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How Richard Hammond Achieved a Net Worth of $45 Million

Richard Hammond

Richard Hammond is a journalist, mechanic, television presenter, and writer who is probably best known for co-hosting the television series 'Top Gear.' Due to his career success, the presenter is now a wealthy man, and it is estimated that Richard Hammond's net worth is $45 million.

Here is how this celebrity accrued his wealth.

Richard Hammond's Childhood and Early Career

Richard Hammond was born in Solihull, England, on December 19, 1969. With his parents and two younger brothers, Hammond moved to North Yorkshire. He attended Ripon Grammar School and then attended Harrogate College of Art and Technology.

After graduating, Hammond worked for various radio stations in the UK. While working for Radio Lancashire, Hammond regularly interviewed journalist Zogg Ziegler about cars, and it was Ziegler who encouraged Hammond to enter television motoring reviews.

Following his advice, Richard Hammond began his television career on satellite television.

Richard Hammond Presents Top Gear

Richard Hammond first became a co-host of 'Top Gear' in 2002 when the series was undergoing a revamp. His fellow hosts were Jeremy Clarkson and James May.

The three presenters worked well together due to their different personalities, their sense of hour, and their ability to express conflicting opinions about cars. Hammond earned the nickname 'The Hamster.'

Throughout the series, Hammond and his co-hosts have been involved in various accidents. However, the most serious of these was in 2006 when Hammond was involved in a high-speed dragster crash while traveling at 319 miles per hour.

It led to him being airlifted from the scene and treated in hospital for a bleed on the brain. In 2015, the BBC did not renew Clarkson's contract following allegations of assault from a member of the production team.

At around the same time, Hammond's contract was due to expire, and he made the decision not to return to the show.

His Other Television Work

Although he is best known for his time hosting 'Top Gear,' Hammond has also presented various other television series. In 2003, he began presenting 'Brainiac: Science Abuse' but left the series after four seasons. Hammond co-hosted 'Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show' with Mel Giedroyc.

Two years later, he presented the series 'Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections,' which aired on the National Geographic Channel.

Other series he has presented in the engineering, science, and motoring fields include 'Richard Hammond's Crash Course,' 'Science of Stupid,' 'Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds,' and 'Planet Earth.'

There are also some television series hosted by Hammond that veers away from his typical series. He hosted the game shows' Total Wipeout' and 'Time Commanders.'

The presenter also hosted a science-themed children's game show called 'Richard Hammond's Blast Lab.' In 2016, Hammond began co-hosting 'The Grand Tour,' which he also created along with Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Andy Wilman. The Amazon exclusive series has a similar concept and format to 'Top Gear.'

Commercials and Video Game Ads

Between 2008 and 2009, Hammond appeared in advertisements for Morrison's supermarkets. He has also appeared in advertisements for the Dutch automobile leasing company LeasePlan.

Hammond has also made guest appearances on multiple television series, including 'The Jonathan Ross Show,' 'Phineas and Ferb,' 'Take Two with Phineas and Ferb,' and 'Would I Lie to You?'

Furthermore, Hammond has provided a voice for four video games. He was the presenter for Forza Motorsport 4 in 2011, Forza Motorsport 5 in 2013, and Forza Motorsport 6 in 2012. Hammond then provided the voice for his own character in the 2019 video game 'The Grand Tour Game.' Currently, Hammond is continuing to present 'The Grand Tour'.

He also plays a fictionalized version of himself in the Amazon series 'The Great Escapists' alongside Tory Belleci. The duo is stranded on an island and must survive using makeshift mechanical machinery.

Hammond has a future project in the pipeline, as he revealed that he is making a car restoration show for Discovery+.

Richard Hammond's Website DriveTribe and Books

In 2016, Hammond, Clarkson, and May launched an automotive-themed social media website called DriveTribe. Hammond regularly provides content for the platform, and he calls his tribe of fans' Hammond's Fob Jockeys.'

In addition to his television career, Richard Hammond has written 11 books. His four non-fiction books are 'What Not to Drive,' 'Richard Hammond's Car Confidential,' Richard Hammond's Caravan Confidential,' and 'A Short History of the Motorcycle.'

The television presenter has written four biographies, titled 'On the Edge: My Story,' 'As You Do: Adventures with Evel, Oliver, and the Vice-President of Botswana,' 'On the Road: Growing Up in Eight Journeys,' and 'Or Is That Just Me?'

Hammond has also published three children's books. His first, 'Can You Feel the Force Putting the Fizz Back into Physics,' was published in 2006. Two years later, he published 'Car Science,' His most recent children's publication, which was published in 2009, was 'Blast Lab: More Than 30 Mind-Blasting Experiments!'

Richard Hammond's Net Worth

Due to the success of his career, Celebrity Net Worth says that Richard Hammond's net worth is $45 million. He has predominantly made his money through his television work, although he has also made money through writing columns and books.

Is Richard Hammon Married?

Richard Hammond has been married to Amanda 'Mindy' Hammond, nee Etheridge, since 2002. His wife is a columnist for the Daily Express. The couple's first daughter, Isabella, was born in 2001, followed by their second daughter, Willow, in 2004.

One way that Richard Hammond has spent his massive fortune is by buying properties. The family's main residence is a mock castle in Herefordshire, and Hammond also has an apartment in London.

Hammond bought Bollitree Castle in Ross-on-Wye, England, in 2008, and he owns a further large property in Oxfordshire.

Another way that the former 'Top Gear' presenter splashes the cash is on vehicles, and he has a huge collection of cars and motorcycles, including both vintage and new models. Furthermore, the television presenter owns a helicopter and a tractor.

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Allen Lee

Written by Allen Lee

Allen Lee is a Toronto-based freelance writer who studied business in school but has since turned to other pursuits. He spends more time than is perhaps wise with his eyes fixed on a screen either reading history books, keeping up with international news, or playing the latest releases on the Steam platform, which serve as the subject matter for much of his writing output. Currently, Lee is practicing the smidgen of Chinese that he picked up while visiting the Chinese mainland in hopes of someday being able to read certain historical texts in their original language.

Read more posts by Allen Lee

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