| Net Worth: | $45 million |
|---|---|
| Salary: | $15 million |
| Income Sources:</strong | TV hosting and other television work, comedy, acting, book sales |
| Age/Date of Birth: | November 13, 1967 |
| Height: | 6 ft or 183 cm |
| Nationality: | American |
| Last Updated: | 2021 |
If you don’t know Jimmy Kimmel, you are either not of this world – yeah, you are an extraterrestrial being – or one of those nerds who are comedy snobs, who believe comedy isn’t funny but generally disturbing and distasteful.
Jimmy Kimmel’s Early Life
Jimmy Kimmel was born as James Christian Kimmel on November 13, 1967, in Brooklyn, New York. Kimmel got to grow up a bit in Mill Basin, Brooklyn. When he was 9 years old, his family relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada. From his days at Ed W. Clark High School, Kimmel showed interest in show business and began working for free to earn experience.
He first worked as the host of a Sunday night interview show for University of Las Vegas college station KUNV. After graduating from high school, Kimmel enrolled at the University of Las Vegas for a year before transferring to Arizona State University where he spent 3 years, dropping out before he could earn a degree to pursue his radio career.
His first paying job was at Seattle, Washington radio station KZOK-FM where he was the co-host of “The Me and Him Show”. Kimmel and his co-host were fired after 10 months on the job. They both landed another job at WRBQ-FM in Tampa, Florida but were again fired!
After a couple of other jobs, Kimmel landed his most enduring radio job at KROQ-FM in Los Angeles where he acted as Jimmy the Sports Guy on the longstanding morning show “Kevin and Bean.” Three years later, in 1997, he dabbled into TV as a comedian on the Comedy Central game show “Win Ben Stein’s Money.” Two years on the job, Kimmel won his first of many awards– A Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host.
Kimmel went on to produce his own shows on Comedy Central including the very successful “The Man Show”, and “Crank Yankers.” Nonetheless, he left The Man Show in its penultimate season to focus on his new show on ABC which launched him to superstardom. Jimmy is insignificantly taller than 6 feet (1.83 M). He plays the bass clarinet, was raised as a Catholic, and even served as an altar boy.
Analysis of Jimmy Kimmel Net Worth and Earnings
The story of how Jimmy started his show business career off-camera and proceeded to amass an estimated net worth of $45 million is inspiring for many people. Let’s discover more about his $45 million fortune.
He Made Most of His Wealth from Hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Jimmy’s ABC talk show brings him a salary of around $15 million and remains his biggest moneymaker. Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered on ABC network on January 26, 2003. For the first year, Kimmel was paid $1.7 million. In its second season, the show rapidly rose in ratings to become a strong competitor with shows like Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
Over the years, Jimmy Kimmel has managed to remain a strong competitor with other late-night shows. While he follows CBS’ Stephen Colbert and NBC’s Jimmy Fallon in overall ratings, Kimmel often snaps the highest viewership within the much-coveted 18-49 demographic with an average viewership of 2.4 million. Kimmel owes his adult demographic domination to his social media prowess.
He has a dedicated YouTube channel where he posts clips from the signature segments of his show after it’s done airing on TV. Most of these clips have gone viral, helping to garner the channel over 4.5 billion views and almost 8 million subscribers. Some of these signature segments include “Mean Tweets,” “I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy” and “Lie Witness News”. In Mean Tweets, Kimmel invites celebrities from actors to athletes and even politicians to read out some mean tweets posted about them.
Despite the controversies some of his antics have created (like the one involving Matt Damon), Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains a darling to many and ABC is paying his due reward. By 2009, his salary surged to $6 million. In May 2016, Kimmel renewed his deal with ABC to continue hosting the show for three more years ending in the fall of 2019. Before inking the deal, Kimmel was earning $10 million for each season and while the new deal didn’t reveal the exact worth, chances are it is higher than the former.
As of February 2017, Jimmy Kimmel Live! became the longest-running late-night talk show in ABC’s history after running for 14 seasons. He also serves as the executive producer of the show. When it was time to leave in 2019, he made another pact with ABC to continue hosting the show until 2022 wraps up. He now earns $15 million annually for his service.
