James May Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is James May’s Net Worth?

The net worth of James May, a well-known British journalist and television presenter, is estimated at $40 million. He gained prominence as a presenter on the television show “Top Gear,” featuring alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, first appearing in 1999 and again from 2003 until 2015. Additionally, May has hosted various other TV programs, including “James May’s Top Toys” (2005), “Oz and James’s Big Wine Adventure” (2006–2007), “James May’s Big Ideas” (2008), and “James May’s Toy Stories” (2009–2014). Moreover, he contributed to “The Daily Telegraph” with a daily column focusing on motoring and has authored over 15 books, such as “May on Motors: On the Road with James May” (2006), “James May’s Car Fever” (2009), “James May’s Man Lab: The Book of Usefulness” (2011), and “James May: Oh Cook!” (2020). In 2016, he took on the role of host for Amazon’s “The Grand Tour” and became a director at the production company W. Chump & Sons. James was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award for Best Presenter for his work on “Top Gear” in 2007, and in 2019 he received an International Motor Film Award for Best Journalism Film for “Motown Funk.”

Early Life

Born James Daniel May on January 16, 1963, in Bristol, England, James grew up with his mother Kathleen, father James (who managed an aluminum factory), a brother, and two sisters. He attended Newport’s Caerleon Endowed Junior School and Rotherham’s Oakwood Comprehensive School, where he sang in the choir at Whiston Parish Church. Later, he enrolled at Pendle College, Lancaster University, to study music, where he learned piano and flute. Upon graduating, he worked as a records officer at a hospital in Chelsea. Lancaster University granted him an honorary doctorate in 2010.

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Writing Career

Beginning his career in the early 1980s, May worked as a sub-editor for “The Engineer” and “Autocar” magazine, where he was dismissed in 1992 for embedding a hidden message in the “Road Test Yearbook” supplement that read, “So you think it’s really good, yeah? You should try making the bloody thing up; it’s a real pain in the arse.” He has contributed to various other publications, including “Top Gear” magazine and “Car Magazine,” and in 2006 published a collection titled “May on Motors.” That same year, he co-authored the book “Oz and James’s Big Wine Adventure” with Oz Clarke, followed by another book, “Oz and James Drink to Britain,” released in 2009. James has also written numerous books related to his television endeavors, such as “James May’s 20th Century” (2007) and “James May’s Toy Stories” (2009).

Television Career

May kicked off his television career in 1998 with the documentary “Driven,” later co-presenting the original version of “Top Gear” in 1999. He joined the revived “Top Gear” in its second season, contributing to over 170 episodes until his departure in 2015. Though he was dubbed “Captain Slow” due to his cautious driving style on the show,

James achieved remarkable speeds, reaching 253 mph and 259.11 mph during the show. Between 2006 and 2007, he was the presenter of the 11-episode documentary titled “James May’s Road Trip,” and in 2007, he also delivered the six-part documentary series “James May’s 20th Century” alongside the documentary “Inside Killer Sharks.” In 2008, May hosted “James May’s Big Ideas,” followed by “James May on the Moon” and “James May at the Edge of Space” in 2009. He ran “James May’s Things You Need to Know” from 2011 to 2012 and was the narrator for “To Space & Back” in 2013. Additionally, from 2009 to 2014, James hosted the six-part series “James May’s Toy Stories,” during which he constructed a full-sized house made entirely of LEGO bricks. Together with wine expert Oz Clarke, he co-presented “Oz and James’s Big Wine Adventure” from 2006 to 2007 and reunited for “Oz and James Drink to Britain” in 2009. From 2014 to 2016, May presented “James May’s Cars of the People” and later “James May: The Reassembler” from 2016 to 2017. He hosted “James May: Oh Cook!” a cooking show, as well as the travel documentary series “James May: Our Man in Japan” in 2020.

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Personal Life

Since 2000, James has been in a relationship with art critic Sarah Frater, and they reside together in Hammersmith, West London. In 2020, they opted for a week-long retreat at a health clinic in Germany, leading to May undergoing a liver detox. He later recounted the experience, stating, “After two days, I had a belting headache and could hardly see anymore. I was faint and trembling with hunger and I went to them, ‘This is ridiculous. I’m on holiday and you’ve made me ill. You’re going to have to give me some food.'” In 2014, he signed a letter for “The Guardian” newspaper, expressing support for Scotland’s decision against independence from the U.K.

May became a half-owner of The Royal Oak pub in Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire, in 2020; the establishment dates back to the early 18th century. After training at White Waltham Airfield, he acquired his light aircraft pilot’s licence in 2006 and has owned several aircraft, including a Cessna A185E Skywagon, Luscombe 8A ‘Silvaire,’ and an American Champion 8KCAB Super Decathlon. A collector of luxury cars, James has owned numerous high-end vehicles, among them a Bentley T2, 2005 Saab 9-5 Aero, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Rover P6, Triumph 2000, Alfa Romeo 164, 1984 Porsche 911, 2014 Ferrari 458 Speciale, Porsche 911 Carerra S Facelift, Ferrari F30, and Fiat Panda.

Real Estate

In 2015, May invested £770,000 in a 5-bedroom residence located in Ansty. Additionally, he purchased a property in Hammersmith for £325,000 in 2000, followed by an adjacent semi-derelict property in 2013 for £310,000. In 2019, James demolished both homes and embarked on building a £3.5 million “superhome.”