How Matt Lauer Achieved a Net Worth of $60 Million

Former Today Show host Matt Lauer is estimated to have a current net worth of $60 million, but he earned much more than that over his career. The figures of his total earnings are determined to be in the neighborhood of $100 million or more. He’s earned the distinction of being one of the richest men in this segment of television news and entertainment, but it’s been tainted with accusations of “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace,” and the execs at NBC News moved swiftly when they became aware of the allegations.

How Matt Lauer Made His Millions

Lauer was making $25 million per year in his position on the Today Show. This is significantly more than pal Bill O’Reilly was making at the time of his dismissal at $18.5 million. Of the group of television show hosts popular before the Me Too movement and revelations of sexual misconduct among so many of them, Lauer was making top dollar. However, when you shake it all out, O’Reilly may have been pulling in less than Lauer annually, but Bill’s net worth was estimated at $85 million, which severely trumps Lauer’s $60 million.

Prior annual salary

If we go all the way back to when Matt Lauer was very young, he worked at a Greenwich, Connecticut clothing store where he earned $2.50 an hour. This was long in the past and he’s had quite a few higher paying jobs as he steadily worked his way to the top in entertainment television. With other income streams and perks, he earned an estimated $28 million a year. Before Lauer’s new NBC contract guaranteed him $25 million a year, he was making $17 million annually. It’s still a lot of money, but the jump in pay was sizable and increased his net worth significantly. There are reasons why his actual net worth is lower than it could have been.

Lauer’s lifestyle

Matt and his wife Annette Lauer lived a lifestyle that was certainly within their means, but they spent a lot of money on ritzy houses in the Hamptons and in other locations that cost them in the tens of millions each. They also maintain a 40 acre horse training facility. Their own horses are boarded there, along with those of a few wealthy clients who also house their horses there.

Additional expenses

Besides maintaining a horse farm that cost several thousand a month for feed and animal upkeep, there was the cost of running a mansion and it’s not cheap. He also purchased an apartment for $5.9 million in 2004. It was a big expense and he lived in the apartment when he had to be in the city for work throughout the week. The Lauers also own several other high end properties in the area that are worth multiple millions each. We saw that a 25 acre estate owned by the Lauers in Sag Harbor is up for sale for $14.9 million. It had previously listed for $18 million.

Just prior to his firing, the Lauers bought a $33 million property with a 12,000 square ft mansion, 12 bathrooms, 12 bedrooms, a tea house, a basketball court, a private pond, 60 ft pool and 300 marvelous feet of sandy beach. They closed the deal on this home in 2016. It makes you wonder if Matt had known that he was buying a home that would cost more than half of what his net worth would be today, if he’d still go through with the deal?

Cutting back to conserve on expenses

We learned that the Lauers are selling the Sag Harbor home because of their most recent home purchase. They put a lot of time and money into converting the new estate into a new business that they call Bright Side Farms. They keep their horses there, but they also charge $2,500 a month for each horse boarded there with a recent increase to $2,900 a month from June through September. It’s a money making venture that keeps a cash flow coming in.

Final Thoughts On The Net Worth Of Matt Lauer

With a current net worth of $60 million, Matt Lauer is still in good shape financially speaking. It’s his career that is suffering at this point and the associated income is something that has gone away practically overnight. It’s going to be up to Matt to leverage his ample resources to maintain the lifestyle that he has become accustomed to living.