after he joined Fox News in 1997.
Kilmeade was quickly named as a host of the cable news network’s morning show Fox & Friends where he remains today. The anchor has become a familiar face on the network, often appearing on other shows such as The Five, or on their sister network Fox Nation TV where he hosts the historical series What Made America Great.
When he isn’t on TV, he’s on the radio hosting his nationally syndicated radio show, The Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Talk from 9-12 noon. The show has cracked the top ten as one of the most powerful on the radio by Talkers Magazine.
He also sells a whole lot of books.
The workaholic has written 6 books, of which 5 have been New York Times bestsellers. He claims he has sold over $2.5 million novels to date.
How Much Does Me Make?
Kilmeade’s contract at Fox News is presumably his largest source of income. Sources suggest the anchor was getting $2.5 million in 2015 with a $500,000 raise yearly. That puts his salary at $4.5 million in 2021.
While at first, this might look impressive, it’s actually a far cry from what primetime anchors are getting. Sean Hannity, a stalwart at Fox News as host of The Sean Hannity Show earns $40 million yearly from the broadcast network.
It’s not easy to find out how much Kilmeade makes from book sales, but traditionally authors earn a royalty of 5-20% per printed book.
His latest title, The President and the Freedom Fighter: Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Their Battle to Save America's Soul, comes out next month and retails for $22 on Amazon. Assuming all his books sell for the price, and he receives a modest 10% royalty payments, it’s safe to assume he has pocketed a few million dollars.
Kilmeade's Current Net Worth
Surprisingly, even with his multi-million-dollar Fox News contract and book sales, Kilmeade has only amassed a fortune of $10 million, according to Exactnetworth.
That’s paltry compared to the $250 million fortune his Fox News peer Sean Hannity has in the bank. Even Kilmeade’s Fox & Friends co-anchor Steve Doocy has a million more dollars to his name.
His $10 million fortune is sure to keep increasing as the host hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. He also doesn’t appear to be spending on anything too lavish, living in a modest home in Massapequa, NY with his wife and three kids.
And for now, Fox & Friends continues to dominate each morning. The show has been a rating success for Fox News and receives more viewership than its cable morning news rivals on both CNN and MSNBC.
Sources: Fox News, ExactNetWorth