Howard Stern is an American radio personality, television show host, author, actor, and photographer with an estimated net worth of $500 million. Stern gained worldwide recognition in the 90’s for being a “shock jock” on his nationally syndicated radio show.
Howard Allan Stern was born on January 12, 1954 in Jackson Heights, New York City. Stern developed an interest in radio at five years of age. He launched his radio career in college when he started working at WTBU, a campus radio station where he spun records, did the news, and held interviews. His first real job was in Newton, Massachusetts on WMTN radio.
Stern’s early career saw him jump from stations in Connecticut to Detroit. While he was successful and popular as a station host he sought to further his career and was often denied that until he landed a job at WNBC in New York City. Despite driving some of the highest ratings on the station in years, Stern was fired because he constantly crossed boundaries set by executives.
Stern then landed a spot with Robin Quivers, who he picked up during his time in D.C. with New York radio station WXRK. His first contract was worth $500,000 over 5-years. Little did Stern know he would stay with the station for 20 years and drive his income into the millions before making a deal with Sirius Radio in which he received a contract and stock over two years valued close to $300 million dollars. As of August 2013, Stern was making $100 million per year through his radio show.
Aside from a radio personality, Stern has received millions for authoring a book Private Parts and then making the book into a movie. During his time on radio he was also given a television show that featured his live broadcasts on E! television. In 2011, it was announced that Stern would replace Piers Morgan on America’s Got Talent. His job as a host on the show would net Stern $15 million annually.
With a radio show, television broadcast, and income from a book and movie, Stern’s net worth shot up into the hundreds of millions of dollars. He currently owns several homes including a $52 million estate in Palm Beach, Florida that covers 19,000 feet. He is currently married to Beth Ostrosky, his second wife, who is 19-years younger than him.
Stern describes himself as the “King of All Media” for his ventures outside of radio. Though he’s always been critical of the organization, Stern was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2012.
Last year, Stern and Simon Cowell shared the title of Forbes’ highest earning television personalities with $95 million earned between June 2012 and June 2013. Stern is really a cash cow. The brand he has created for himself through radio is unlike any other in the history of the industry. For all his wise cracks and out-of-bounds behavior the guy has managed to become a business tycoon. His net worth should hold steady as his radio show and television gigs don’t appear to be going anywhere.