How His Late-night Talk Show Salary Grew Over the Years
- 2003 – $1.7 Million
- 2009 – $6 Million
- 2016 – $10 Million
- 2020 – $15 Million
Kimmel Has also Made Good Money from Other Hosting Gigs
While the foregoing would make one proclaim Jimmy Kimmel was born to host, the man can brag about other successes. Besides hosting his own show, Kimmel has had other lucrative hosting gigs. The ABC staple has hosted the American Music Awards 5 times: in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008.
In addition to that, he has hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards thrice. First was the 64th on September 23, 2012; then the 68th on September 18, 2016, and the 72nd in 2020. Kimmel’s most high-profile gig yet was when he was selected to host the 89th Academy Awards for which he received a $15,000 paycheck. He hosted the event (90th Academy Awards) again in 2018. Many years earlier and together with NBA star LeBron James, Kimmel hosted the 2007 ESPY Awards on ESPN.
List of All the Shows He Has Hosted
- Win Ben Stein’s Money – (1997 – 2000)
- The Man Show – (1999 – 2003)
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! – (2003 – Present)
- American Music Awards of 2003
- American Music Awards of 2004
- Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson – 2005
- American Music Awards of 2006
- Set for Life – 2007
- American Music Awards of 2007
- American Music Awards of 2008
- White House Correspondents’ Dinner – 2012
- 64th Primetime Emmy Awards – 2012
- The Bachelor – 2015
- 68th Primetime Emmy Awards – 2016
- 89th Academy Awards – 2017
- 90th Academy Awards – 2018
- Live in Front of a Studio Audience – 2019
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – 2020
- Revenge of the Nerds – 2020
- 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards – 2020
TV Show and Movie Features Add to His Wealth
Kimmel has supported his income by lending his voice to numerous animated characters in movies and TV shows, as well as making cameo appearances. He has voiced various characters in movies like Road Trip (2000 Budget: $16 million, Gross: $120 million), Garfield: The Movie (2004 Budget: $50 million, Gross: $200 million), and The Boss Baby (2017).
He has also had voice roles in animation series like Family Guy and Glenn Martin, DDS. More to that, he has made cameo appearances in popular projects like Brad’s Status, Sandy Wexler, Ted 2, Pitch Perfect 2, Project X, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and The Aristocrats.
What he pocketed in all of these may never be known to the public but given the status he has attained in the entertainment industry, the amounts involved must be worth his time.
The Major Sources of the Comedian’s Wealth
- Salaries from hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- Paychecks from notable hosting gigs
- Appearances in movies and TV shows
Jimmy Kimmel’s Net Worth Compared With Other Late Night Talk Show Hosts
Jimmy plies his trade in one of the most competitive branches of show business. From The Late Late Show with James Corden to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and what have you, late-night talk shows have become super competitive and it is up to the hosts to make theirs stand out.
Because of that, late-night talk show hosts are often pitted against each other with comparisons made between their viewership numbers, salaries, and net worth. Compared with the most popular names in this branch of entertainment, Jimmy Kimmel hasn’t fared badly. Below is a list of some of the most famous late-night talk show hosts and their net worths.
- Conan O’Brien Net Worth – $150 Million
- Stephen Colbert Net Worth – $75 Million
- Jimmy Fallon Net Worth – $60 Million
- Trevor Noah Net Worth – $40 Million
- John Oliver Net Worth – $30 Million
- James Corden Net Worth – $30 Million
Jimmy Kimmel Met His Current Wife at Work
- Full Name: Molly O’Brien McNearney
- Date of Birth: March 5, 1978
- Occupation: Screenwriter and Producer
- Duration of Marriage: 2013 – Present
- No of Kids With Kimmel: 2 (Jane Kimmel and William John ”Billy” Kimmel)
After Jimmy parted with his first wife, he dated fellow comedian Sarah Silverman from 2002 to 2009 before he fell in love with Molly McNearney, a co-writer for his eponymous show. They were introduced to each other by the executive producer of the show and according to what Molly would later reveal, the host insulted her when she met him for the first time.
