Here's How Jon Stewart Built His $120 Million Fortune
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Hailing from New York, Jon Stewart was in his early twenties when he pursued a career as a stand-up comedian. After becoming a regular comedian at various spots, he bagged minor roles in television shows that gained him some recognition. However, it wasn’t until he began hosting The Jon StewartShow in 1993 that Stewart became an instant hit with the audience. In 1999, he took the reins of The Daily Show, which was one of the most popular talk show when Stewart hosted it. He won several awards for his work as a writer, producer, and host. Along with working on the show, he became an accomplished author, filmmaker, and businessman. Through his work in various fields, Stewart has amassed a whopping $120 million over the years.
While he said goodbye to his days hosting a broadcast show, he is still a talked-out person in the public eye known for his appearances on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and his new digital talk show. From performing stand-up in small clubs to having a primetime network show, let’s take a look inside Jon Stewart’s $120 million fortune.
A Stand-Up Comedian
After graduating college, Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz adopted Jon Stewart's stage when he began performing stand-up comedy in the late 1980s. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he debuted at New York’s oldest rock club, The Bitter End, where stars like Woody Allen also started their career. His humor and comedic timing made him a popular name in the comedy circuit. He became a regular performer at the Comedy Cellar, a well-known comedy club in Manhattan, New York. Unfortunately, while Stewart had a unique way to express politics with humor, he was put in the last slot at 02:30 AM, before the club’s closing time.
A Screenwriter
After pursuing a career in stand-up comedy, Jon Stewart got his big break in television as a writer for Caroline’s Comedy Hour. The show ran for one season and was hosted by Caroline Hirsch. It had various comedians performing stand-up on stage in New York. Over the years, Jon Stewart has written sketches and comedy bits for the television shows he has hosted and co-hosted. The host has also won an Emmy for Best Writing for a Variety Talk Show for his political stance and coverage.
A TV Show Host
After hosting Short Attention Span Theater in 1990 on Comedy Central and You Wrote It, You Watch It in 1992 on MTV, Jon Stewart’s career took off when he appeared on The David Letterman Show. In 1993, he developed and hosted The Jon Stewart Show on MTV, which became instantly popular and the second-highest rated show for the channel. After the show's ratings dropped, David Letterman offered him the opportunity to make appearances on The Late Late Show With Tom Snyder.
When Craig Kilborn retired from hosting The Daily Show in 1999, Jon Stewart bagged the role of hosting it. During the first season of the show, Stewart earned $1.5 million. However, his salary hiked to $14 million in 2009. When the show was at its peak, Stewart made $25 million per season, as noted by Yahoo Finance. Stewart won 20 Emmys and 2 Grammys as the show’s host, writer, and producer. Stewart’s satirical take on politics, media, and pop culture became popular with the public, and the show became a tough competition even for regular news channels. Jon Stewart left the role as the host in 2015 and passed the torch to Trevor Noah.
Other Business Ventures
While hosting The Jon Stewart Show, the former host began his production company in the late-1990s called Busboy Productions. Stewart has mainly focused on producing talk shows and has served as an Executive for many popular shows. The Colbert Report hosted by Stephen Colbert was the first successful show produced by the company. Other notable shows include Important Things With Demetri Martin and The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore. Stewart also serves as an Executive Producer for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
An Author
Known for his political savvy and confident take on American politics and current events, Jon Stewart published three books throughout his career that became instant hits for their humor and the serious underlying meaning between the words. His published books were America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide To Democracy Inaction, a No. 1 New York Times Bestseller, Earth: The Book: A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race, and Naked Pictures of Famous People. His debut novel earned him two Quill Awards for Humor and his Audiobook, as stated by Today.
His Digital Chat Show
After retiring from being a full-time host on television, Jon Stewart still makes minor appearances on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. However, in September 2021, the host began his digital chat show called The Problem With Jon Stewart, produced by Apple TV+. He tackles one problem per episode of the show while inviting virtual guests to talk on his show, as reported by IndieWire. The show was a highly-anticipated return of Stewart to the public and well-received by audiences.
Jon Stewart always made reality a sweet truth, from beginning his career in stand-up to carrying humor throughout his dynamic career. The host has amassed a $120 million fortune over the years for famously being a fake newscaster who brings people the real news. Stewart has been announced as the recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor for 2022 and will be awarded on April 24.
Sources: Celebrity Net Worth, Yahoo Finance, Today, IndieWire
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