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Talk show hosts are invited to family's homes nightly, so it's no surprise that a lot of them are rolling in money. As household names, they're some of the most recognized people in the country. Whether they're making you laugh or teaching you something, a talk show host can almost seem like a buddy of yours. Not to mention, they frequently get to rub elbows with the hottest A-listers in the entertainment industry. It's part of their job, after all! With decades-long careers, these hosts have managed to accumulate some pretty impressive net worths! Here are the top ten highest-paid talk shows hosts in America.
Tyra Banks - $90 million
Tyra Banks is best known for being a groundbreaking supermodel, but she also excelled as a humourous talk show host. She began a production company, Ty Ty Baby Productions, and used the company to create two successful television shows: America's Next Top Model, a reality show which she hosted for twenty-two seasons, and The Tyra Banks Show, a talk show aimed at young women that ran from 2005 to 2010. The Tyra Banks Show earned a Daytime Emmy for "Outstanding Talk Show" two years in a row. Her net worth currently sits at $90 million.
Steve Harvey - $120 million
While Steve Harvey started as a stand-up comedian, America best knows him as a talk show host extraordinaire. He began hosting the hit game show Family Feud in 2010 and still hosts it to this day. As for talk shows, he hosted the self-titled Steve Harvey from 2012 to 2016. He eventually debuted a new talk show, Steve, where he got to have more creative control of the series and incorporate more humor. The show ran from 2017 to 2019. He also hosts a radio show, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, which began in 2000. His net worth is $120 million.
Sean Hannity - $220 million
The controversial Sean Hannity is a political commentator. While his hosting career began on the radio, he eventually was able to transition to television. He co-hosted Hannity and Colmes with the more liberal Alan Colmes, and together they debated politics from 1996 to 2009. He eventually got his own television show, Hannity's America, that ran from 2007 to 2009. In 2009, the show was rebranded as just Hannity, which is currently still running. Though he continues to make controversial statements as a host, he still manages to have a net worth of $220 million.
Ryan Seacrest - $380 million
Ryan Seacrest began his career as a host for children's game shows, but his name really took off when he hosted the singing competition show American Idol. He hosted the show for its initial run from 2002 to 2016, and now hosts the reboot of the show. Ryan hosts Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve every year and has hosted specials that involve everything from coverage of celebrities on the red carpet to the Olympic games. In 2017, Ryan became the permanent co-host of Kelly Ripa for their talk show Live With Kelly and Ryan. When he's not on TV, he hosts the radio show On Air With Ryan Seacrest. His net worth is an estimated $380 million.
Jay Leno - $400 million
Jay Leno started his career as a stand-up comedian but didn't see too much fame until he began hosting The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in 1992. He went on to host The Tonight Show until 2009 when he decided to leave to launch his new show The Jay Leno Show. After that project was canceled, he controversially returned to The Tonight Show where he remained until 2014. Now, he hosts the show Jay Leno's Garage, where he reviews cars and motorcycles. Though it started as a web series, it got so popular that it now airs on television. As of 2019, his net worth is $400 million.
David Letterman - $400 million
David Letterman is considered talk show royalty as he hosted the hit talk show Late Night with David Letterman for a whopping 6,080 episodes. He became the host of Late Night all the way back in 1982, but didn't end his tenure until just recently in 2015. Even after leaving Late Night, Letterman couldn't shake the hosting bug. He now hosts the Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman. Talk show hosts Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers have all cited Letterman as their inspiration. His current net worth is $400 million.
Phil McGraw - $400 million
Phil McGraw is better known as "Dr. Phil," and hosts a television show of the same name. Dr. Phil has his doctorate in Clinical Psychology but didn't take his knowledge to show business until 1998. It was then that talk show host Oprah Winfrey had him come on her show as a consultant, and he began making weekly appearances. He garnered so much popularity that he was given his own show, The Dr. Phil Show, in 2002. Despite some controversies surrounding the show, he still hosts it to this day. His estimated net worth is $400 million.
Judy Sheindlin - $420 million
Better recognized as "Judge Judy," Judy Sheindlin hosts the court show of the same name and has done so since 1996. Judy is a real judge, having passed the New York state bar examination in 1965. She worked as a prosecutor until she was appointed as a judge in 1982 and worked in both criminal and family court. Judy went on to retire and write the first of her many books in 1996. After the success of her book and making a name for herself in the press with her "no-nonsense" personality, she was approached about a potential television show that quickly took off. As a household name, Judge Judy's estimated net worth is $420 million.
Ellen DeGeneres - $450 million
Ellen DeGeneres started doing stand-up comedy in the 1980's before starring in her own sitcoms, Ellen from 1994 to 1998 and The Ellen Show from 2001 to 2002. Ellen has unarguably earned her most success from her hit talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which debuted in 2003 and is still airing to this day. Ellen's sense of humor and natural rapport with the rich and famous gave her a great reputation as a host, and she's since been selected multiple times to host the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and the Primetime Emmy's. As of 2019, her net worth is $450 million.
Oprah Winfrey - $3.2 billion
Not only is Oprah Winfrey one of the richest talk show hosts, but she's also one of the richest women in America period. Her television career started in 1977, where she made history as the youngest news anchor and the first black female news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV. After working as a news anchor for a while, she was recruited to host the morning talk show AM Chicago. The show's ratings skyrocketed from abysmal to excellent after she was cast as the host. She was given her own nationally broadcast show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, in 1986. It ran until 2011. Oprah has continued her career through acting, producing, and philanthropy. Her net worth is currently $3.2 billion.