You simply cannot talk about the top television hosts in America right now without making mention of Ellen DeGeneres! A very polished and multi-dimensional talent, Ellen has established herself as one of the most beloved television hosts in America, having caught attention and won serious admiration with her syndicated TV talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She has hosted the show for so many years and has interviewed almost all the famous faces in America including presidents, senators, movie stars, athletes, and singing sensations. She has a way of attracting attention to her show with a vast array of innovative programs which she features every time to the admiration of her viewers. The woman has become so popular, commanding good ratings and raking in a lot of money over the years.
At the moment, Ellen DeGeneres’ net worth has been pegged at about $400 million but the question that fans have been asking is how she made all of that. Everyone knows she makes money from her talk show, but is that where all her money comes from, or does she have other sources of income? We have all the answers that you seek right here.
How Ellen DeGeneres Became Popular
We figured that before we tell you how Ellen DeGeneres’ net worth was built to such an enviable height, it would be wise for us to discuss her background and how she began to make all the buzz she now makes.
Ellen DeGeneres, whose full name is Ellen Lee DeGeneres, was born on the 26th day of January 1958. The TV host was born in Metairie, Louisiana, the USA to a father called Elliott Everett DeGeneres, an insurance agent and a mother called Elizabeth Jane, a speech therapist. She grew up with a bother called Vance DeGeneres who is now a music producer and comedian. Her parents divorced when she was about 15 years old and she moved in with her mother while her brother remained with their father.
Growing up, Ellen attended Atlanta High School from where she graduated in 1976. She then proceeded to attend the University of New Orleans, where she majored in communication studies. However, after just one year, she left the school to do clerical work in a law firm with a cousin, Laura Gillen. At this time, she was already developing some love for stand-up comedy.
Ellen DeGeneres eventually kick-started her career as a comedian and began to perform stand-up comedy. She progressed rapidly as people came to love her passion and raw talent. She soon found work as an emcee at Clyde’s Comedy Club in New Orleans and began to tour as a comedian nationally, wowing fans with her jokes. She also found work as an actress, starring in some movies.
From 1994 to 1998, Ellen starred in a TV sitcom called Ellen and then proceeded to star in The Ellen Show, another sitcom from 2001 to 2002. In 2003, she began to host The Ellen DeGeneres Show and has been doing this ever since. Under her watch, The Ellen DeGeneres Show has grown to become one of the most-watched TV shows in America.
Her work on TV has made her rich and today, Ellen DeGeneres’ net worth has been pegged at $400 million.
Here’s How Ellen DeGeneres Made Her Money
Like we have mentioned, Ellen DeGeneres’ work on TV has made her very rich; she makes a whole lot of money from The Ellen DeGeneres Show. According to sources, Ellen rakes in a staggering $87.5 million every year from the show. This is not too surprising considering how big the show has come to be.
Apart from the show she hosts, Ellen has worked as an actress and has pulled in money from that as well. She has starred in movies such as Mr. Wrong in 1996, The Love Letter in 1999, and EDtv in 1999 among others, getting paid for her efforts.
The TV host has also invested in other businesses; in 2016, she launched the Ellen Digital Ventures in partnership with the Warner Bros. Television Group. This company has been reported to be a multi-million dollar enterprise by Forbes.
Ellen DeGeneres has appeared as a judge on American Idol, the popular singing contest series and is believed to have been paid several million for this job. She has also hosted the Primetime Emmys and the Academy Awards; she was reportedly paid a whopping $1 million for hosting the later. Ellen has also published books including Seriously…I’m Kidding, and The Funny Thing Is…, among others.
Another way Ellen makes money is by house flipping. In fact, she has been described as one of the biggest celebrity home flippers in America as she has owned and sold as many as 12 homes over the years, raking in a lot of money in the process.