The executive producer had led Molly to Jimmy’s office to introduce them. Jimmy was cold and offered that competing in triathlons is “stupid” and “a waste of time” when he was told she does so. Thereafter, the two never got to talk until the writers of the show began hanging out after the show. They became friends, Jimmy cooked for Molly and the rest is history.
Molly has insisted she never thought of Jimmy as a possible romantic partner. Anyway, after four years of dating, they got married in 2013.
Molly’s career has grown over the years, from being an assistant to the executive producer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, she was promoted to serve as the assistant writer of the show. Molly was promoted again in 2018, she is currently the lead writer of the popular show.
Meet the Kids of Jimmy and Molly
Jane Kimmel
- Date of Birth: July 10, 2014
- Occupation: Undetermined
The couple wasted no time in having their first child together after they got married. Jane has her future ahead of her, she only graduated from preschool in June 2020. She has a thing for paintings or drawings and her parents wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up as an artist.
William John ”Billy” Kimmel
- Date of Birth: April 21, 2017
- Occupation: Undetermined
Jane has a little brother fondly called Billy. He was born with a rare heart condition diagnosed as tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with pulmonary atresia. As such, Billy was operated on three days after his birth. Thankfully, he has been healthy and fine.
The Television Host Met His First in College
- Full Name: Gina Maddy (Gina Kimmel)
- Date of Birth: December 13, 1964
- Occupation: Costume Designer and TV Personality
- Duration of Marriage: 1988 – 2002
- No of Kids With Kimmel: 2 (Katie and Kevin Kimmel)
In addition to being the ex-wife of Jimmy, Gina is known for her works in the costume and wardrobe department of productions like The Man Show (1999), Party Like the Queen of France (2012), and Party Like the Rich and Famous (2012).
It is said that Jimmy and Gina met at the University of Arizona while they were studying there. The comedian eventually got married to Maddy in 1988, this was a year before he landed his first job. After 14 years of marriage, they divorced in 2002, a year before his big break with Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
Meet the Kids of Jimmy and Maddy
Katie Kimmel
- Date of Birth: Sometime in 1991
- Occupation: Actress and Artist
Katie is the first child and daughter of Jimmy Kimmel. As an actress, she is known for her roles in The Man Show (1999) and Crank Yankers (2002). Also an artist, she obtained her BFA in 2015 from the School of The Art Institue of Chicago where she studied Ceramics, Video, and Painting.
Kevin Kimmel
- Date of Birth: September 19, 1993
- Occupation: Actor, PA Mixer, and Producer
Kevin is the first son of Jimmy Kimmel. He is an actor but doesn’t have much going for him in that regard as he is only known for his roles in Survivor (2000), Tosh.0 (2009), and The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail (2014).
He is also a pa mixer and has served in the sound department of productions like Last Comic Standing, Dance on Sunset, Big Brother, and BrainSurge. As a producer, he has worked as the production assistant of several episodes of Tubbin’ with Tash and The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail.
Jimmy Has Other Relatives in the Entertainment Industry
If you ever want to make a list of the interesting facts about Jimmy Kimmel, you must include the fact that a good number of his family members are also in the show business. For instance, his brother Jonathan Kimmel is a director, producer, writer, and actor. He also writes some segments for Jimmy’s show.
Forbye, his uncle Frank Potenza, a former police officer appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as “Uncle Frank” until he died in 2011. That’s not all, his cousin Sal Iacono is also a comedian and has appeared with him on “Win Ben Stein’s Money”, “The Man Show” and Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Nope, Kimmel’s father James John Kimmel didn’t get involved with show business. He worked at IBM as an executive while Jimmy’s mom Joan (née Iacono) was a stay home wife.
| Net Worth: | $45 million |
|---|---|
| Salary: | $15 million |
| Income Sources:</strong | TV hosting and other television work, comedy, acting, book sales |
| Age/Date of Birth: | November 13, 1967 |
| Height: | 6 ft or 183 cm |
| Nationality: | American |
| Last Updated: | 2021 |
