What is Tucker Carlson's net worth and salary?
Tucker Carlson, an American political commentator, author, and TV personality, has an estimated net worth of $50 million. He initially gained prominence as a CNN commentator from 2000 to 2005 before hosting a show on MSNBC from 2005 to 2008. Carlson joined Fox News in 2009 and started hosting ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ in 2016.
On April 24, 2023, Carlson was unexpectedly fired from Fox News. This occurred shortly after Fox settled a defamation suit with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million. Interestingly, Don Lemon was also fired from CNN on the same day.
Beyond television, Tucker co-founded the website The Daily Caller and is a published author and columnist. On May 9, 2023, Tucker announced a new show on Twitter, sacrificing an estimated $25 million from his previous Fox News contract.
Salary & Fox Contract
Tucker Carlson's peak salary at Fox News was $10 million per year. Initially, when Carlson transitioned from a weekend correspondent to Bill O'Reilly's former slot, his salary increased from $2 million to $6 million annually. Comparatively, O'Reilly had earned $25 million but Tucker managed to surpass his predecessor in ratings.
In February 2021, Carlson extended his Fox contract for three more years, raising his salary to $10 million per year. This extension also introduced a podcast and monthly specials under 'Tucker Carlson Originals.'
Before his firing, Carlson was negotiating a new contract that could have extended through 2029.
The resolution on May 9, 2023, saw Tucker opt to leave his Fox contract and start a new show on Twitter, relinquishing roughly $25 million in guaranteed earnings.
Early Life
Born in San Francisco, Tucker Carlson was mostly raised in Southern California. His father, Richard Warner Carlson, was an LA news anchor and ambassador. His mother left the family when Tucker was just six. Richard later married Patricia Caroline Swanson, heiress to the Swanson frozen foods empire.
Carlson attended Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and graduated with a history degree in 1991.
Success
Tucker Carlson's career began in print journalism, working for publications like Policy Review and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He was a columnist for Reader's Digest and New York Magazine and contributed to various renowned outlets such as Esquire, The Weekly Standard, and The New York Times Magazine.
Carlson made his television debut on CNN as a co-host for ‘Crossfire,’ where he represented the right-wing perspective. A notable moment was his contentious interview with comedian Jon Stewart, which significantly contributed to the show's cancellation.
After CNN, Carlson went on to co-host shows on MSNBC and Fox News. In 2017, he took over the 8 pm slot on Fox News from Bill O'Reilly and his show, 'Tucker Carlson Tonight,' quickly became Fox’s highest-rated show.
On April 24, 2023, Carlson announced his sudden departure from Fox News.
Book Deal
Simultaneous to his rise on Fox News, Carlson signed a lucrative book deal reported to be worth $15 million. His notable works include ‘Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites: My Adventures in Cable News’ (2003), ‘Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class Is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution’ (2018), and ‘The Long Slide: Thirty Years in American Journalism’ (2021).
Daily Caller
In 2010, Tucker and Neil Patel co-founded The Daily Caller, a right-wing news and opinion platform. Positioned as a conservative alternative to The Huffington Post, Carlson sold his 1/3 stake in June 2020 for an undisclosed sum.
Personal Life
Tucker Carlson has been married to Susan Andrews since 1991. They met at the St. George School chapel in Middletown, Rhode Island. The couple has four children, and Carlson is known to be left-handed and dyslexic.
For nearly a decade, Tucker and his brother Buckley have been engaged in a lawsuit over their estranged mother's estate. Initially believed to be worth only $125,000, they later discovered the royalty rights were valued at least $2.5 million. Despite this, their mother’s will left each brother just $1. The lawsuit remains unresolved.
Real Estate
Tucker and Susan Carlson split their time between homes in Florida and Maine. In 2011, they downsized from a $4 million property to a $2 million one in Washington D.C.’s Kent neighborhood, selling it in 2017 for $2.04 million.
In 2017, they purchased another home in Kent for $3.895 million and sold it in 2020 for $3.95 million after protests occurred at their property. In early 2020, the Carlsons bought a $2.9 million home on Gasparilla Island, Florida, adding a second property in the same community in 2022 for $5.5 million. Both houses are located side-by-side in Boca Grande.
