How Bill Maher Achieved a Net Worth of $100 Million

Bill Maher made his career in the entertainment industry and has become a famous talk show host with a keep focus on the political arena. The American born orator is sometimes an antagonist and he knows how to get to the heart of the matter with his intriguing dialogues with guests from varying backgrounds to dig into important topics of the day and get to the real stories behind the headlines. He’s amassed a fortune of an estimated $100 million, but how did he do it? The foundation for his success goes back a long way and the 64-year-old has steadily built a successful career that started decades ago.

Bill Maher’s early years

Maher was born into a family with mixed cultural and religious values. He was born to William Maher and Julie Berman in January of 1956 in New York City. His mother was a nurse and his father, a radio announcer and network news editor. Although his parents raised him with Catholic values, his mother also had a Jewish background which she didn’t speak about until Bill was a teenager. He was raised in the town of River Vale in New Jersey, not far from New York City. After graduating from Pascack High School, he went on to attend collect at the prestigious Cornell University. He earned his four-year degree in English in 1978.

How he got his start

The year after Maher completed college, he was hired to host a New York City stand up comedy show. This gave him plenty of exposure to prospective employers and set a positive tone early in his new career. He didn’t let any grass grow under his feet after college. It wasn’t long before Bill Maher was invited to appear on network comedy talk shows at the behest of greats such as David Letterman and Johnny Carson. These were big breaks that placed him on a positive trajectory forward.

Entrance into television and film

In 1983, just four years after he launched his new career in entertainment, Maher made his film debut in the feature film “D.C. Cab.” The role didn’t make him famous at this point, but it still gave him more exposure and he invited to appear in a variety of television shows in minor roles including “Max Headroom,” “Ratboy” and “Sara.” He was working and the public was getting used to seeing his face as well as hearing his voice.

Bill gets his own show

Bill’s first big break came in 1993 when he accepted a contract to host his own show on Comedy Central, called “Politically Incorrect.” This was the one area where Bill really shined and it was obvious that the political arena was a niche that he belonged in. He continued working as an actor, now playing himself instead of fictitious characters. He had earned this measure of status and was recognized as an asset to a film or show by just showing up as himself. In 1998, he appeared in “EDtv” and two years later in “Be More Cynical,” followed by “The Party’s Over” documentary.

Upward movement

HBO sponsored Bill’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” in 2003, which was his own talk show. As host, Maher pursued active discussions on current events as well as political happenings that were relevant to the day. Bill is known for stirring a controversy whether it’s to delve deeply into a political situation that has tried to be swept under the carpet or to start a fire with a speculative comment to guests that inspires further inquiries into the topic at hand. He’s a master of language with a keen insight into human nature and the inner workings of the political world. He’s hard-hitting and most of the time takes a no-nonsense approach to getting at the facts behind the stories.

Bill Maher’s rock solid philosophy for success

Throughout his career, Bill Maher has worked for a variety of television networks as a commentator such as CNN and Fox News, just to name a few. He’s known for three things by those who love, hate or tolerate his views. He stands his ground and encourages everyone else to be brave and have the courage to stand for what you believe in, defend it and not back away from that. Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated by others who have differing opinions if you truly believe that yours is right and keep a good sense of humor so you can see positivity in most situations. Maher has built a career that is at times controversial because he weighs in heavily on substantial issues of the day, but he’s popular as a political commentator, actor, and comedian. He’s built his $100 million wealth as a professional talk show host.