How Larry King Achieved A Net Worth Of $50 Million

Television talk shows are widespread these days, and each takes on a unique setting to reach its audiences. When talking about TV talk shows, one of the most prominent figures to grace this scene is Larry King. You might know him from his popular talk show, Larry King Live, which according to CNN’s website, premiered in 1978 and made its way to CNN in 1985. It graced our screens for 25 years until its final show in 2010. It was a great show that took on an interview-style and was very popular due to Larry King’s approach with his guests. Larry is a popular figure, and his followers have several questions about him, including his value. According to the Celebrity Net Worth, the Larry King net worth is somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 million. So how did he come across such an asset base? To answer this question, we will look at his background and various ventures responsible for his millions.

Larry King’s Background

Larry was born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger on November 19th, 1933, making him 86 years old presently. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, alongside his brother. His mother, Jennie (nee Gitlitz), was a garment worker and Lithuania native, born in Vilnius. His father, Aaron Zeiger, owned a restaurant and worked as a defense plant worker. He was born in Kolomyia, in the then Austria-Hungary territory. He grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family and schooled at Lafayette high school in Brooklyn. His dad passed on when he was 44 years old due to a heart attack, and it greatly affected Larry. The demise of his parent forced his mother to resort to welfare and also resulted in Larry losing interest in school. For a long time, young Larry desired to work in radio broadcasting, and he set his on this path once he completed high school. King has been married eight times and has five children. His career has been a rollercoaster ride, characterized by controversy during his early days to respect and admiration in the last chapter of his career.

The following are some of the ventures that pushed the Larry King net worth to the $50 million neighborhood.

1. His Radio Career

The first hit he had in broadcasting came by chance. According to Wikipedia, King met a CBS announcer by chance, who suggested him to head to Florida to take advantage of the growing broadcasting industry. He initially set base in Miami, and after a few setbacks, he landed a job at a small station, which is the current WWBM. He used to perform different jobs at the station, such as cleaning. His big break came when one of the announcers unexpectedly quit, and Larry took the vacant spot. He worked as a DJ for the 9 am to noon slot and had two afternoon news casts and a sports cast.

He took on the name King following the suggestion of his manager, who saw his surname to be too ethnic and hard to remember. He started conducting interviews for WIOD’s mid-morning show at a restaurant in Miami Beach, and it is here where he developed his awesome oratory and interviewing skills. His radio career brought him immense popularity, and his initial income was baby steps towards the millions he now has.

2. Television Career

On television, he is famous for his Larry King Live show, which commenced in 1978. He inherited a talk show slot from two previous hosts, Herb Jepko, in 1975, and Long John Nebel, who took the slot in 1977. The former left the slot vacant after his illness and death in 1978. The slot paved the way for Larry’s flamboyant career. At the time, he worked for Mutual Broadcasting, and he gained a loyal following from his audience at home.

The show’s success created the way for him to join CNN. His show began in mid-1985 and hosted a lot of prominent and controversial figures, further expanding his audience. In his initial days on CNN, he still did his radio show at Mutual Broadcasting.

His mode of conducting interviews is what endeared him to many, and many guests came to his show due to his non-confrontational approach. This approach had most of his guests explain themselves well, with the sense of composure of both Larry and his interviewees boosting the reputation of his show.

Reports indicate that throughout his career, he interviewed over 30,000 people. This is an awe-inspiring figure and shows how good he was at his desk. He stepped down from hosting his show on CNN after 25 years in late 2010. He remained with CNN in the next two years and hosted various specials until 2012. He founded Ora Tv sometime in 2012, a partnership with Mexican businessman Carlos Slim and it is in charge of his talk show web-series, Larry King Now.

3. Writing

Aside from his radio and television careers, Larry also is a writer. He had a regular paper column in the USA today and regularly contributed for roughly two decades. He continues writing and contributes to various papers and other publications and touches on a variety of topics such as politics.

4. His various appearances

Banking on his popularity, Larry appears in several shows where he is an attraction to many who are familiar with him. His notable appearances include an episode of WWE’s Monday Night Raw and cameos in shows such Ghost Busters and Bee movie. He has also taken part in many infomercials.

Final Thought

Larry King is one of the most common figures in the world of journalism, more so when it comes to talk shows. His talk show was one of the most popular and had a decent run. He has a net worth that is evidence of his hard work and longevity. It alsi serves as an inspiration to many who consider him a role model. Highlighted are some of his ventures, which led him to his millionaire status. You can catch him on Larry King Now to have a taste of his ageless expertise in tackling interviews.