With Stephen Colbert preparing to deliver his final Late Show episode, a new breakdown of major late-night hosts’ net worths puts Jon Stewart at the top with a reported $120 million—well ahead of Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Se
The spotlight is already moving—fast—on late-night television as Stephen Colbert heads toward his final Late Show episode. On May 11, the five hosts behind the limited-run Strike Force Five podcast reunited, with the reunion timed to honor Colbert’s last few days on air.
But while the moment is about Colbert’s swan song, the buzz has quickly shifted to money: who is earning the most, and who is worth the most after decades of dominating prime-time conversations.
Jon Stewart’s reported fortune lands him at No.. 1. according to the net worth figures cited in the report—$120 million. with a reported $25 million-a-year salary for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. where he currently hosts once a week.. The same reporting also notes that Paramount—CBS and Comedy Central’s parent—confirmed Stewart’s contract extension through December 2026 in November 2025. months after CBS said it was canceling Late Night with Stephen Colbert.
The Stewart deal matters because it sits at the center of the larger late-night churn: while Colbert’s series was announced as ending after 33 years, Stewart is positioned for the kind of runway that can stabilize a brand in uncertain industry cycles.
The report traces how Stewart got there. starting with his move from stand-up into television. first as host of Short Attention Span Theater for Comedy Central in the early ’90s.. It then points to The Jon Stewart Show on MTV from 1993 to 1995. which later moved to syndication. before the long-running shift that made his mainstream reputation stick: taking over The Daily Show in 1999.
After 16 years on The Daily Show, Stewart left in August 2015, only to return in February 2024 to host Monday nights and serve as an executive producer.
John Oliver follows Stewart with a reported net worth of $80 million. while the report says he makes $30 million a year as host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight.. Oliver’s rise is also laid out through his early connection to Stewart’s show—he first found his big break in 2006 as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Stewart.. He left that correspondent role in 2013. during which time the reporting says he won three Primetime Emmy Awards and became guest host for eight weeks.
Oliver’s current era began in 2014, and the report says Last Week Tonight has won 20 Emmy Awards, adding that its influence on US culture, legislation, and policymaking has been dubbed the “John Oliver effect.”
Stephen Colbert lands third in the net worth ranking with a reported $75 million.. The report places his salary for The Late Show at $15 million. and it also describes the major contract turning point: Colbert’s early days earned him $6 million a year. before a raise in October 2019 that. according to the report. guaranteed his spot through 2023 and lifted his annual pay to $15 million.
Colbert’s career history is tied to The Daily Show as well: he was a correspondent from June 1997 to September 2005. before leaving for The Colbert Report—a parody of personality-driven political opinion shows—at the time.. The report adds that after performing as the featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in 2006 in character. his series became one of Comedy Central’s highest-rated shows.
That run ended in December 2014, and in 2015 Colbert was hired to succeed Letterman as host of Late Show.
The report also preserves the key headline moment that changed the tone across late-night: on July 17. 2025. Colbert shocked viewers by announcing the series’ cancellation after 33 years. saying he was told the previous evening.. It further notes that CBS later claimed the cancellation was a “purely financial decision.”
Even as Colbert’s final episodes approach, the ranking doesn’t stop at the top three.. Jimmy Fallon is next. with a reported net worth of $70 million and annual earnings believed to be $16 million for The Tonight Show. according to the report.. It describes his path from Saturday Night Live after joining in 1998. leaving SNL in May 2004. and then starring in films including Taxi and Fever Pitch.. His awards are listed as four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award. alongside the detail that he has released two comedy albums and seven books. mainly for children.
Jimmy Kimmel’s reported net worth is $50 million. with the report saying his annual salary is believed to be $16 million for Jimmy Kimmel Live!.. The reporting notes that he debuted his talk show in January 2003 and that his longest tenure among current late-night television hosts in the US has been a central part of his profile.. It also includes the disruption that hit in September 2025: the show was suspended for one week and pulled off the air after comments related to Charlie Kirk’s death. then returned a week later.. The report adds that ABC offered Kimmel a one-year contract extension in December. and that his previous multiyear contract had been set to expire in May 2026.
At the bottom of the network hosts’ salary comparison is Seth Meyers. The report says he earns $5 million a year from Late Night With Seth Meyers and has a reported net worth of $25 million.
Meyers’ rise is tied to Saturday Night Live, where he spent 13 years from 2001 to 2014 as head writer and anchored Weekend Update. After leaving SNL in December 2014, the report says he took over NBC’s Late Night when Fallon departed for The Tonight Show.
It also lists recent recognition: Meyers racked up Emmy nods for writing across both SNL and Late Night. won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special in 2025. and—alongside hosting—contributes to podcasts including The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast and Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers.
For now, the reunion of Colbert’s peers is about respect, not spreadsheets. But the net worth rankings landing in the middle of his farewell underline something audiences already feel: late-night is changing, and the stakes are bigger than anyone’s monologue.
Stephen Colbert Late Show Jon Stewart The Daily Show John Oliver Last Week Tonight Jimmy Fallon The Tonight Show Jimmy Kimmel Live Seth Meyers Late Night With Seth Meyers Strike Force Five podcast
$120 million?? man I need a talent agent lol
So is this saying he makes $25 million a year on top of the 120 or is that the same thing? Either way that’s wild. I barely make rent.
Wait his salary is $25 mil but the article says he’s only on The Daily Show once a week now? Like who is doing the other days, puppets? Kinda confused how that math works.
I don’t trust any of these net worth sites tbh. Half the time it’s made up. If they’re talking about contract extension through Dec 2026 then sure, but why are they ranking him like he’s the richest in the whole world. Also Colbert leaving makes it sound sad and then it’s all money talk… typical.