How Rich Is Howard Stern as the Controversial Radio Host Turns 68?
Howard Stern, who turned 68 on Jan. 12, is an often-controversial radio and TV personality and self-described “The King of All Media” who rakes in big bucks at SiriusXM satellite radio. After his most recent five-year contract ended in 2020, he negotiated a yearly salary and perks worth $120 million per year. That works out to more than $330,000 per show, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Sure, he is responsible for paying his on-air colleagues and general staff, but that still leaves him with 75%, not counting the IRS’ and his management team’s hefty cuts of money. Between his earnings from his radio show, books, time on “America’s Got Talent” and other ventures, he has a net worth of $650 million.
With his salary being so high, it is not surprising to learn that SiriusXM has earned Stern more than $1 billion since they enacted their lucrative partnership. Analysts estimate that 10-15% of audience members subscribe only to listen to Stern, Celebrity Net Worth reported.
Stern became a household name with “The Howard Stern Show,” which was broadcast on traditional radio from 1986 to 2005 and earned him a reputation as a “shock jock.” While there, he raked in heavy fines with the FCC to the tune of $2.5 million for content considered by some stations to be indecent. However, his popularity proved to be worth the trouble. Even before he partnered with SiriusXM, he was a multimillionaire.
His autobiography, “Howard Stern: Private Parts,” was published by Simon & Schuster in 1993. It sold out within hours of being released, and it debuted on The New York Times Best Sellers list and remained there for 20 weeks. He was paid $1 million for his book.
In 1997, his book was turned into a film of the same name. It was a hit, grossing over $41 million in theaters.
Stern also published two additional books: “Miss America” and “Howard Stern Comes Again.”
He became a judge for “America’s Got Talent” in 2011 and stayed with the show until 2015.
Early Life and Career
Stern was born in Queens, New York, on Jan. 12, 1954. His family relocated to Long Island when he was a year old. As a small child, he pretended to be on the radio in a studio his dad made for him. As a teen, the family moved again. Stern worked on the college radio station at Boston University. He graduated magna cum laude from that school in 1976.
For the next six years, Stern worked morning shows at small stations in New York, Connecticut, Michigan and Washington, D.C. This is where he developed his signature on-air style. New York City came calling in 1982, and he went on the air in the afternoons on WNBC. In 1985, he was promoted to morning show host. A year later, he got syndicated into 60 additional markets where his listenership blew up to 20 million people.
Personal Life and Real Estate
Stern has been married twice. He met his first wife, Alison Berns, at Boston University. They married in 1978 and have three daughters together. The couple divorced in 2001.
He married longtime girlfriend Beth Ostrosky on Oct. 3, 2008.
Stern owns about $100 million in real estate, according to the New York Post.
His Upper West Side penthouse is reported to be worth $21 million. He originally purchased the three condos that made up the 54th floor of the Millennium Tower for $6 million in 1998. Ten years later, he purchased the two condos that made up the 53rd floor for $15 million. Combining the spaces gave him an 8,000-square-foot mansion in one of New York’s priciest buildings.
In 2005, he purchased an empty lot in the Hamptons, where he built his own custom-made 15,000-square-foot mansion. Zillow estimates the estate’s value at $25 million, the New York Post reported.
In 2013, he purchased a $52 million estate in Palm Beach, Florida, with his wife. It has 12 bedrooms and is located on 3.25 acres.
Howard Stern will earn at least $600 million from SiriusXM in the next five years. However, as he always has another project in the wings, more money will likely come his way.
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