Net Worth of David Letterman

David Letterman is an American comedian, television host, producer, writer, and actor. Letterman has been the host of the late-night talk show David Letterman show since 1993. He was also a weatherman for WTHR-TV in Indianapolis from 1970 to 1977. His overall net worth is estimated to be $400 million.

Letterman used to be able to make $50 million a year in licensing and syndication payments, but that figure has dropped somewhat over the years, no doubt because he is now in a retired status. He’s currently retired, but he was on air for over 33 years before he finally stepped down. In that time, he’s won numerous awards and achieved iconic status.

David Letterman Biography

David Letterman was born on April 12, 1947, in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Harry Joseph Letterman, was a florist. His mother, Dorothy Mengering, was a church secretary. He has two sisters, Janice and Gretchen. Letterman attended Broad Ripple High School, where he was a member of the chess club and editor of the school newspaper. He graduated from high school in 1965.

Letterman began his broadcasting career as a radio talk show host on the campus radio station at Ball State University, where he worked from 1969 to 1971. He then became a weatherman at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis from 1970 to 1977. He also hosted a late-night comedy show called “The David Letterman Show” on WLWI-TV from 1974 to 1975.

In 1980, Letterman moved to Los Angeles to host a morning talk show on NBC called “The David Letterman Show.” Alas, the show was not a successful one and was canceled after about four months. Letterman then began working on “Late Night with David Letterman,” which premiered on NBC in 1982. The show became a hit and ran for 11 years.

In 1993, Letterman moved to CBS to host “The Late Show with David Letterman.” This show was a success and ran for 22 years. Letterman retired from hosting in 2015 and was succeeded by Stephen Colbert.

Letterman has been married twice. His first marriage was to Michele Cook in 1968. They divorced in 1977. He then married Regina Lasko in 2009. They have one son, Harry Joseph Letterman, born in 2003.

David Letterman has won several awards throughout his career, including the Peabody Award, ten Emmy Awards, and the Kennedy Center Honors.

Kidnapping Incident

On January 30, 2015, David Letterman was the victim of a kidnapping prank. Two men, Marc Henry and Jarrett Husband, broke into his home while he was asleep and tied him up. The men then took Letterman to a nearby shopping mall, where they forced him to wear a sign that said “I mooned my family while they were gardening.” The men were arrested, and charged with burglary, kidnapping, and grand theft.

While Letterman was obviously not happy about the incident, he did find some humor in it. He joked about the incident on his show, saying “I’ve got to tell you, it was the longest I’ve ever been held hostage.” He also joked that he had asked the men for a ransom of $5 million, but they only had $1.50 between them.

The incident did not seem to phase Letterman, and he continued to host his show until his retirement in 2015.

Blackmail Incident

David Letterman has been the victim of a blackmail plot involving several affairs he had over the years. In 2009, a man named Joe Halderman tried to extort $2 million from Letterman by threatening to divulge that the talk show host had slept with several of his employees. Halderman was ultimately caught and sentenced to six months in prison.

Letterman has had a number of affairs over the years, most notably with his personal assistant, Stephanie Birkitt. The two carried on a sexual relationship for several years before Birkitt ended things in 2008. She later wrote about their affair in a tell-all book.

While Letterman has been the victim of blackmail in the past, it hasn’t stopped him from continuing to host his successful talk show.

What is the Net Worth of David Letterman?

David letterman’s net worth is estimated to be $400 million. He has worked hard to earn his wealth through a successful career in television in many capacities all over television! In fact, most of Letterman’s wealth comes from his long-standing career in television.

So how did David Letterman amass such a large fortune? Let’s take a look.

Net Worth of David Letterman: Salary

Over the years, David Letterman has earned a pretty penny from his work in television. His salary peaked in 2014 when he was earning $20 million per year from his talk show on CBS. In total, Letterman has earned an estimated $380 million from salary alone.

Net Worth of David Letterman: Earning From Talk Shows

In addition to his salary, Letterman also earned a share of the profits from his talk shows. It is estimated that he made $45 million from Late Night with David Letterman and $130 million from The Late Show with David Letterman. In total, that’s $175 million from his talk show earnings.

Net Worth of David Letterman: Endorsement Deals

Letterman has also made money from endorsement deals with companies like Pepsi and Microsoft. He has also appeared in commercials for Honda and Harley Davidson. It is estimated that Letterman has earned $10 million from endorsements over the years.

Net Worth of David Letterman: Real Estate

Letterman owns several properties around the US, including a ranch in Montana and an apartment in New York City. He also owns a home in St. Barts, which is estimated to be worth $5 million. In total, Letterman’s real estate portfolio is estimated to be worth $100 million.

Net Worth of David Letterman: Investments

Letterman has made some savvy investments over the years. He was an early investor in Netflix and owns a stake in the company that is now worth $50 million. He also now owns a minority stake in the Indianapolis Colts football team, which is estimated to be worth $10 million.

So there you have it, a look at how David Letterman has earned his fortune of $400 million. He is and has been one of the most successful talk show hosts in history and has amassed a huge fortune from his long-standing career in television. Thanks for reading!